Operations Manager

We are preparing for the potential mobilisation of the DWP Jobs Guarantee - an ambitious programme designed to help young people who have experienced long-term unemployment take the step into paid work and, importantly, succeed and progress once they get there.

Eligible young people aged 18-24 will receive a six-month funded job alongside tailored employability and wraparound support. The purpose is not simply to create a job start, but to help young people build the skills, confidence and experience that can lead to sustained employment.

We are looking for an Operations Manager who can take clear ownership of Jobs Guarantee delivery and make sure the programme becomes part of the wider Wise Group presence in the communities where we work.

As Operations Manager, you will lead the people, performance, partnerships and participant outcomes behind a successful Jobs Guarantee service.

You will create the conditions for teams to deliver at pace, build strong relationships with DWP, Jobcentres, employers and partners, and ensure young people receive the support and opportunities they need to succeed.

DWP expects the majority of participants to be matched to a job within four weeks and to have started work within eight weeks. At the same time, many of the young people joining the programme may have experienced significant and multiple barriers to employment.

Getting that balance right will be central to this role.

Our Relational Mentoring approach will sit at the heart of delivery. We want young people to have a trusted relationship around them while we bring together the employment opportunities, practical support and wider connections that can help them succeed.

Jobs Guarantee will also operate within communities where other Wise Group colleagues, relationships and activity already exist.

Your role is not to take ownership of those wider services or relationships. It is to make sure Jobs Guarantee actively connects into them.

You will work alongside other Wise Group operational leaders, each retaining clear accountability for their own services, while sharing responsibility for making our collective presence stronger.