Chief Operating Officer

Aspens Charities supports children, young people and adults on the autism spectrum and with learning disabilities to live life to the full. We are at an exciting stage of growth and transformation, and are seeking an experienced Chief Operating Officer (COO) to help shape our future. This is an opportunity to join a values-led charity at a time of ambition and transformation, where you can make a real and lasting difference.

As COO, you will play a pivotal role in delivering operational excellence, overseeing our quality, compliance, and people functions, and driving sustainable growth across our services. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Inclusive Leadership Board, you will have significant strategic and budgetary responsibility and act as a visible and values-driven leader.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading operational delivery, transformation and service expansion.
• Driving excellence in quality, compliance, safeguarding and risk management.
• Championing a high-performance, inclusive and people-focused culture.
• Supporting financial sustainability and growth with strong commercial insight.
• Deputising for the CEO alongside the CFO.

About you:

We are looking for an inspiring, strategic and resilient leader with:

• Executive-level experience in a complex, regulated environment (ideally social care).
• Proven success in leading multidisciplinary teams through change and growth.
• Strong financial acumen and operational leadership skills.
• Deep commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and safeguarding.

What you can expect from us:

• Fantastic paid training and career progression opportunities (including recognised qualifications in health and social care)
• Paid DBS (we will recover the cost should your employment terminate for any reason, other than redundancy, before passing your probation)
• Flexible work arrangements with opportunities to take on additional bank shifts too
• 30 Days Annual Leave (including Bank Holidays) / Pro rata dependent on hours. Annual leave entitlement increases with length of service
• Nest Pension and Death in Service Benefit
• Dedicated Employee Assistance Programme and Access to Mental Health First Aiders
• Aspens High Street Stores - 20% discount on all items for Aspens’ staff stores
• Aspens Bluebell Cafe, Pembury - Discounted staff menu
• Refer a Friend scheme, so you can earn up to £250 for every person you refer to work for Aspens
• Recognition schemes, including ‘Employee of the Month’

Equal Opportunity Statement:

At Aspens Charities, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals, including those with disabilities and those who are likely to be underrepresented in Aspens’ workforce, such as sex/gender, minority ethnic group, religion, belief, sexual orientation, age, as well as abilities. We believe that a diverse team leads to better outcomes and a more enjoyable work environment where everyone feels valued, heard, and has an equal opportunity to thrive.

As a Disability Confident employer, Aspens Charities is dedicated to supporting and promoting the recruitment, retention, and career development of people with disabilities. We recognise the value and contributions that individuals with disabilities bring to our organisation.

Accessibility and Accommodations:

We are committed to providing an accessible recruitment process for all applicants. If you require any accommodations during the application or interview process, please let us know by contacting [email protected].

Aspens Charities is an equal opportunities employer and values diversity in our workforce. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the individuals we support.