Director of Employment Services – Hestia, London

We are Hestia. We make a difference.

At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for a Director of Employment Services to play a pivotal role in our Employment Services in London Head Office.

Sounds great, what will I be doing?

As the Director of Employment Services, you will provide strategic, operational and commercial leadership across Hestia's Employment Services portfolio, ensuring services deliver high-quality outcomes, strong performance and long-term financial sustainability. Working closely with the CEO, Employment Services, you will lead the development and delivery of the Employment Services strategy, translating organisational priorities into clear plans and measurable outcomes. You will oversee performance, quality assurance, financial management, contractual delivery and workforce leadership across a diverse range of employment support programmes, ensuring services consistently meet the needs of the people we support, commissioners and partners. You will build and maintain strong relationships with commissioners, health partners, local authorities and other stakeholders, contribute to business growth and future service development, and play a leading role in embedding Employment Services across Hestia. As a senior organisational leader, you will champion innovation, continuous improvement, equality, diversity and inclusion, while supporting managers to deliver excellent services that help people achieve greater independence and access meaningful employment opportunities

What do I need to bring with me?

You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.

You will have significant senior leadership experience within employment support, employability, health, mental health, public services or another complex outcomes-focused environment. You will have a proven track record of leading large, commissioned services or programmes, managing performance, budgets and financial sustainability, and driving improvement through the effective use of data and insight. You will be confident building relationships with commissioners, partners and senior stakeholders, leading organisational change, and contributing to business development, bids and service growth. You will bring a strong understanding of quality assurance, safeguarding, governance and risk management, alongside the ability to develop high-performing teams, hold leaders accountable and foster an inclusive, values-led culture. Strong commercial judgement, excellent communication skills and a commitment to the role meaningful employment plays in recovery, independence and wellbeing are essential.

Interview Steps

We keep our interview process simple, so you know exactly what to expect.

• Shortlisting call: We have a team of dedicated recruitment specialists who will speak to you about your experience, motivations and values. They will also tell you about all the great work we do!
• Face to face interview: Now you will have face to face interview with the hiring manager. Our interviews are value and competency based.

Don't be alarmed if there are other stages in the process, it's all part of the plan for some of our roles.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer

Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement

Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates

If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed.

We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.