Job Description

AN ESTIMATED 40.3 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD ARE ENSLAVED TODAY, WITH OVER 100,000 IN THE UK LIVING IN PLAIN SIGHT.

The Sophie Hayes Foundation was founded in 2011 by Sophie, a British girl trafficked to Italy for sexual exploitation. The Foundation is the only organisation in the United Kingdom, focused solely on ensuring all women survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery achieve complete and sustainable freedom, through an independence that can only come with the ability to live and work without fear. 

At SHF we support women survivors to look to the future – renewing confidence, purpose and employability. By adhering to best practice in coaching, facilitation and training, we support survivors in bespoke and creative ways through group workshops, one to one coaching, vocational voluntary & work placements, access to training, and formal education.​

This is a unique role at an exciting and pivotal time of growth for The Sophie Hayes Foundation based in London office. As our first Head of Programmes and Innovation, you will help launch our new strategy, grow and expand our beneficiary support by developing operational services across the UK.

The successful candidate will work in the new Senior Management Team and be a champion for survivors, staff, volunteers and Board of Trustees.

This is a role designed for someone who is people focused, has an eye to detail and is: encouraging, insightful, creative, organised , able to adapt to the changing lives of those you are supporting. You must have perseverance, a high level of flexibility and emotional intelligence. You will be quick to listen, understand and lead with an ability to adapt ideas into action, alongside strong partnership skills.

You must have a strong track record in programmes through innovation and a focus on quality, performance, safeguarding and management controls. Whilst having a passion for engaging our women survivors in all aspects of our work including co-production.

We are a people focused, can-do organisation, which strives for excellence in all that we do and operate with mutual respect. If you share these values and have the relevant skills and experience, we look forward to hearing from you.

Person Specification 

Qualifications/Training

• Education to degree level, a recognised professional qualification in social work, or health, or social care or equivalent in experience,
• Demonstrable evidence of senior management and financial management.

Person Specification

Essential

• Significant track record of successfully working at a SENIOR LEVEL with strategic leadership and management responsibilities.
• Ability to develop organisational strategies and translate them into plans and budgets for all aspects of Programming and Innovation.
• Proven track record of building and leading high performing teams based in mulitple locations
• Skilled in cross cultural management.
• Knowledge of issues within social justice/human rights and of campaigning for change.
• Experience of representing an organisation to others, ranging from grass roots activists to government officials.
• Critically able to develop and manage budgets.
• Experience of working in or with a coalition or network.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work as part of a team and design and use office systems, and to take initiatives and be self-sufficient in organising own work.
• Ability to plan and prioritise workloads and keep to targets under pressure and to deadlines.
• Commitment to the aims of SHF and sensitivity to issues of caste, gender, raceand religion and commitment to ensuring equal opportunities.

Desirable

• Experience of working on issues around Business and Human rights.
• Proven track record of influencing governmental/inter-governmental policy.
• Fundraising
• CRM (Blackbaud Etapestry)

Personal qualities

• Confident and comfortable in a public relations role with excellent presentational skills.
• Clear, concise, and persuasive communications.
• Diplomatic, empathetic and tactful, able to build effective relationships.
• Participatory and empowering approach and ability to manage conflicting interests
• Calm and reliable under pressure.
• Ability to work in a small team and on own for lengths of time.
• Manages own time well, to address competing priorities.
• Commitment to empowering women survivors of human trafficking.

The women survivors we work with come from all over the world and have a wide variety of beliefs, experiences, backgrounds. We are committed to sharing and reflecting this rich diversity amongst our staff, volunteers and trustees and would strongly encourage applicants from minority and under-represented groups.

Please note: We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age.

However, this post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 20

Please note all candidates must provide proof for the right to work in the UK.