Job Summary
The Head of Quality and Operations will take a lead role in providing quality and operational leadership to our Charity, contributing expertise to the CEO and Board across a broad range of responsibilities with a focus on oversight of the immediate work and team. The post holder will be responsible for ensuring risk is mitigated, operational processes and systems are maintained and accurate, while generating and implementing strategies to improve service offers and increase efficiency throughtout the organisation. We envisage that the role will also be the Executive Lead for Safeguarding and will be required to deputise for the CEO. No day will ever be the same and the job will be stimulating and rewarding in equal measure - you really will be making a difference to children's lives.
If you are the ideal person we are looking for, you will have significant experience in relatable people-focused areas, are someone who makes things happen and is comfortable in a senior role. You accept taking on responsibility for multiple areas, are self-motivated, warm and enjoy taking the initiative. You also get great satisfaction from completing projects, developing and mentoring the team and developing processes that make life easier for everyone. You pay great attention to detail, you're a dab hand with a spreadsheet and are very comfortable with IT systems in general. You will need to be exteremly well organised and great at communicating, both written and verbal, as well as having a really good head for data; it will be important to us for you to establish a robust process for analysing and using data more effectively than we are currently able to do.
You are comfortable working in a fast moving, values-driven organisation with an innovative spirit, which means you won't always have the information or answers when starting out.
In the medium term, we anticipate that the role will have the assistance of an Operations Assistant, but in the shorter term you will need to be prepared, alongside the rest of the team, to contribute across all levels of the organisation to ensure our continued success.
For our part, we will be a charity that you love being part of, offering you all the support and encouragement you need to not just do the job well, but flourish as a person. How we care for our team really matters to us, and this will be reflected in how we look after you.
Main Duties
* Embed the SMASH values across the organisation - we put people first, caring is our motivation, we are generously collaborative and we speak up when things aren't right.
* To champion SMASH's vision, deliverables and values through considered leadership, effective supervision and the maintenance of efficient processes that allow the whole team to work with confidence and clarity.
* Develop and implement plans which ensure the delivery of the Strategic Plan.
* Develop and implement a new youth voice + participation strategy.
* Act as the SMASH Youth Project Executive Safeguarding Lead.
* Deputise for the CEO as required, both internally and externally, and flexibly undertake any other duties that may arise, develop or be assigned in line with the broad remit of the position
Specific Duties
* Leadership, management, supervision and quality control over the short-term program across both Swindon and Wiltshire.
* Collaborate with the project leads and teams to resolve quality-related issues and lead subsequent action plans.
* Champion, implement and lead quality-related initiatives to support all aspects of the Charity's operations, values and processes.
* Evolve and embed a system and processes for data analysis, effective 'story-telling' and reporting in order to monitor, inform and improve services.
* Ensure compliance with our contracted work, with a particular focus on contracts of significance to the organisation
* Lead on risk management, including input into the central risk register, coordinating action plans and monitoring compliance.
* Act as the Data Protection Lead for all aspects of our GDPR responsibilities i.e. compliance, legislation, training, incidents etc.
* Cultivate an inspiring and supportive workplace culture and model a fair and open management approach that ensures trusted relationships are embedded.
* Ensure quality in delivery through robust practice development supervision of colleagues delivering face to face work.
* Ensure that SMASH's values are embedded in all staffing polcies and decisions.
Skills, Experience + Knowledge
Essential
Experience
* Evidence of recent contiuning professional development relevant to the post
* Significant experience in a relatable field of work
* Strong management experience including overseeing organisational development, supervision of staff, developing culture and responding to complex staffing issues with empathy, fairness, consistency and appropriate confidentiality
* Demonstrable experience in data management, including confidentiality and data protection legislation
* Understanding of social impact reporting and experience of monitoring and evaluation systems to measure impact
* Ability to work robustly within challenging and unpredictable environments, to problem-solve difficult situations calmly, manage risk effectively across all parts of an organisation
Interpersonal skills
* An understanding and acceptance of the SMASH values and the centrality of these to the work of the charity.
* Confident, with a calm and resilient nature – not easily phased.
* Able to effectively communicate and influence across all levels of internal/external organisations
* Ability to manage own time and workload effectively, prioritise and meet tight deadlines and work in a fast paced and rapidly changing environment.
Additional requirements
* Strong computer literacy and proficient user of MS Office packages
* Other activities relating to the general charitable purposes of SMASH as and when they may be required.
Desirable
Education/training/qualifications
* Qualification or advanced training in a relevant area/management
Experience
* Background in 3rd sector leadership role
* Experience of quality control, particularly in a people-related field
* Experience of producing management information reports across an organisation
* First hand experience of the issues we address through our work
* Experience of risk management practice
Interpersonal Skills
* Ability to take and give direction.
Additional Requirements
* Access to a vehicle and a full, clean driving licence.
The nature of the work means that the post holder will be expected to work outside of office hours and occasionally at the weekend in order to meet the organisations requirements
In accordance with the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and of other persons who may be affected by your acts or omissions at work.
In line with our safer recruitment practices, any appointment will be subject to an enhanced DBS check, receipt of two satisfactory references and a probationary period
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £40,022.00 per year
Work Location: In person