Director of Services
Director of Services
This Director level role has overall responsibility for operationalising the organisation’s strategic plan for our front-line services. You will report to the CEO and oversee the portfolios of the Heads of Services (HoS) in our three delivery departments: Public Engagement, Youth and Communities Services and Professional Educational Services. The role holder will need sufficient basic understanding of these three areas in order to lead those teams; or be able to acquire it through appropriate means as part of their settling-in period.
The role holder will be a strategic thinker and planner, with excellent communication and organisational skills, an eye for detail, and the ability to understand what it takes to turn vision into action. You will be required to have a thorough working knowledge across the whole of the organisation, and to build on synergies between different areas of our work. You will promote good communication, curb problems as they arise and inspire a high-performance team. You will be an effective and established leader, working closely with the CEO, the Director of Operations and the Trustees.
The Organisation
Gendered Intelligence (GI), established in 2008, is a registered charity that works to increase understandings of gender diversity and improve the lives of trans people (1).
We are a trans-led and trans-involving grass roots organisation with a wealth of lived experience, community connections of many kinds, and a depth and breadth of trans community knowledge that is second to none.
We imagine a world where many different gender identities and expressions are visible and valued and where trans, non‑binary and gender questioning people live healthy, safe and fulfilled lives.
(1) In this document, we use the term ‘trans’ as a very broad single-word umbrella term to include binary-identified people, non-binary people, gender fluid people, agender people, those with dual-role and similar gender experiences, and anyone else with an experience of gender like or similar to the above.
Gendered Intelligence is structured into four departments:
Professional and Educational Services (PES)
Working with professionals and organisations to develop trans inclusivity in workplaces and services, primarily through training and consultancy
Youth and Communities Services (YCS)
Services and projects that work with young trans people and trans adults - and those who support them - to support well-being and enable our community to thrive
Public Engagement (PEng)
Work with public policy and decision makers, the media, researchers and academics as well as the general public and major institutions to raise awareness;
Central Support Services (CSS)
All internal support functions such as finance, HR, office management and IT
For more information on our team, benefits and culture, visit our Working at Gendered Intelligence page.
Apply: Director of Services application form
Job Overview
- Hours: Full-time (35 hours per week)
- Contract type: Permanent
- Salary: £56,073 pa
- Location: London/ remote. We are open to discussions about flexible working patterns, but expect 1-2 days presence in our Bethnal Green office each week.
- Line Manager: CEO
Recruitment Process & Timeline
Before filling out your application form, you can visit our guidance page for advice on completing the form.
1. Application form here
2. Timeline:
Deadline for submission of applications: 9am on Monday 17th March 2025
Shortlisted applicants will be informed by: Friday 21st March
Interviews are provisionally organised for: Thursday 3rd April. These will be in-person in Bethnal Green.
3. All job offers are made subject to:
References: We recognise that obtaining professional references might present a barrier for some trans people and therefore we are happy to accept personal references as well as professional ones.
A DBS check: Having a conviction will not necessarily prevent you from taking on this role. We would look at the relevance of the conviction to the role and make an individual assessment.
Occupational Requirement
In light of the nature of this position, GI considers this post to be subject to an Occupational Requirement in accordance with Para 1, Schedule 9, of the Equality Act 2010 on the basis of the protected characteristic of gender reassignment. Therefore we are only accepting applications from people who regard themselves as trans or non-binary.
Context
The Director of Services (DoS) is a new role for the organisation as we restructure our Senior Leadership Team. We have moved away from having a Director of each delivery department and instead created one overarching Director that is in a more strategic position and holds a broader set of responsibilities. The outgoing Director of Professional and Educational Services has been involved in the restructuring, and is fully supportive of this change; he is not applying for the post but will be available for a handover.
Following a period of growth over the last decade, and specifically in the last five years, we have given careful consideration to the right size of organisation, with the most appropriate structure, in order to be sustainable for the long term. We are currently in a transitional period where the distinction between our Directors and members of our Management Group (Heads of Services and Managers within Central Services) will be clarified. The Director of Services will play an important role in developing our Management Group members to work with autonomy and hold accountability for the deliverables in their departments. Our Heads of Departments hold the most senior technical expertise in the organisation while the Senior Leadership Team will hold responsibility for the overarching strategic direction of the organisation.
We are conscious that this new role is responsible for three very different service departments. While we are keen that the DoS is responsible for strategy rather than being involved directly in operational delivery, we recognise that previous hands-on experience in at least one of the three areas would be beneficial. We will support the postholder to gain the necessary knowledge of the other areas of work.
The role
People and Culture - The DoS role will contribute to the further development and embedding of our inclusive and supportive values into the fabric and everyday activities across the organisation. You will engage, inspire and influence staff to live the values of the organisation.
GI is a learning organisation where staff have opportunities to develop themselves. Alongside the Director of Operations, the Director of Services will champion staff development and contribute to furthering our learning culture.
GI has an established EDI Participatory Platform. This aims to steer the improvement of GI’s equity, diversity and inclusion through our EDI action plan. The DoS will play an active part in implementing our EDI action plan.
Leadership and Management - The DoS role will show effective leadership by managing, engaging and motivating a high-performance team to deliver outstanding quality services, to work towards ambitious goals and to achieve substantial impact within a challenging and complex landscape. You will hold excellent people management and influencing skills and the ability to inspire, manage, forecast and plan across the organisation.
As part of this role you will lead, develop and support the three HoS. You will oversee the portfolios of these Heads with each having responsibility for the day-to-day operational running of their departments. You will lead and motivate these (and other) staff members to achieve the objectives set for each department.
You will lead a team of staff who collectively can overcome obstacles with resolute, creative and innovative solutions in a challenging environment. You will be accountable for the creation, monitoring and reporting against departments’ operational workplan and longer-term strategic development plans and ensuring that the plan is delivered on time and to budget.
You will continuously develop and implement thought leadership around gender diversity and trans experiences.
The DoS will attend networking and partnership building activities carried out with other organisations from within the LGBT+ sector and beyond in order to align our working and thinking, engaging cohesively across the sector. You will represent Gendered Intelligence at various events, conferences, forums and other networking opportunities and share and receive knowledge of good practice, strategy and intelligence.
Finance - The DoS will understand the diversity of our income streams in the form of grant income, SLAs, individual giving, corporate support and sales income. The DoS will play an active role in carrying out our fundraising strategy (alongside our Finance Working Group, CEO, Director of Operations, Finance and Central Services Manager and our Fundraising Manager), to ensure financial sustainability and will be responsible for our grant, contract and other income that is restricted or designated to our front-line services.
You will hold responsibility for ensuring all departments are effectively planning, delivering and reporting against our finances and agreed deliverables, and will support the Heads of Services with the annual budgeting cycle.
As part of this, you will be responsible for the ongoing identification & implementation of operational cost saving & efficiency measures.
Board and Governance - The DoS will support the Board with its organisational policy development and best practice governance. As part of SLT you will attend Board meetings and report on current activities against the Operational Work Plans. The DoS will be responsible for the production of our quarterly reports and any briefing documents required for Board meetings.
The DoS role will also offer direct support and resource to the Director of Operations with regards to operational activities such as risk management; business continuity and disaster planning; compliancy; safeguarding, policy updates etc.
Job description
Main Duties and Responsibilities
The range of responsibilities and duties of this role will include the following, although priorities may change in line with the development of the role and other duties may be allocated from time to time:
- To drive the implementation of the organisational strategy as it pertains to our front-line services.
- To create, in collaboration with the Heads of Services, the annual Operational Work Plan (OWP) and to support its implementation and evaluation across each front-line department.
- Maintain high quality and effective services for our service user base.
- To create policy, guidance and protocol where it affects front line services and its staffing.
- To take responsibility for risk management for our services.
- To hold overarching financial responsibility for our services; supporting Heads of Services with their budget responsibilities and reporting duties
- To ensure services are financially sustainable by working effectively with Central Support Services (finance, fundraising, marketing) as well as Heads of Services
- To line manage, support and oversee the duties of your Departments’ Heads of Services, including support for professional development and realistic objective setting.
- To contribute collaboratively and strategically to the Senior Leadership team.
- To exercise in-depth and in-breadth understanding of trans identities and experiences, trans communities and gender diversity, and the issues affecting trans people.
- To interact confidently with clients, colleagues and other services about these subjects, and to be confident to manage a team of primarily trans staff.
- To undertake ongoing and evolving thinking about the wide-ranging service delivery, , maintaining GI’s thought leadership in the field, and to apply them both strategically and operationally.
- To undertake your own professional development under the direction of the CEO.
- To represent Gendered Intelligence at events, conferences or forums and other networking opportunities.
General Requirements
- To bring GI’s “3P’s” to your work – Professionalism, Positivity and Passion, and to take a non-judgmental approach to everyone you work with external and internal to GI.
- To reflect the wider values of the organisation such as being open to an ethos of collaboration and working together, to recognise the positive aspects of trans lives and to stand up for trans people, especially young trans people.
- To take care of the health and safety of yourself and others who may be affected by your actions at work, at all times; to operate within the Company’s Health and Safety policy; and to participate in health and safety processes (for example risk assessment) when necessary.
- To follow all relevant GI policies, ensuring these are carried out in practice in relation to the job; in particular to behave in accordance with Gendered Intelligence’s Codes of Conduct and Equal Opportunities Policy as well as our Safeguarding Policy and Procedures.
All staff may be asked to undertake other duties and responsibilities as appropriate, as determined by the CEO, on an occasional basis.
Person Specification
We recognise societal structures adversely affect people with marginalised identities / experiences and we are committed to building and supporting a diverse team. If you feel you have the qualities to fulfil these specifications, but do not have formal qualifications, or feel less confident about your experience, we are keen for you to apply. You are welcome to evidence the person specification qualities outlined below through a variety of ways outside of paid work. This could, for example, be through organised volunteering roles; caring roles; informal community activity or any other route.
ESSENTIAL
Skills and Abilities
- Tenacity to successfully deliver objectives despite challenging internal and/or external circumstances, including agility and ability to re-prioritise when needed
- Proven leadership experience and track record of driving strategy, planning and operational delivery
- Substantial experience of working with diverse teams, with ability to motivate and a good understanding of their needs (including equality, access, inclusion)
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; tact, sensitivity and a diplomatic manner with a range of different stakeholders
- Excellent financial management skills including experience of budget setting and analysing costings
- Able to respond calmly, positively and professionally to challenging moments or issues that you or your team may face and exhibit an appropriate degree of resilience
- Effective decision-making skills, with the ability to analyse and understand data, prioritise complex tasks and implement strategic decisions swiftly
Knowledge
- An in-depth, intersectional understanding of: trans identities and experiences; trans communities and gender diversity; the issues affecting trans people; and up-to-date language and terminology
- An awareness of current legislation affecting trans people, in particular the Equality Act 2010 and the Gender Recognition Act 2004
- Good understanding of ICT and how to maximise its ability to support organisational needs
- Working knowledge of the voluntary sector and charity law, in particular as it pertains to political activity
Experience
- Direct experience delivering services in one or more of the three service areas: Youth and Community Work; Training and Consultancy; Public Engagement and Policy
DESIRABLE
- Experience of working within an LGBTQ, or specifically trans, community setting
- Understanding of media engagements including issuing press statements and giving interviews
- Working knowledge of parliamentary processes including how to engage with government by responding to consultations and calls for evidence, aimed to inform policy and legislative change around trans rights and equality
- In-depth knowledge and working practices of safeguarding across the UK, in various youth work and educational contexts
Diversity Information
We are actively seeking to bring people with different lived experiences, diverse backgrounds, abilities and gender identities into the organisation, to create a workplace that is welcoming for all. This is an exciting opportunity to join our team at a senior level, and we are keen to encourage and support applicants from all sections of our community.
To find out more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion, visit our Working at Gendered Intelligence page. We also hope you will complete our Diversity Monitoring Form. This is not a mandatory element of the application process but will help us to review the breadth of applicants and assess where improvements can be made in our recruitment process.
Please be aware that we are currently unable to sponsor visas and ask that candidates ensure they have the legal right to work in the UK for the duration of their employment with us.
Additional Support
Want to learn more before applying? We’re aware that people may have different needs or additional queries, and we want to support all potential applicants.
Option 1: You can contact Jay Stewart, CEO, who will be line-managing the role and Chairing the Panel, directly via jay.stewart@genderedintelligence.co.uk
Option 2: Contact recruitment@genderedintelligence.co.uk for anonymous support. As well as responding to any general queries about the process, we are offering a limited number of 15 minute slots to support candidates with their applications. These 1:1 online sessions will be hosted by a Trustee who is not part of the interview process.
The sessions will provide the opportunity for potential applicants to ask any questions they have about GI, the process, or how to complete or what to include on the application form, in a confidential space. We hope these sessions will encourage individuals from marginalised and/or under-represented sections of our communities to apply for this position. While open to all, we would specifically encourage individuals who are transfeminine or people of colour to apply for a slot.
Please email recruitment@genderedintelligence.co.uk by 9am on Monday 24th February if you would like to take advantage of this offer.
You are welcome to use both the options above.