Operations & Partnerships Manager

Location: Leicester – site/office based
Salary: £38,000 to £40,000
Contract: Permanent

Build a successful social enterprise that makes a real difference

We’re looking for a commercially-minded Operations & Partnerships Manager to help grow an established social enterprise that generates income while making a tangible difference to people and families facing hardship.

This is a genuinely varied role. You’ll combine business development, partnership management and operational leadership, working closely with the CEO to grow income, improve performance and develop the service.

The social enterprise supplies essential household goods including white goods, beds and other items through partnerships with housing associations, social landlords, local authorities, charities and other organisations.

The opportunity is to take something that is already established and help it grow – winning new partnerships, developing existing accounts, improving the way the operation works and ensuring commercial success translates into greater social impact.

What you'll be doing

You'll have responsibility for both growing the business and making sure the logistics runs brilliantly.

Business Development & Partnerships – around 50%

• Develop and manage a B2B sales pipeline, identifying and converting new opportunities.
• Build relationships with housing associations, social landlords, local authorities, charities and purpose-led businesses.
• Develop new income streams and partnership opportunities.
• Manage and grow existing customer and partner accounts.
• Lead conversations with prospective partners, understand their needs and develop commercially viable solutions.
• Represent the social enterprise at networking events, meetings and partnership forums.
• Work with colleagues to communicate the social and community value we create.

Operations & Service Delivery – around 35%

• Oversee day-to-day operations, logistics, stock and fulfilment.
• Manage procurement and supplier relationships.
• Ensure customers and partners receive an excellent, reliable service.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, systems and efficiency.
• Monitor operational performance and put improvements into place.
• Maintain high standards of quality, compliance and health and safety.

People, Finance & Performance – around 15%

• Lead, support and develop staff and volunteers.
• Manage budgets and monitor income, costs and margins.
• Set and monitor commercial and operational performance measures.
• Provide clear reporting to the CEO and wider leadership team.
• Help create a positive, accountable and collaborative team culture.

Who we're looking for

We're looking for someone who is commercially confident, good with people and comfortable getting stuck into the detail of an operation.

You might currently be working in:

• a charity or social enterprise in partnerships, trading, fundraising or income generation
• a purpose-led business in business development or account management
• a commercial organisation managing customers, partnerships or service delivery
• an operations environment where you've also had responsibility for customers, suppliers or business growth

What matters most is that you can demonstrate:

• Experience of developing relationships and winning or growing business, partnerships or income.
• A track record of turning opportunities into sustainable income.
• Strong communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.
• Experience of managing people, teams or volunteers.
• The ability to understand commercial performance, budgets and margins.
• Experience of improving processes and operational performance.
• The confidence to work strategically while also being prepared to get involved in the day-to-day operation.
• A genuine interest in combining commercial success with social impact.
• A full driving licence and access to your own transport.

Why this role?

This isn't simply an operations management position.

You'll have the opportunity to help shape and grow the charity, with real responsibility for both commercial performance and social impact.

Working directly with the CEO, you'll have the freedom to develop new partnerships, identify new opportunities and improve how the organisation operates.

And the work you do has a direct purpose: the income and partnerships you help generate enable more people and families facing hardship to access essential household goods and practical support.

If you're an ambitious, relationship-focused manager who enjoys winning opportunities, developing partnerships and making things work better, we'd love to hear from you.

Other job titles you may have include: Commercial Manager, Business Development Manager, Partnerships Manager, Social Enterprise Manager, Trading Manager, Operations Manager, Sales & Partnerships Manager, Business Development & Operations Manager.