Operations Director

Job title and organisation: Operations Director (Children and Young People’s Services and Dial House at Touchstone) - Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service
Salary: LS8.1 to LS8.4 - Starting salary for 30 hours is £33,119
Hours: 30
Contract: Permanent
Location: Leeds
Closing Date and Time: Monday 30th November 2026 at 10am

30 hours to be worked flexibly Monday to Friday (as agreed with your manager), normally between 9am and 5pm, with occasional evening, weekend and shift-cover requirements and participation in senior emergency or on-call arrangements.

We are looking for an experienced and inclusive leader with strong safeguarding experience, who brings compassion, curiosity and a practical, hands-on approach to making things happen. You will welcome and value diverse perspectives and experiences, empower others and share our commitment to survivor-led, person-centred and trauma-informed practice.

Leeds Survivor-Led Crisis Service (LSLCS) offers sanctuary and support to children, young people and adults experiencing emotional distress or mental health crisis. Founded in 1999 by people with lived experience of mental health crisis, we remain rooted in our survivor-led ethos, valuing people's experiences, choices and involvement in shaping our work. LSLCS has a long history of innovation and excellence, having received multiple national awards.

As Operations Director, you will lead our children and young people's services, including Safe Zone, Safe Phone and Night OWLS, across Leeds, West Yorkshire and Barnsley. You will also have management responsibility for Dial House at Touchstone.

Working closely with service managers and teams, you will support the delivery and development of safe, compassionate and sustainable services, ensuring the lived experiences, voices and perspectives of people using our services help shape our work.

You will provide supportive and effective leadership to managers and teams, creating space for reflection, learning and development alongside the everyday demands of running busy services.

You will provide senior safeguarding leadership across your services, leading our approach to safeguarding children and young people. You will bring sound judgement to complex safeguarding decisions and promote a holistic and intersectional approach. You will also oversee service quality, safe practice and continuous improvement.

As a member of our Senior Leadership Team, you will work collaboratively with the Chief Executive Officer and fellow Directors, contributing to our wider organisational vision and priorities. You will bring ideas, sound judgement and a commitment to turning plans into action, helping us sustain and develop our vital and pioneering services.

We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. We recognise that relevant knowledge and skills can be gained through employment, volunteering, training and other experiences.

Closing Date: 10am, Monday 30 November 2026

Short Listing: w/c 07 December 2026

Interview Date: w/c 14 December 2026

For an informal discussion about the role, email recruitment@lslcs.org.ukor phone 0113 260 9328. For an application pack, download here.

The above post is not a Leeds City Council vacancy and has been advertised on behalf of the relevant organisation. To apply please follow their application instructions.
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