Job Description

JOB DESCRIPTION

What are we looking for

We're looking for an

Operations Lead

who leads with integrity, curiosity, and care.

Someone who can bring structure without rigidity, and build systems that serve our people, not the other way around.

You'll be enthused about co-creating operational frameworks that reflect our principles of repair, regeneration, relationship, and redistribution, and know that governance is a practice, not just a policy.

The role will require you to be able to keep our strategic aims in mind as we develop a clear operational framework that aligns with our anti-oppressive, anti-racist values and approach and the ability to oversee organisational change.

While we're moving away from traditional hierarchies, this role holds defined responsibility and shared decision-making power around clinical practice, team wellbeing, and operational systems, and is a key voice in organisational strategy. We are looking for someone who wants to be part of this move with us.

Location: London (in-person on Mondays; hybrid/community-based otherwise)

Salary: Pay scale 50,000 (pro rata)

Contract: Part time - 3 days a week (Full time = 4-day working week)

Deadline: 27th July 2025 at 11.59pm

Start date: As soon as possible

How to Apply:

Please include in your upload:

Your CV with a cover letter (max 600 words) sharing a bit about you, your values, your fit for the role, what you'd bring to the organisation, and why this work matters to you. Two references (only contacted if offered the role)
If you feel aligned with this role but don't tick every box--please still apply. We're less interested in perfection, more in potential, values, experience and readiness to build together.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Organisational Leadership (alongside the rest of, or in support of, the leadership team):

This is a leadership role that is not about overseeing from a distance; it's about building with us. You'll work alongside the CEO and leadership team as a key decision maker, shaping the infrastructure that helps us stay principled, accountable, and sustainable by:

Building and developing the core of Partisan alongside the CEO and the rest of the leadership team, supporting colleagues and stepping in as needed. Contributing to and co-leading on long-term strategy, sustainability and impact measurement Leading on ensuring that our infrastructure enables us to deliver our clinical strategy and community mission Overseeing our day-to-day operations and internal systems including: (HR, wellbeing, scheduling, documentation) Organisational policies and processes (Data protection, Safeguarding, Risk, Health & Safety) Financial management (organisational planning, budgeting, reporting and internal financial processes) Leading on building and fostering a culture that's collaborative, non-hierarchical and rooted in care and equity that is nurtured and supported by your actions, in line with Partisan ethos and vision Playing an active role in shaping our collective learning, team development and decision-making culture by working alongside the communications lead and consultants to operationalise and embed learning outcomes in the organisation and share learning with our ecosystem and broader audiences. Helping nurture leadership across the team--supporting others to step into power with confidence and care.

Team:

Line-manage and support team members, across the whole employee life cycle, such as: onboarding, appraisals, development plans, leave management and pay reviews Create and hold reflective spaces that support wellbeing, creativity and safety Lead on recruitment and retention, induction and capacity planning as the team changes or expands Lead on the induction of new staff ensuring they are familiar with all relevant policies and procedures and have the needed equipment.

Project governance:

Working alongside the project leads and teams, you will:

Support the governance of projects that Partisan are working on through , resourcing, scheduling coordination, and action tracking/follow-up as needed. Create and maintain programme management frameworks for Partisan to deliver projects by ensuring project documentation is properly maintained and updated e.g. project plan milestones, agreed deliverables, reports to funders or other external stakeholders Provide regular project and funding status updates to key stakeholders such as: the Board/ staff team, funders, partnership organisations, communities. Manage resource allocation and capacity planning to ensure projects are adequately staffed and executed efficiently.

Learning & Organisational Development:

Design an internal learning process and strategy with Partisan's learning partner that: Supports the harvesting, collating, and sharing of learning from our practice. Enables both practitioners and the organisation to learn from one another and from our wider ecosystem. Help embed social design and design justice methods and tools into programme development and delivery.

Operational Governance and delivery:

Manage the day-to-day operations of the organisation, including ensuring policies and procedures are in place and are implemented, help manage dependencies in collaboration with the team. Identify opportunities to align operational systems, processes and procedures with the way Partisan works and that support the people and partisan community Oversee the effective use of project management and operational tools, ensuring systems support collaboration, data integrity, and informed decision-making. Act as the first point of contact if the team has challenges with the tools such as laptop, company issued equipment. Support the organisation in procurement and contracting processes when working with contractors, consultants by ensuring that we follow a fair and open process and have sufficient contracts and agreements in place. Ensure that Partisan's data such as staff records, clinical notes and project reports are stored securely and in accordance with regulatory requirements

Risk & Issue Management:

Support the Partisan culture of positive risk taking and learning from our activities and actions Identify potential operational risks and log these. Co-develop mitigation strategies to risks that are aligned with Partisan's values and approach so we can test approaches and take a radical approach to safeguarding. Capture and share learning from 'near misses' and risk incidents ensuring that actions are followed up and that information is shared with the team as needed.

Financial Management:

Develop and manage annual budgets alongside the CEO and finance team, ensuring effective use of Partisan resources and alignment with funding requirements and financial policies Support the tracking of spending and financial reporting for individual projects Manage staff expense claims Ensure that invoices are sent and incoming invoices are paid on time

PERSON SPECIFICATIONS

Someone with a track record of developing safe, values-led teams and systems Someone who's held operations in values aligned spaces, and knows how to build systems that care for people. You don't need to have done this exact role before, we're not looking for perfection, but for thoughtfulness, boldness, and relational leadership. A person with a deep commitment to racial and social justice, and the courage to lead differently Comfortable holding multiple layers of complexity and adapting to change Experience in managing others A strong communicator who builds trusting relationships and clarity across diverse contexts. Demonstrates strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities. Adept with project management tools and processes with expertise in programme governance cadence, stakeholder management, financial planning, and maintaining project documentation. Ability to manage day-to-day operational aspects, including progress reporting, dependencies, issues, risks, and escalations. Curious, relational--and excited by the complexity of meaningful work

What Partisan Offers:

A permanent role in a small, relational, and justice-centred organisation Flexible working = 3 day working week (22.5 hours, part time) Professional development fund of 300/year A wellbeing budget of 100/year Support in your own leadership journey, including line management by the CEO, coaching, supervision, and space to reflect and grow in the role Enhanced parental paid leave of 8 weeks Paid Fertility treatment support leave 3 months sabbatical leave with 8 weeks paid leave. 23 days annual leave plus public holidays (pro rata for part time team members) Pension contributions Flexible and hybrid working 24/7 wellbeing support Collaborative culture Employee Discounts for over 30,000 brands Support our ambitions in creating a non-hierarchical structure

Who we are:

Partisan is a small, Black-led Community Interest Company, born out of a pull from the community for accessible and culturally sensitive mental health and wellbeing support, and a push from traditional mental health systems which were not meeting the needs of our most marginalised and racialised communities.

Our vision is a future world where help systems centre Black and racialised communities, and where power, knowledge and resources are shared as part of a more connected, just and equitable world. This means unlearning that the current colonial and capitalist systems are fit for purpose, and relearning how to act, live and be.

We are a diverse, culturally sensitive, forward-thinking team of experienced Psychotherapists and Clinical Psychologists, best known for our work on the borders of mental health systems; alongside children, young people, families, and communities.

We don't believe that problems and therefore solutions exist within individuals. Instead, we believe interventions are needed at all levels of the complex system in which people find themselves.

We are upstanders and accomplices who disrupt systems and join communities in the fight for equity, social and racial justice. We look to amplify the voices of others, rather than our own, empowering communities to take the lead.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: 30,000.00-37,500.00 per year

Expected hours: 22.5 per week

Benefits:

Bereavement leave Casual dress Company events Company pension Employee discount Enhanced maternity leave Enhanced paternity leave Referral programme Sabbatical Sick pay Work from home
Work Location: Hybrid remote in London, SE1 0EH

Application deadline: 26/07/2025
Reference ID: Partisan Operations Lead