Social Services Operations Manager

About the role

The Social Services Operations Manager provides strategic, operational and system leadership across Weave Hawke's Bay social services, ensuring services are effective, integrated, sustainable and aligned with organisational strategy, contracts, budgets and community need. The role leads through others: setting direction, strengthening leadership capability, monitoring quality, risk and performance, and enabling Team Leaders to effectively lead high-quality frontline service delivery. The role is accountable for system performance, workforce capability and sustainability, financial stewardship, service quality, risk and continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the development and operationalisation of annual plans and budgets across social services, aligned with organisational strategy and priorities
• Provide strategic, operational and professional leadership through Team Leaders, ensuring services are effective, sustainable and deliver quality outcomes while meeting legal, regulatory and contractual requirements
• Lead and approve service development, improvement and expansion within delegated authority, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy, funding opportunities, community need and regulatory requirements
• Be an integral member of the Executive Management Team, contributing to organisational strategy, decision-making, risk management and cross-service integration
• Own the design, effectiveness and continuous improvement of social services systems, policies, processes and practice frameworks, including client-management systems and intake, referral, triage, waitlist, caseload, client flow, quality, privacy and reporting systems
• Lead performance, financial and contract oversight across social services, ensuring emerging issues are identified early and corrective action is implemented where required
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with key stakeholders, funders, iwi and partners, and ensure services are culturally responsive and aligned with Te Tiriti o Waitangi and organisational commitments
• Directly manage, coach and develop Team Leaders, setting clear expectations and holding them accountable for day-to-day staff and service management, service performance, people leadership and delivery against agreed objectives
• Monitor performance across services, including KPIs, utilisation, outcomes, waitlists, workforce capacity and financial performance
• Lead development of social services budgets and forecasts in partnership with the Chief Executive and Finance, and be accountable for financial performance across social services

About you

• An affinity with Weave Hawke's Bay vision, mission and values
• Demonstrated senior management and people leadership experience, preferably within social or community services
• A clinical qualification in social work, counselling or an equivalent discipline, with relevant professional registration, is preferred
• Strong operational, service and practice management experience, including oversight of multi-disciplinary services
• Demonstrated experience in financial management, budgeting, contract management and performance reporting
• Experience leading continuous improvement, service development and organisational change, including contributing to funding applications and tenders and operationalising new contracts or funded services
• Strong understanding of evidence-based practice, quality assurance, risk, safeguarding and regulatory compliance
• Demonstrated ability to lead through others, hold leaders accountable and manage complex or escalated people matters
• A commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and demonstrated ability to support culturally responsive practice
• A valid and clean New Zealand driver licence

About us

Weave Hawke's Bay is a community organisation providing social services. The organisation operates with a vision, mission and values-driven approach, and is committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and culturally responsive practice.

Apply now. We will review applications and interview suitable candidates as they are received. We reserve the right to close the advertisement early if we find our preferred candidate, so we encourage you to apply promptly.