SAY Women
Full time
£36,500
On site: Glasgow
Closing end of day Wednesday 4 November 2026
At SAY Women, we believe every young woman deserves to feel safe, supported and able to shape her own future. We support young women aged 16–25 who have experienced childhood sexual abuse, sexual violence and homelessness, or are at risk of homelessness. Our work is feminist, person-centred and rooted in relationships, community and the belief that young women should have a real say in the services that affect their lives. We’re looking for an Operational Lead to help us strengthen and grow our organisation, ensuring we have the people, systems and infrastructure we need to make the greatest possible difference. This is a key leadership role working closely with our CEO and Senior Management Team. You’ll provide strategic oversight across the organisation, making sure our operations are effective, our systems work well and we meet our responsibilities as a charity and employer. We’re looking for someone who can see the bigger picture while understanding the practical realities of running a busy, frontline organisation. You’ll be confident identifying what needs to change, developing better ways of working and bringing people with you. From governance, risk and compliance to people management, communications and organisational performance, you’ll help create the foundations that allow our services to thrive. This isn’t about creating processes for the sake of it. It’s about making sure the way we work reflects our values, supports our staff and enables us to deliver the best possible support to young women. · Leading operations and organisational development: Turn our strategy into effective operational plans, improve systems and processes, and lead projects and organisational change. · Strengthening governance and compliance: Oversee policies, risk management, GDPR, health and safety, regulatory requirements and charity governance processes. · Supporting our people: Provide effective line management, oversee recruitment and HR systems, support consistent people management and contribute to a positive, supportive workplace culture. · Overseeing communications and digital: Lead the development and delivery of our communications strategy, including social media, our website, branding and digital presence. · Driving performance and reporting: Coordinate organisational performance information, KPIs, annual reporting and funder returns, ensuring we can demonstrate our impact and meet our commitments. · Developing our infrastructure: Ensure our offices, accommodation, IT, equipment and operational resources are safe, effective and fit for purpose. · Supporting sustainable growth: Strengthen our operational and purchasing systems, improve efficiency and ensure we have the foundations to grow sustainably. You’ll work collaboratively across SAY Women, supporting managers and colleagues to develop solutions rather than simply imposing processes. You’ll also help ensure that young women’s voices, our feminist values and our trauma-informed approach are reflected in how the organisation operates. We’re looking for someone who brings strong operational leadership, sound judgement and a genuine commitment to our values. You’ll have: · Significant experience in operational management, ideally within a charity, public sector or other values-led organisation. · Experience developing and improving organisational systems and processes. · Experience leading and supporting staff. · A strong understanding of governance, risk and compliance. · Experience working with organisational data, performance information and reporting. · Experience managing projects and implementing change. · Knowledge of GDPR, information governance and health and safety. · Excellent organisational, communication and problem-solving skills. · The ability to think strategically while remaining grounded in the realities of frontline service delivery. · A collaborative approach and the ability to build positive relationships across an organisation. Experience in the violence against women and girls sector, homelessness, social care or charity governance would be an advantage. Experience of communications, digital systems or working within a growing organisation would also be welcome. Just as importantly, you’ll share our commitment to feminist, person-centred and trauma-informed practice. You’ll understand that how we work matters just as much as what we deliver. SAY Women is an organisation with purpose, ambition and a strong sense of community. We’re growing our reach, developing our services and working to challenge the inequalities that shape young women’s experiences of violence, abuse and homelessness. We want to be an organisation where staff feel supported, young women have influence and our values are reflected in the decisions we make every day. This is an opportunity to play a significant role in that journey: helping shape how we work, strengthening our foundations and supporting our next stage of development. We take the work seriously, but we also believe in kindness, relationships, laughter and finding joy along the way. SAY Women strives to be an equal opportunity employer and we welcome applications from individuals who are disadvantaged and under-represented in the labour market. For more information, please download a copy of the Job Description & Person Specification below.
