Head of Programmes & Operations

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer 

Location: AVOCADO HUB, King's Cross, London 

Hours: 40 hours per week 

Status: Full-time, permanent 

Salary: £40,000–£44,000 per annum 

Holiday entitlement: 20 days per annum, plus bank holidays and birthday leave 

Probation: Five months 

Visa sponsorship: Skilled Worker visa sponsorship may be available to eligible candidates who are already in the UK and able to apply from within the UK. Sponsorship is not available for applicants applying from outside the UK.

Help us turn ambitious strategy into exceptional delivery. 

The AVOCADO Foundation is growing – and we are looking for an outstanding Head of Programmes & Operations to help us build the programmes, people and organisational systems we need for our next stage of development. 

We are a UK charity working to tackle the economic inequalities experienced by young people, entrepreneurs and non-profit organisations from underrepresented communities. 

Our vision is simple but ambitious: 

A world where no one is poor because of the colour of their skin or their ethnicity. 

We deliver programmes spanning organisational development, entrepreneurship, financial capability, technology and investment, alongside our physical and digital AVOCADO HUB. 

We now need an experienced leader who can help us turn that ambition into consistently excellent delivery. 

The opportunity 

This is a senior leadership role with two equally important dimensions: Programmes and Operations. 

PROGRAMMES 

Make sure our programmes deliver. 

You will provide leadership and oversight across The AVOCADO Foundation's programme portfolio, helping programme leads translate strategy and funding commitments into excellent delivery. 

You will ensure programmes have clear plans, milestones, budgets and measures of success; identify risks before they become problems; strengthen programme management; and make sure evidence and learning continually improve what we do. 

You won't need to personally run every programme. 

Your job is to create the conditions in which programme teams can perform at their best. 

OPERATIONS 

Build the organisational engine behind the impact. 

You will ensure that the systems, processes and infrastructure behind our work are equally strong. 

That means strengthening operational planning, SOPs, project management, performance reporting, risk management, business continuity, cross-team workflows and organisational accountability. 

You will also provide senior operational oversight of the AVOCADO HUB, helping ensure our physical home is safe, well-run and supports our programmes, community and income-generation ambitions. 

Again, you won't be expected to do everything yourself. 

We have colleagues and specialists responsible for areas including Finance, HR and Business Support, IT and Digital, Communications and Brand, and Income Generation. 

Your role is to connect the dots – ensuring these different functions work together effectively to support organisational and programme delivery. 

What you'll be responsible for 

Working closely with our CEO and as a key member of the Senior Management Team, you will: 

• provide strategic oversight of our programme portfolio and ensure programmes deliver against agreed outcomes, budgets and funder commitments; 
• translate organisational strategy into clear operational and programme plans; 
• lead, support and develop programme and operational colleagues; 
• establish strong planning, project-management and performance disciplines; 
• strengthen our SOPs, workflows, decision routes and organisational systems; 
• establish useful KPIs, KRIs and management information so that we can see what's working – and act quickly when something isn't; 
• improve organisational resilience, business continuity and knowledge sharing, reducing unnecessary dependency on individual people; 
• maintain oversight of programme and operational risks and ensure significant issues are escalated appropriately; 
• provide senior operational oversight of the AVOCADO HUB; 
• work effectively with Finance, HR, IT, Communications and Income Generation colleagues without duplicating their specialist responsibilities; and 
• build a culture of accountability, collaboration, learning and continuous improvement. 

Who we're looking for 

We're less interested in someone who wants to be involved in everything and more interested in someone who knows how to make everything work together. 

You are likely to be an experienced programme, operations or organisational leader who has worked within a charity, social enterprise or other mission-driven organisation. 

You'll bring strong experience of managing multiple programmes, projects or workstreams and know how to move comfortably between strategy and execution. 

You'll also be a confident people manager who can set expectations, delegate well, have difficult conversations when necessary and help talented colleagues grow. 

You should be able to demonstrate experience of: 

• programme and/or operational leadership; 
• managing multiple programmes, projects or workstreams; 
• leading and developing people; 
• turning strategy into practical delivery plans; 
• programme budgets, monitoring and reporting; 
• grant-funded programmes and funder requirements; 
• developing or improving systems, processes and ways of working; 
• performance management, KPIs and management information; 
• operational risk, controls and compliance; 
• working collaboratively across different organisational functions; and 
• using digital tools and data to improve organisational effectiveness. 

Experience of the UK charity sector, organisational development, community or coworking spaces, business continuity, partnership development or responsible use of emerging technologies including AI would be an advantage. 

Formal qualifications can be valuable, but relevant professional experience matters more to us than having a particular degree. 

The kind of leader who will thrive here 

You don't need to have all the answers. 

But you do need to know how to create clarity when things are complex. 

You will be someone who: 

creates systems rather than becoming the system; 

delegates rather than becoming a bottleneck; 

takes ownership rather than waiting to be instructed; 

uses evidence rather than assumptions; 

develops people rather than simply directing them; and 

knows when to make a decision and when something genuinely needs escalating. 

You'll need to be strategic and practical, organised and adaptable, collaborative and comfortable holding people accountable. 

Most importantly, you'll care about why we exist. 

Why join The AVOCADO Foundation? 

This is an opportunity to help shape the next stage of an ambitious organisation tackling economic inequality. 

You'll work across a diverse portfolio of programmes and have the opportunity to influence not only what we deliver, but how we operate. 

You'll work closely with our CEO and leadership team, lead and develop talented colleagues and help build the organisational infrastructure that enables our work to grow sustainably. 

We are still evolving, so this isn't a role for someone looking for a completely finished operating environment. 

It is a role for someone excited by the opportunity to make a good organisation work even better. 

The practical details 

Role: Head of Programmes & Operations 

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer 

Salary: £40,000–£44,000 per annum 

Contract: Full-time, permanent 

Hours: 40 hours per week 

Location: AVOCADO HUB, King's Cross, London 

Working pattern: Predominantly on-site, with flexibility by agreement where operational requirements allow 

The AVOCADO HUB operates between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday. Some evening and occasional weekend work will be required to support programmes, events and organisational commitments. 

Interested? 

If you are an experienced leader who gets equal satisfaction from seeing an excellent programme delivered and building the systems that made that delivery possible, we'd love to hear from you. 

Please submit your CV and complete this short application form to help us understand who you are, what you would bring to the role, and why our mission matters to you. 

We particularly welcome applications from people currently underrepresented in leadership roles. 

Come and help us build an organisation capable of delivering lasting economic and social change. 

#WorldChangers