WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

We’re proud to have a diverse staff team and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. To stay relevant, accessible, and representative of the communities we serve, we actively encourage applications from:

• People of colour
• People who identify as female, non-binary or gender variant
• People with lived experience of disability, marginalisation or neurodiversity
• People from the LGBTQIA+ community

AudioActive is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and an inclusive, values-led organization

THE ROLE

The Director of Operations at AudioActive is a senior leadership position focused on ensuring the organisation runs with operational excellence. This delivery-focused role serves as the backbone of the organisation, creating order from complexity and implementing systematic processes that allow creative teams to focus on their transformative work with young people.

The position requires someone who thrives on operational precision, takes pride in well-functioning systems, and can maintain seamless operations across AudioActive’s centres

Management responsibilities include leadership of operational staff, HR and administrative functions, and governance compliance. Key areas include developing and maintaining operational systems, ensuring regulatory compliance (including GDPR, health and safety, and charity commission requirements), and serving as the organisation’s Environment Lead. The Director will also oversee IT infrastructure and implement quality management systems.

This position demands exceptional attention to detail, process optimisation expertise, and systems thinking capabilities. The ideal candidate will have senior-level operations and HR experience, strong financial management skills, and health and safety training.

RESPONSIBILITIES

LEADERSHIP:

• Contribute to ongoing development of the business and strategic plans
• Lead implementation of operational plans and decisions
• Deputise for CEO when required
• Support learning and development of direct reports
• Develop and maintain key stakeholder relationships
• Identify operational development opportunities for the organisation

OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT:

• Lead organisational governance and operational functions
• Develop and maintain operational systems and solutions
• Responsibility for building and asset management
• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements
• Oversee GDPR, insurance, and health and safety protocols
• Implement and maintain quality management systems
• Oversee IT infrastructure and digital systems
• Manage the Trustee Meeting organisation, document generation, trustee communication and administration
• Explore ways to make operations and facilities more environmentally sustainable as Environment Lead
• Ensure environmental considerations are factored into organisational decision making.

SYSTEMS EXCELLENCE & PROCESS MANAGEMENT:

• Design, implement and continuously refine operational workflows and procedures
• Establish and maintain comprehensive process documentation and standard operating procedures
• Conduct regular systems audits to identify inefficiencies and implement improvements
• Working with the Business Analyst, oversee the creation and maintenance of operational dashboards and performance metrics
• Develop fail-safe procedures and contingency planning across all operational areas

HUMAN RESOURCES:

• Design, implement and continuously refine operational workflows and procedures
• Establish and maintain comprehensive process documentation and standard operating procedures
• Conduct regular systems audits to identify inefficiencies and implement improvements
• Working with the Business Analyst, oversee the creation and maintenance of operational dashboards and performance metrics
• Develop fail-safe procedures and contingency planning across all operational areas

FINANCIAL OPERATIONS:

• Collaborate with Finance team on operational budgets
• Oversee procurement and purchasing processes
• Manage contracts and supplier relationships
• Ensure financial controls and procedures are maintained
• Support budget monitoring and forecasting processes
• Feeding into annual budgeting and financial reporting for Operations

REPORTING AND GOVERNANCE:

• Produce operational reports for funders and stakeholders
• Oversee monitoring and evaluation systems
• Ensure regulatory compliance across all operational areas
• Collaborate with CEO on maintaining compliance with Charity Commission requirements
• Set clear operational KPIs and regularly monitor performance against targets
• Maintain and update risk registers and proactive mitigation strategies
• Prepare and present quarterly operational reports to Board of Trustees

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure AudioActive’s Safer Recruitment procedures are followed
• Maintain confidentiality and support for staff and young people
• Ensure staff and volunteers who whistle blow are given support and afforded protection, if necessary, under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL:

• Experience at senior management level in Operations and HR
• Financial management and budget oversight skills
• Knowledge of health and safety, GDPR and regulatory compliance
• Training in current Health and Safety practices
• Demonstrable track record of delivering complex operational projects on time and within budget
• Experience implementing and managing systematic quality assurance frameworks
• Proven ability to design and optimise operational processes for maximum efficiency
• Experience with process mapping, documentation, and continuous improvement methodologies

DESIRABLE:

• Charity sector operational management experience
• Experience of facilities and asset management
• IT systems management experience
• Understanding of charity sector governance and compliance requirements
• Proven knowledge of safeguarding practices

KEY SKILLS:

• Excellent leadership, management and team development capabilities
• Ability to take personal accountability and work independently with minimal supervision.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities
• Advanced IT skills (G Suite & MS Office)
• High levels of confidentiality and professional discretion
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Methodical approach to problem-solving with ability to break complex challenges into manageable components
• Process optimisation expertise - ability to see inefficiencies and design elegant solutions Systems thinking - ability to understand how different operational elements interconnect Documentation excellence - ability to create clear, comprehensive procedures and guidelines
• Project management skills

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

• Commitment - to AudioActive’s mission and values
• Integrity - Strong ethical standards and integrity
• Enjoy bringing order to complexity - find satisfaction in organising chaotic situations
• Detail-oriented - take pride in getting things exactly right
• Calm under pressure - maintain composure and clear thinking in challenging situations
• Reliable - others depend on you because you consistently deliver

WORKING AT AUDIOACTIVE

ACCOUNTABILITY AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Responsible to: CEO

Working with: Senior Management Team and operational colleagues

Responsible for:

• Operations staff
• Business Analyst
• HR and administrative staff

SALARY, WORKING HOURS AND EMPLOYMENT TERM

Salary: £44k - £46k FTE dependent on experience. Pro rata to 0.6FT

Contract Term: Fixed Term Contract until 31st March 2028 (with the expectation to continue subject to funding)

Part Time: 22.5 hrs/wk

Workdays: Flexible to be agreed with CEO

Whilst there is the potential for this to be a hybrid role the majority of activity will be at our centres across Brighton, Worthing and Crawley, you will be required to travel around our area of operation and attend meetings and events. You will also be required to work occasional evenings and weekends.

ANNUAL HOLIDAYS

The holiday entitlement is 36 days per annum including bank holidays (Pro-Rata). Part-time staff are entitled to a pro-rata of the 36 days based on their working week. This allocation includes the period between 27th and 31st December when we are closed.

PENSION SCHEME

All eligible members of staff will be automatically enrolled in accordance with the legislation, to the Staff Pension Scheme. Contributions are currently 8% of basic salary, of which 5% is payable by the member of staff concerned and an additional 3% provided by AudioActive. Staff will be supplied with further details upon commencement. The pension scheme may be subject to change, and staff members may opt not to take part in the Scheme.

EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

All employees receive a contribution of up to £200 per year (pro rata) to support them to maintain a passion for music and an up to-date awareness of music, particularly where relevant to young people that we work with. Expenditure is flexible (to be agreed with the CEO) and can include music streaming or magazine subscriptions, gig, festival or conference tickets etc.

SAFEGUARDING & SAFER RECRUITMENT

Any offer of employment will be made subject to the receipt of satisfactory references and, where relevant, a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check in line with our Safer Recruitment Policy.

AudioActive operates within robust safeguarding standards and procedures. We are fully committed to creating a safe environment for the children, young people, and communities we work with. As such, we carry out comprehensive checks on all potential new staff to deter individuals with harmful intentions and reduce the likelihood of unsafe practice.

All staff who work directly with children, young people, or have access to confidential information will be required to complete an enhanced DBS check.

In line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, applicants are required to disclose any unspent criminal convictions. Certain roles, particularly those involving work with children and vulnerable people, are exempt from the Act and may require disclosure of all convictions, including those that are spent. This will be clearly outlined in the recruitment materials for such roles.

We are committed to ensuring that any disclosure is handled in a confidential and proportionate manner, and we recognise that a criminal record will not necessarily bar someone from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the role and the circumstances and the background of the offence(s)

If you have any concerns or questions about this process, we encourage you to contact us for an informal conversation before applying

We operate within an anti-slavery and human trafficking policy

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this role, please send an email via the button below with your completed application form and a completed equal opportunity form. Please attach as a PDF.

If you have any questions or would like to have an informal chat about the role, please contact recruitment@audioactive.org.uk.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

The deadline to apply for this role is 9am on Monday 11th August.

Due to capacity and the number of applications we receive, we regret that we are not able to offer individual feedback on unsuccessful applications at this stage of the process.