Operations Recruitment

We support charities, education and purpose-led organisations to recruit operations and service delivery leaders who turn organisational priorities into effective services, systems and ways of working.

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Operational leadership for socially focused organisations

Operational leadership can encompass service delivery, organisational infrastructure, customer, beneficiary and member experience, property, facilities and commercial activity, depending on an organisation's priorities and the communities it serves. Bringing those functions together requires leaders who can translate strategic decisions into consistent, effective delivery across the organisation.

Changing expectations, financial pressures and advances in technology are prompting organisations to review how services are designed and delivered. Effective operations leaders balance immediate delivery with longer-term priorities, bringing together people, processes and systems while making decisions that reflect the needs of colleagues, partners and the communities they support.

Trusted by organisations across the sector

Operations recruitment for purpose-led organisations

Every organisation brings together operational responsibilities in different ways, from service delivery and programmes to property, commercial activity, visitor experience and organisational infrastructure. Understanding how those responsibilities fit together is central to every search, helping us identify leaders whose experience aligns with the services, teams and operational challenges they will lead.

Before approaching candidates, we work with you to understand how your organisation operates. We review the services you provide, the people and communities who rely on them, and the operational challenges the role must address, helping us identify leaders with the experience and judgement to deliver effectively in your environment.

Our relationships across charities, education and purpose-led organisations complement targeted research, helping us reach leaders with experience of complex operational environments while giving candidates the context they need to assess whether they're the right fit.

How we recruit operations leaders

Operations leadership spans organisational infrastructure, service delivery and organisational improvement. We recruit across executive, interim and board appointments, helping organisations build leadership teams that deliver services effectively while adapting to changing priorities.

Organisational Operations
Service Delivery
Programme Delivery
Commercial Operations
Customer & Member Services
Property & Facilities
Visitor Operations
Business Improvement
Operational Excellence
Operational Transformation

Leadership Recruitment

Senior operational leaders oversee far more than day-to-day delivery. They lead complex services, organisational infrastructure and multidisciplinary teams while balancing performance, risk, change and long-term sustainability. Every search reflects the breadth of that responsibility, helping organisations appoint leaders whose experience matches both the role and the environment in which they'll operate.

We regularly recruit

Chief Operating Officer
Executive Director of Operations
Director of Operations
Director of Services
Director of Service Delivery
Director of Delivery
Head of Operations
Head of Service Delivery
Operations Managers

Board Recruitment

We work with charity and education boards to appoint trustees and non-executive directors with expertise in service delivery, organisational effectiveness, commercial operations and transformation, strengthening boards with practical insight into how organisations deliver their mission.

Link: Board Recruitment →

We regularly recruit

Operations Trustees
Service Delivery Trustees
Non-Executive Directors
Independent Board Members
Committee Members

Interim Leadership

Periods of change often place high demands on operational leadership. Whether you're restructuring services, leading a transformation programme or covering a senior vacancy, we recruit experienced interim leaders who provide stability, maintain momentum and support confident decision-making from day one.

Link: Interim Leadership →

We regularly recruit

Interim Chief Operating Officer
Interim Director of Operations
Interim Head of Operations
Interim Director of Service Delivery
Interim Transformation Lead

Selected track record

Organisation	Role
Institution of Structural Engineers	Chief Operating Officer
Global Legal Action Network	Chief Operating Officer
Place2Be	Director of Operations
ExtraCare Charitable Trust	Executive Director of Operations
Walsingham Support	Director of Operations & Development
Ellenor	Director of Operations
Economic Change Unit	Director of Operations
The Violence Intervention Project	Director of Delivery & Operations
Certsure	Head of Delivery & Operations
London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art	Head of Operations

Meet the team

Lucy Kennedy-Mavers

Director | Charities

James Hunt

Director | Membership & Development

Clare Chesworth

Head of Social Justice

David Hingley

Head of Arts, Heritage & Culture

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Let's work together

Whether you're strengthening operational leadership, improving service delivery or planning your next senior appointment, we'll help you find someone who can turn strategy into effective delivery.

Speak to our team