Job Description & Role Profile
Director of Services & Engagement
Reports to
Chief Executive Officer
Senior Leadership Team
Member of the Senior Leadership Team
Direct Reports
Operations Manager (Refuge)
Operations Manager (Community)
Housing Management Coordinator
Impact and Performance Manager
Salary/Hours/Location:
£55-60k
35 hours per week
Based at Head Office, LS14, hybrid working policy applies
Role Purpose
To provide strategic leadership and accountability for all service delivery and engagement functions, ensuring consistently high-quality, victim-survivor-centred practice and strong operational performance across the organisation.
The role drives service excellence, innovation, workforce capability, and community engagement, ensuring services are responsive to need, aligned with organisational strategy, and delivered in accordance with contractual, safeguarding, and governance requirements.
As a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the postholder contributes to collective leadership, supports effective governance, and upholds the principles of integrity, accountability, and transparency in all aspects of operational leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership of Services
- Provide strategic leadership and clear accountability for all frontline service delivery functions, ensuring services are safe, effective, inclusive, and victim-survivor-centred.
- Translate organisational strategy into coherent service models, delivery plans, and performance frameworks.
- Contribute to organisational strategy as a member of SLT, ensuring service delivery insight informs strategic decision-making and resource allocation.
- Horizon scan on areas relevant to both the organisation and own responsibilities and communicate internally on knowledge gained.
- Create trust and build effective working relationships
- Provide regular, high-quality assurance to the CEO and Board on service performance, impact, risk, and capacity.
Commitment to Women-Centred Practice
- Demonstrated commitment to, and understanding of, women-led and women-centred support services, including the importance of trauma-informed, inclusive, and empowering practice for women and girls.
- Ability to lead and represent an organisation whose work is rooted in women’s lived experience, ensuring values, language, and decision-making reflect women-centred principles.
Operational Oversight and Performance
- Oversee performance management frameworks across services, ensuring consistent quality assurance, contract compliance, and delivery against performance measures, outcomes, and impact
- Ensure timely, proportionate decision-making within services, reducing operational bottlenecks and escalation to the CEO.
- Identify and manage operational risks, escalating appropriately and contributing to organisational risk management processes.
- Ensure services operate within agreed budgets in collaboration with the Head of Finance.
Workforce Leadership and Capability
- Lead and strengthen coaching-led leadership, supervision and management practice across service teams.
- Support workforce development, resilience, and succession planning in collaboration with the Head of People & Culture.
- Embed consistent standards of practice, professional accountability and continuous improvement across all service areas.
- Promote staff wellbeing, engagement, and retention through inclusive and supportive leadership.
Service Development and Innovation
- Lead the development, testing, and implementation of new service models and pilots in response to emerging needs, commissioning priorities, and strategic opportunities.
- Analyse service data, trends, and feedback to inform service improvement and innovation.
- Work closely with the Director of Income Generation & Business Development to shape service design for bids, tenders, and funding opportunities.
- Ensure innovation is evidence-informed, victim-survivor-led and proportionately risk-assessed.
Engagement and External Relationships
- Lead organisational engagement strategies, ensuring services are well-connected to communities, partners, and referral pathways.
- Build strong relationships with commissioners, statutory partners, and sector stakeholders to support effective delivery and reputation.
- Represent the organisation externally as required, promoting service quality, impact, and values.
Safeguarding, Governance, and Accountability
- Hold strategic accountability for safeguarding within service delivery, ensuring robust systems, training, and culture are embedded across all teams.
- Ensure compliance with charity law, contractual obligations, safeguarding requirements, and the Equality Act 2010.
- Contribute to effective governance by providing accurate, timely, and transparent reporting to the CEO and Board.
- Uphold the Nolan Principles of Public Life and support trustees in fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities.
Leadership, Values, and Culture
- Model values-led, inclusive, and ethical leadership at all times.
- Foster a culture of accountability, learning, openness, and continuous improvement.
- Promote respectful challenge, collaboration, and shared ownership across the organisation.
Person Specification
Experience
- Senior leadership experience in service delivery within the charity, public, or social care sector.
- Demonstrable experience of leading complex operational services and managing performance across multiple teams or contracts.
- Experience of service development, quality assurance, and improvement in regulated or high-risk environments.
- Experience of working with Boards or senior governance structures, providing assurance and managing risk.
Skills and Competencies
- Strong operational leadership and decision-making capability.
- Ability to lead, motivate, and develop managers through coaching-based approaches.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to balance risk, quality, and delivery pressures.
- Strong communication and influencing skills, internally and externally.
Knowledge
- Strong understanding of safeguarding, trauma-informed practice, and victim-survivor-centred service delivery.
- Knowledge of commissioning, contract management, and performance frameworks.
- Understanding of the DV&A and VAWG policy and service landscape.
Values and Conduct
- Demonstrates commitment to the Nolan Principles: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership.
- Strong alignment with organisational values and commitment to inclusive, victim-survivor-centred practice.
- Operates with professionalism, discretion, and respect for confidentiality.
Additional Information
- The postholder will be expected to uphold the Charity Governance Code and contribute to a culture of effective governance and ethical leadership.
- The role requires flexibility to meet organisational and strategic demands.
Equality, Safeguarding, and Occupational Requirement
The organisation is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and to creating a working environment free from discrimination, in line with the Equality Act 2010.
- Due to the nature of the services provided and the population supported, this post is subject to an Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (Part 1) of the Equality Act 2010, and therefore the postholder must be female. This requirement is applied lawfully and proportionately, reflecting the organisation’s provision of specialist women-centred services and the need to maintain safety, trust, and authenticity in leadership and external representation.
- Appointment to this role will be subject to safer recruitment checks, including satisfactory references, right to work verification, and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at the appropriate level.
- The postholder will be expected to uphold LWA’s Code of Conduct, Safeguarding Policies, and values at all times, and to act as a role model for inclusive, ethical, and professional behaviour.
- Reasonable adjustments will be made to the recruitment process to ensure accessibility for candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions.