Director of Service Operations
Location: Glasgow
Salary Range: £54,910 - £69,117
Contract: Full-time, Permanent (4 days a week, Monday – Friday)
About Advice Direct Scotland
Advice Direct Scotland (ADS) is Scotland’s national advice service, providing free, practical, and impartial advice to people across Scotland on issues including consumer rights, energy, debt, housing, and more.
Our mission is simple: to ensure that everyone in Scotland has access to the support they need, when they need it.
We are a modern, digital-first, omni-channel organisation, delivering advice and support through telephone, webchat, email, SMS, social media, and self-service digital tools. This innovative model allows us to reach people in the way that suits them best — ensuring accessibility, speed, and impact.
Role Purpose
The Director of Operations plays a pivotal role in shaping and leading the operational direction of ADS.
As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, you will be responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of all frontline advice services across multiple channels, embedding operational excellence, and driving innovation to meet evolving service needs.
You will lead large, diverse teams, optimise performance, and work collaboratively to deliver exceptional outcomes for service users. This role requires a strategic thinker, a decisive leader, and an accomplished operational professional.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Organisational Delivery
* Provide strategic direction and oversight for all operational activity, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy and objectives.
* Act as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, contributing to corporate strategy, business planning, and transformation initiatives.
* Lead the design and implementation of operational models that support sustainable growth, innovation, and high performance.
* Build organisational capacity to respond effectively to changing national priorities, funding landscapes, and public need.
Operational Excellence & Service Performance
* Oversee the end-to-end delivery of omni-channel advice services (telephone, webchat, email, SMS, social media, digital tools) ensuring seamless and consistent customer experiences.
* Drive performance improvement through robust KPIs, service standards, and continuous improvement frameworks.
* Ensure compliance with ISO/IEC 27001:2022, data protection, contractual obligations, and other relevant standards.
* Identify and mitigate operational risks, ensuring resilience and service continuity.
* Use data, insight, and technology to shape operational decision-making.
Leadership & People Development
* Lead, inspire, and develop operational management teams to deliver high-quality, people-centred services.
* Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, and innovation across the organisation.
* Promote staff wellbeing, engagement, and professional growth.
* Champion equality, diversity, and inclusion across all operations.
Stakeholder Engagement & External Relations
* Maintain strong relationships with key partners and funders, including Scottish Government and other public, third sector, and regulatory bodies.
* Act as a senior operational ambassador for ADS, representing the organisation externally with credibility and authority.
* Work closely with policy, communications, and digital teams to align operational delivery with national priorities and campaigns.
Person Specification
Essential Experience & Skills
* Extensive senior leadership experience in an operational role, ideally within a complex, multi-channel or contact centre environment.
* Demonstrable track record of delivering strategic change and improving operational performance.
* Proven ability to lead large teams and services in fast-paced, high-volume environments.
* Strong knowledge of digital service delivery models, operational risk management, and compliance frameworks.
* Experience managing budgets, contracts, and performance frameworks.
* Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build effective internal and external relationships.
* A strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into operational reality.
Desirable
* Knowledge of the Scottish advice landscape, public sector commissioning, and funding models.
* Experience working with CRM platforms such as Salesforce.
* Familiarity with ISO/IEC 27001 or other operational and quality standards.
* Experience in charity, public sector, or regulated service delivery environments.
Personal Attributes
* Driven and accomplished, with a clear track record of achieving results at scale.
* Inspiring leader who can build trust, motivate teams, and deliver through others.
* Innovative and forward-thinking, with a passion for service excellence.
* Resilient and adaptable in the face of change.
* Strong values base and commitment to fairness, accessibility, and impact.
What We Offer
* A senior leadership role with national impact.
* Opportunity to shape the future of advice delivery in Scotland.
* Competitive salary and benefits package.
* 4-day working week
How to Apply
Please submit your CV and a covering letter detailing your relevant experience and what you would bring to the role to recruitment@advice.scot