Head of Operations

Location: Redhill, Surrey (Hybrid)

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent (Hybrid - Up to 2 days' work from home)

Salary: £65,000 - £80,000 + performance bonus

About the Organisation

Our client is a fast-growing, mission-led organisation delivering high-quality, one-to-one support services to learners across the UK, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and other vulnerable groups. Their impact is driven by the strength of their people, the quality of their service delivery, and a firm commitment to safeguarding and excellence.

As part of a period of significant growth, they are seeking an experienced Head of Operations to lead and optimise core operational functions, ensuring safe, consistent and high-quality delivery at scale.

The Role

The Head of Operations will take full ownership of end-to-end operational delivery, with responsibility for:

• Safeguarding and compliance
• Talent acquisition and onboarding
• Quality assurance and service standards

This is a senior leadership role requiring a hands-on, commercially aware operator who can build scalable processes, lead high-performing teams, and embed a culture of excellence.

You will ensure the organisation consistently delivers the right resource, in the right place, at the right time — while maintaining the highest standards of safeguarding and quality.

Key Responsibilities

Safeguarding & Compliance Leadership

• Own and continuously enhance safeguarding policies, processes, and organisational culture
• Act as the senior accountable lead for safeguarding and compliance standards
• Ensure all professionals meet strict vetting requirements, including Enhanced DBS, references, and ongoing compliance checks
• Oversee safeguarding training, audits, and incident management processes
• Ensure compliance with all relevant legal, regulatory, and industry frameworks

Recruitment & Onboarding Strategy

• Lead the end-to-end recruitment and onboarding function, ensuring strong pipeline coverage across key subject areas and regions
• Drive proactive sourcing strategies across platforms such as LinkedIn, job boards, and referral networks
• Ensure a fast, efficient candidate journey from application to placement readiness
• Monitor and improve key recruitment metrics, including time-to-fill, conversion rates, and onboarding lead times
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing recruitment and onboarding team

Quality Assurance & Service Delivery

• Define and implement consistent quality standards across all service delivery
• Monitor performance through data, including satisfaction metrics (e.g. NPS), retention, and outcomes
• Establish structured feedback loops to drive continuous improvement
• Identify delivery risks or gaps early and take proactive action to mitigate impact
• Ensure all professionals are supported, prepared, and aligned with organisational standards

Operational Performance & Scaling

• Own and report on operational KPIs across recruitment, compliance, quality, and retention
• Build scalable systems, workflows, and reporting frameworks to support continued growth
• Maintain real-time visibility of pipeline health, capacity, and regional coverage
• Use data and insights to inform decision-making and drive operational improvements
• Partner with senior leadership to align operational strategy with business growth objectives

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop teams across recruitment, onboarding, and quality functions
• Foster a high-performance culture with clear accountability, KPIs, and progression pathways
• Set strategic direction while remaining close to day-to-day operations
• Encourage collaboration and a mission-led mindset across teams

About You

Experience

• Significant experience in an operational leadership role within recruitment, education, healthcare, or another regulated, safeguarding-led environment
• Proven track record of managing and scaling multi-functional operational teams
• Experience overseeing recruitment, compliance, onboarding, or service delivery functions

Skills & Attributes

• Strong understanding of safeguarding and compliance best practice
• Commercially minded with the ability to scale processes effectively
• Data-driven, with experience using metrics and reporting to inform decisions
• Excellent organisational and problem-solving capabilities
• Confident communicator with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels
• Hands-on leadership style with attention to detail
• Passionate about delivering meaningful impact through high-quality services

What’s on Offer

• Competitive salary with performance-related bonus
• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
• Pension and wellbeing support
• Hybrid working model
• Clear progression opportunities within a growing organisation
• The chance to play a key leadership role in a purpose-driven environment

Safeguarding Commitment

The organisation is committed to safeguarding children and young people. The successful candidate will be required to complete an Enhanced DBS check (including Children’s Barred List) and provide satisfactory references prior to employment.

Inclusion

Our client is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all backgrounds. Adjustments throughout the recruitment process are available upon request.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced operations leader to take ownership of a critical function within a growing organisation and drive meaningful impact at scale.

Apply now or get in touch with Aamir Malik at [email protected] or 0207 259 8770.