Regional Operations Lead North and East
Salary: £49,492 - £58,226 (dependent on experience)
Contract type: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Location description: This is a home-based role
Interview date: To be confirmed
Closing Date: 13-10-2025
Reference: 20372
About us
Our purpose is simple: to save lives at sea. 24 hours a day, every day, RNLI lifesavers are ready to launch to the rescue.
We’re looking for a Regional Operations Lead to join our Regional Leadership Team based in the North and East of England. The Regional Operations Lead supports the RNLI by providing regional leadership, management and guidance to inspire and motivate a team of dedicated professionals to ensure the region provides its core lifesaving operations in line with RNLI values, policies and procedures.
Some of the benefits
- Salary of £49,492 - £58,226 (dependent on experience)
- Flexible working
- 26 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays
- Outstanding pension scheme (contributions of up to 16% of basic salary)
- Life assurance
- Health and dental cash plan option
Your role
As a Regional Operations Lead, you will be tasked with focusing on the following areas:
- Operational Leadership: Ensure safe, efficient, and effective delivery of RNLI lifesaving operations in the region, adhering to policies, standards, and legislation.
- Team Management & Development: Recruit, manage, and develop high-performing operational managers; provide leadership, mentoring, and pastoral support.
- Risk & Compliance: Maintain strategic regional plans and risk registers; ensure compliance with internal/external standards and manage risk collaboratively.
- Stakeholder & Partnership Engagement: Act as the lead regional contact with Search and Rescue and civil agencies; coordinate multi-agency responses and partnerships.
- Support & Representation: Participate in on-call duties, respond to major incidents, and act as an RNLI spokesperson and ambassador when required.
About you
You’ll be a motivated and flexible leader who can coach teams, handle difficult conversations, and make decisions within a compliance framework. You proactively seek continuous improvement, embrace innovation, and work independently while supporting colleagues collaboratively. Willingness to travel, work flexible hours, and balance planning with adaptability are essential to meet volunteer and operational needs.
To be considered as the Regional Operations Lead, you will need:
- Proven track record of managing in a fast-paced operational environment.
- Demonstrable track record in driving operational improvement against targets and measuring compliance.
- Management of teams (both in person and remotely).
- Current, valid driving licence.
Other organisations may call this role Head of Operations.
So, if you want to see how this role supports our organisation’s aim to reduce drowning, this could be the role for you. Please apply via the button shown.
Safeguarding
The RNLI is committed to safeguarding; protecting a person’s health, wellbeing, and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment and have a zero-tolerance approach. The suitability of all prospective employees and volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. This will include relevant criminal record checks being carried out, dependent on the eligibility of the role. (England & Wales; DBS check, Scotland; Disclosure Scotland PVG, Northern Ireland; Access NI, Republic of Ireland; Garda Vetting; International, International Child Protection Certificate process).
Diversity at the RNLI
Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable), and helping us work towards Our Vision: To save Every One