Young People’s Services & Operations Manager
Employer: Spectrum Gaming
Location: Greater Manchester area preferable, but National Applicants Considered
Temporary: 2 years initially
Working hours: 40 hours per week
Salary: £41,496 FTE
Closing date: Friday 15th May at 9pm
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The PostYoung People’s Services & Operations
ManagerThe Young People’s Services & Operations Manager plays a key role in leading and shaping Spectrum Gaming’s services for autistic young people, both online and in person.
This role focuses on ensuring our services are safe, consistent, and work well in practice. You will oversee our online community, Learning Community, and face-to-face meetups, managing and supporting staff while strengthening how services are delivered day to day. This includes improving systems, embedding safeguarding, and making sure expectations are clear and realistic across the organisation.
Working closely with the CEO and wider team, you will help create clarity and consistency across the organisation — from safeguarding and staff support to systems, processes, and service standards. The role also involves ensuring commissioned work is delivered effectively, with clear evidence of impact and outcomes.
This is a hands-on leadership role, suited to someone who is confident managing people, improving how things work, and creating environments where both staff and young people feel supported, understood, and able to thrive.
The Post
Young People’s Services & Operations Manager
The Young People’s Services & Operations Manager plays a key role in leading and shaping Spectrum Gaming’s services for autistic young people, both online and in person.
This role focuses on ensuring our services are safe, consistent, and work well in practice. You will oversee our online community, Learning Community, and face-to-face meetups, managing and supporting staff while strengthening how services are delivered day to day. This includes improving systems, embedding safeguarding, and making sure expectations are clear and realistic across the organisation.
Working closely with the CEO and wider team, you will help create clarity and consistency across the organisation — from safeguarding and staff support to systems, processes, and service standards. The role also involves ensuring commissioned work is delivered effectively, with clear evidence of impact and outcomes.
This is a hands-on leadership role, suited to someone who is confident managing people, improving how things work, and creating environments where both staff and young people feel supported, understood, and able to thrive.
Purpose of the Role
This role leads Spectrum Gaming’s young people-facing services,
ensuring they are safe, consistent, and work well in practice.It is responsible for the day-to-day quality and delivery of all services,
alongside improving the systems, structures, and ways of working that
support staff and young people.The focus of this role is:
Supporting and enabling service leads across our Learning
Community, Online Services, and MeetupsCreating cohesion across service areas and leading work that spans
across the organisationMaking services consistent and reliable
Strengthening staff support and line management
Ensuring safeguarding and safe practice are embedded in everyday
workEnsuring all commissioning and contract requirements are met in
practice, with clear systems in place to record and evidence impact
This role is about making things work in practice — across services and
the organisation as a whole.Create greater consistency across all services (online and face-to-
face)Strengthen line management, supervision, and staff support
Embed safeguarding as a clear, confident, day-to-day practice
Improve how services evidence impact and outcomes
Ensure services are structured in a way that is sustainable and
realistic
Key Priorities (First 6-12 Months)
Purpose of the Role
This role leads Spectrum Gaming’s young people-facing services, ensuring they are safe, consistent, and work well in practice.
It is responsible for the day-to-day quality and delivery of all services, alongside improving the systems, structures, and ways of working that support staff and young people.
The focus of this role is:
Supporting and enabling service leads across our Learning Community, Online Services, and Meetups
Creating cohesion across service areas and leading work that spans across the organisation
Making services consistent and reliable
Strengthening staff support and line management
Ensuring safeguarding and safe practice are embedded in everyday work
Ensuring all commissioning and contract requirements are met in practice, with clear systems in place to record and evidence impact
This role is about making things work in practice — across services and the organisation as a whole.
Create greater consistency across all services (online and face-to-face)
Strengthen line management, supervision, and staff support
Embed safeguarding as a clear, confident, day-to-day practice
Improve how services evidence impact and outcomes
Ensure services are structured in a way that is sustainable and realistic
Key Priorities (First 6-12 Months)
1. Service Leadership & Delivery
Hold overall responsibility for the day-to-day delivery of all young
people’s services.Ensure services are:
Safe
Consistent
Well-structured
Appropriately staffed
Identify and respond to risks, gaps, and delivery issues early.
Ensure services align with:
Spectrum Gaming values
Agreed outcomes
Commissioning and funding requirements
2. Line Management & Staff Support
Provide regular, reflective supervision to direct reports.
Ensure all staff have:
Clear expectations
Defined priorities
Ongoing support and development
Work with staff to understand individual support needs,
ensuring appropriate adjustments and support are in place so
they can work effectively and sustainably.
Take a strengths-based but accountable approach to
management.Address performance or conduct concerns early and constructively.
Wider Contribution:
Contribute to improving consistency and clarity in line
management across Spectrum Gaming.Support other managers to develop confidence and structure in
their rolesHelp build a culture of clarity, accountability, and support
Key Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
1. Service Leadership & Delivery
Hold overall responsibility for the day-to-day delivery of all young people’s services.
Ensure services are:
Safe
Consistent
Well-structured
Appropriately staffed
Identify and respond to risks, gaps, and delivery issues early.
Ensure services align with:
Spectrum Gaming values
Agreed outcomes
Commissioning and funding requirements
2. Line Management & Staff Support
Provide regular, reflective supervision to direct reports.
Ensure all staff have:
Clear expectations
Defined priorities
Ongoing support and development
Work with staff to understand individual support needs, ensuring appropriate adjustments and support are in place so they can work effectively and sustainably.
Take a strengths-based but accountable approach to management.
Address performance or conduct concerns early and constructively.
Wider Contribution:
Contribute to improving consistency and clarity in line management across Spectrum Gaming.
Support other managers to develop confidence and structure in their roles
Help build a culture of clarity, accountability, and support
Key Responsibilities cont3. Safeguarding & Safe Practice
Lead on safeguarding across all services
Ensure safeguarding is:
Clearly understood
Embedded in day-to-day practice
Applied consistently
Support staff with safeguarding decisions and escalation.
Strengthen safeguarding systems and culture across Spectrum Gaming
4. Systems, Policies & Ways of Working
Develop and improve practical systems that support delivery and
staff.Ensure policies are:
Clear
Relevant
Used in practice
Reduce confusion, duplication, and gaps across teams
Focus on service-related systems (not full organisational operations)
5. Quality, Impact & Commissioning Readiness
Ensure services can demonstrate:
Impact
Outcomes
Activity levels
Oversee:
Data collection
Case studies
Monitoring systems
Ensure services are credible, evidence-based, and commissionable
Support preparation for:
Funding bids
Audits
Recommissioning
6. HR, Compliance & Good Practice
Support recruitment, onboarding, and staff development within
servicesEnsure compliance with:
Safeguarding
GDPR
Health & safety
Maintain a clear and active approach to risk awareness and
management
Key Responsibilities cont
3. Safeguarding & Safe Practice
Lead on safeguarding across all services
Ensure safeguarding is:
Clearly understood
Embedded in day-to-day practice
Applied consistently
Support staff with safeguarding decisions and escalation.
Strengthen safeguarding systems and culture across Spectrum Gaming
4. Systems, Policies & Ways of Working
Develop and improve practical systems that support delivery and staff.
Ensure policies are:
Clear
Relevant
Used in practice
Reduce confusion, duplication, and gaps across teams
Focus on service-related systems (not full organisational operations)
5. Quality, Impact & Commissioning Readiness
Ensure services can demonstrate:
Impact
Outcomes
Activity levels
Oversee:
Data collection
Case studies
Monitoring systems
Ensure services are credible, evidence-based, and commissionable
Support preparation for:
Funding bids
Audits
Recommissioning
6. HR, Compliance & Good Practice
Support recruitment, onboarding, and staff development within services
Ensure compliance with:
Safeguarding
GDPR
Health & safety
Maintain a clear and active approach to risk awareness and management
Key Responsibilities cont
7. Financial Awareness & Sustainability
Work within service budgets and staffing structures.
Ensure delivery decisions are realistic and sustainable.
Provide clear insight to support organisational planning.
8. Accountability & Communication
Take ownership of service performance and delivery
Communicate clearly and proactively with the CEO.
Identify and escalate risks early.
Ensure strong follow-through on actions and decisions.
Direct line management of:
Learning Community Lead Facilitator
Online Services Manager
Face to Face Team Manager
Commissioning & External Communications Lead
Other delivery staff as required
Also supports the development and consistent implementation of
line management standards across Spectrum Gaming as a whole.Alongside leading services, this role plays an important part in
strengthening how Spectrum Gaming operates overall, particularly
in:Service consistency and quality
Safeguarding culture and practice
Line management standards
Practical, sustainable ways of working
Line Management Responsibilities
Wider Role in the Organisation
Key Responsibilities cont
7. Financial Awareness & Sustainability
Work within service budgets and staffing structures.
Ensure delivery decisions are realistic and sustainable.
Provide clear insight to support organisational planning.
8. Accountability & Communication
Take ownership of service performance and delivery
Communicate clearly and proactively with the CEO.
Identify and escalate risks early.
Ensure strong follow-through on actions and decisions.
Direct line management of:
Learning Community Lead Facilitator
Online Services Manager
Face to Face Team Manager
Commissioning & External Communications Lead
Other delivery staff as required
Also supports the development and consistent implementation of line management standards across Spectrum Gaming as a whole.
Alongside leading services, this role plays an important part in strengthening how Spectrum Gaming operates overall, particularly in:
Service consistency and quality
Safeguarding culture and practice
Line management standards
Practical, sustainable ways of working
Line Management Responsibilities
Wider Role in the Organisation
Person Specification
Essential
Experience managing, supporting and motivating multiple services,
teams, or projectsStrong experience of line management and staff support
Strong understanding of safeguarding and how it applies in day-to-day
practiceAbility to manage complexity, competing priorities, and change
Significant experience leading or managing services for young people
Strong communication skills for a broad range of communication
needs/preferencesProven ability to inspire, lead, and enable teams to achieve ambitious
goalsAbility to work with staff to identify and remove barriers, rather than
expecting them to fit rigid systems
Desirable
Experience within commissioned services or working with local
authoritiesExperience in charity or youth sector environments
Experience improving systems, processes, or organisational practice
Experience working with autistic young people or within a
neurodiversity-affirming setting
Skills & Approach
Clear, structured communicator
Able to balance support with accountability
Practical and solution-focused
Calm and consistent under pressure
Able to create clarity where things feel messy or unclear
Reflective and open to learning
Values & Ways of Working
Committed to neuro-affirming, respectful practice
Builds trust with staff and young people
Creates environments where people feel safe, understood, and able to
take partTakes a thoughtful, non-judgemental approach while still holding clear
expectations
Person Specification
Essential
Experience managing, supporting and motivating multiple services, teams, or projects
Strong experience of line management and staff support
Strong understanding of safeguarding and how it applies in day-to-day practice
Ability to manage complexity, competing priorities, and change
Significant experience leading or managing services for young people
Strong communication skills for a broad range of communication needs/preferences
Proven ability to inspire, lead, and enable teams to achieve ambitious goals
Ability to work with staff to identify and remove barriers, rather than expecting them to fit rigid systems
Desirable
Experience within commissioned services or working with local authorities
Experience in charity or youth sector environments
Experience improving systems, processes, or organisational practice
Experience working with autistic young people or within a neurodiversity-affirming setting
Skills & Approach
Clear, structured communicator
Able to balance support with accountability
Practical and solution-focused
Calm and consistent under pressure
Able to create clarity where things feel messy or unclear
Reflective and open to learning
Values & Ways of Working
Committed to neuro-affirming, respectful practice
Builds trust with staff and young people
Creates environments where people feel safe, understood, and able to take part
Takes a thoughtful, non-judgemental approach while still holding clear expectations
Safeguarding
Spectrum Gaming is committed to the effective Safeguarding of its Young People. This post will be recruited in accordance with the NSPCC's guidance on safer recruitment. This includes a self-declaration, thorough interview, scrutiny of former employment, a requirement for references and an Enhanced DBS check.
How to apply
To apply, please submit an application via our online form -
Closing date for applications: Friday 15th May 2026 at 9pm
Please note we reserve the right to close the application process at any point and
therefore encourage early applications.We aim to contact all applicants within 2 weeks of the closing date.
Interviews will be scheduled to take place online, starting the week commencing25th May 2026.
Employment Benefits
Training and CPD opportunities.
Flexible Working Pattern
Remote working with occasional travel and opportunities for face to face working
A supportive and values-driven team
The opportunity to shape a growing organisation and its future impact
Neuro-affirming team & practices
Safeguarding
Spectrum Gaming is committed to the effective Safeguarding of its Young People. This post will be recruited in accordance with the NSPCC's guidance on safer recruitment. This includes a self-declaration, thorough interview, scrutiny of former employment, a requirement for references and an Enhanced DBS check.
Employment Benefits
Training and CPD opportunities.
Flexible Working Pattern
Remote working with occasional travel and opportunities for face to face working
A supportive and values-driven team
The opportunity to shape a growing organisation and its future impact
Neuro-affirming team & practices
Please note we reserve the right to close the application process at any point and therefore encourage early applications.
We aim to contact all applicants within 2 weeks of the closing date.
Interviews will be scheduled to take place online, starting the week commencing 25th May 2026.
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