Head of Operations (Strategy and Impact Division)

Overview

We are looking for a Head of Operations to lead the operational support that enables our Strategy and Impact division to deliver on its priorities. This division brings together Strategy, New Product Development, and Research, alongside teams that drive our internal governance and organisation-wide change projects. As Head of Operations, you will play a central leadership role, acting as the engine room for the division. You will make sure systems, processes, people, and resources work together smoothly to deliver our strategic goals efficiently and effectively. You will have a key role in delivering our operating plan objectives and supporting the wider organisational strategy. You will work closely with senior leaders across the division to ensure work is high-quality, delivered on time, and within budget.

Application Deadline: 9 September 2025

Department: Product Development

Location: London

Compensation: £62,100 / year

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operational management of the Strategy & Impact division, ensuring teams and workstreams are well-coordinated, well-resourced, and aligned to divisional and organisational priorities.
• Plan and sequence divisional work and resources effectively across multiple teams and initiatives, monitor budgets and capacity across the division, identifying pressure points and enabling strategic deployment of resources.
• Develop, embed and maintain clear systems and processes to support high-quality delivery and effective collaboration.
• Lead the implementation of consistent and effective project and programme management practices across the division.
• Oversee a pool of project management and administrative support, ensuring its effective and efficient deployment and assuring its quality and impact.
• Work with matrix teams to ensure key projects remain on track, with clear timelines, ownership and delivery plans.
• Support colleagues to manage risks, issues and dependencies, and coordinate delivery planning for high-priority initiatives.
• Take the lead on the delivery of large-scale, complex initiatives, coordinating projects across a multi-disciplinary matrix team.
• Build, refine and deliver excellent processes to help our teams achieve more in service of our mission, such as in building out our approach to the scaling up of successful pilot programmes.
• Ensure readiness for delivery of large initiatives such as new contracts, programmes or philanthropically funded work, tracking milestones, facilitating excellent decision making and progress and acting as a point of escalation.
• Oversee internal governance processes and support leaders with divisional reporting, ensuring accuracy and visibility of key information to support effective oversight and timely decisions.
• Lead divisional budget and resource planning and reporting, working closely with Finance and People teams to ensure accurate reporting, forecasting and informed decision-making.
• Maintain oversight of risks, timelines, resources and performance across the division’s portfolio of work.
• Foster strong communication and collaboration across the Strategy & Impact division, supporting staff to thrive while delivering excellent work in service of our long-term strategy and mission.
• Support clear and inclusive team rhythms that help colleagues feel connected to our mission, strategy and impact — and empowered to contribute to our collective endeavour.
• Promote a culture of shared ownership and continuous improvement, enabling teams to make good decisions that align with our long-term strategy and mission.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• A confident and personable leader with experience overseeing complex operations across multiple teams, ideally in a matrix or cross-functional environment.
• Exceptional organisational and project management skills, with a strong track record of delivering large-scale initiatives on time and within budget, through collaboration rather than control.
• A strategic thinker with sound judgement, able to balance detail with big-picture priorities, and to make clear recommendations that support high-quality decision-making.
• Experienced in planning and resource management, including workforce planning, budget forecasting, and working with finance and HR colleagues to ensure capacity is aligned to ambition.
• Action oriented and comfortable working at pace and in ambiguity, with the initiative to spot issues early, respond flexibly, and drive continuous improvement.
• A confident communicator, able to build trust quickly and communicate clearly with a wide range of stakeholders, including senior leaders, peers and cross-team contributors.
• Committed to fostering an inclusive, collaborative culture, and supporting teams to thrive while delivering excellent work aligned to our mission.
• Deeply connected to our purpose, with a belief in the power of education to unlock opportunity, and a commitment to our long-term strategy and collective endeavour.

What’s in it for you

• Competitive annual salary
• Professional development for all staff
• 25 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays and 'winter shut down’ at the end of December/beginning of January
• Employer pension contribution of 11%
• Agile, hybrid working culture, so you can manage when and where you work
• Staff affinity networks that help keep equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
• Blind recruitment process to ensure equality and fairness in our hiring
• Enhanced maternity pay after a year’s service
• Shared parental leave package
• Access to free, confidential 24/7 wellbeing and support line
• Comfortable and collaborative workspaces in the city centres of Manchester, Birmingham and London
• Work-from-home technology package to support hybrid working
• Interest free season ticket / bike loans

You should apply for this role if

• You care deeply about educational disadvantage and being part of an organisation that challenges inequality
• You have a good work ethic and strive to make a difference in the job you do
• You always give maximum effort to understand and meet the needs of our partners and participants
• You always have a great attitude so we “can do” for all our colleagues, partners and participants
• You are open to feedback and learning because we want to keep getting better
• You work with your initiative to bring new ideas and a fresh perspective
• You are well organised and can prioritise work that will have the greatest impact

You'll love working at Ambition if

• You want a career with a person-centred organisation with a cause at its heart.
• You have a collaborative work ethos, bring warmth and good humour to work and constructive outlook to every situation
• You enjoy working in a fast-moving workplace, with a great support structure around you
• You would like to grow with an ambitious organisation as it progresses over time
• You want flexibility in how you work – splitting your time between one of our offices and remote working and managing your own working patterns to get the job done.

How to apply

Applications will be accepted for all office locations.

All applications must be received by the closing date 23:59 on 8 September 2025. Interviews are expected to take place on 18 September 2025.

We are committed to safeguarding children and the most vulnerable in our society and, as such, we are unable to employ individuals with relevant convictions, including a conviction for an offence involving violence or dishonesty, of a sexual nature or against minors, or for any other offence that is relevant to the nature of the services provided by our organisation.

For any questions or queries please review our FAQs in the first instance. If we’ve not addressed your question in this section, please email us at jobs@ambition.org.uk.

As an employer, we have a responsibility to prevent illegal working in the UK by ensuring that our employees have the right to work in the UK. Therefore, as part of the recruitment process to verify your eligibility you will be required to produce relevant documentation.