Senior Operations Manager

We’re looking for a talented Senior Operations Manager to join our Customer Operations Department at Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).

CAF is currently undergoing an exciting transformation programme aimed at enhancing our operational effectiveness and impact. This is a newly created role that brings together all key support functions—training, compliance, policy, reporting, fraud prevention, and data protection—under one leader for the first time. As Senior Operations Manager, you will have a unique opportunity to shape the function, define best practices, and lead a high-performing team through a period of significant change.

You will act as the First Line of Defence (1LOD), embedding operational controls and ensuring compliance across all customer operations. You’ll also work closely with the Second Line of Defence (2LOD) to maintain strong governance, risk management, and regulatory alignment.

A key focus of this role is data protection and data & reporting, which are central to our transformation. You will need strong expertise in GDPR, data governance, and the use of Microsoft Power BI and Excel to generate insights, monitor performance, and support strategic decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead strategic planning and operational delivery aligned with CAF’s transformation goals for Operations and wider CAF where required.
• Act as the First Line of Defence, embedding controls and ensuring compliance across operations.
• Collaborate closely with the Second Line of Defence to maintain strong governance and risk frameworks.
• Oversee risk management, fraud prevention, and data protection practices.
• Develop and implement frameworks, policies, and procedures to support service excellence.
• Use Power BI and Excel to analyse data, monitor trends, and inform decisions.
• Drive continuous improvement and change management initiatives.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing, inclusive team.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships and manage resources effectively.

Who you’ll be

You’ll bring:

• Proven experience in senior operational leadership, ideally in a regulated or customer-focused environment.
• Strong knowledge of data protection (e.g. GDPR) and data & reporting, with hands-on experience using Power BI and Excel.
• Experience working with or alongside 2LOD and acting as 1LOD in a governance or compliance-focused environment.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and budgets.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and change leadership skills.
• A collaborative, pragmatic, and customer-focused mindset.

Special Conditions

• Occasional travel to other CAF locations.
• May require working unsociable hours.

What’s in it for you

At CAF you will receive:

• Permanent hybrid ways of working where roles allow
• Six weeks holiday plus bank holidays
• A wide range of development opportunities to support personal and professional growth
• Pension scheme with better-than-market employer contribution options
• Social impact benefit schemes

About CAF

At Charities Aid Foundation we accelerate social progress by providing essential connections between donors, charities and communities.

We safeguard and deliver vital donations, offer expert advisory services and financial products to donors and charities, and provide tailored charity banking through our award-winning bank CAF Bank.

Our purpose is to enable a better landscape for giving and a fair and sustainable future for all.

If you are interested in joining us as our Senior Operations Manager and being part of an organisation who are people focused and are “Together Building Opportunity” please click on the apply button and you will be redirected to CAF jobs portal where you can find out more about the position and apply.

We would love to hear from you!

Job Reference: DM101