Job Purpose
The Chief Operating Officer plays a transformational role in developing and delivering our new strategy which will be launched in April 2026. The role will be critical in driving the right culture, systems and resources to implement an ambitious and impactful strategy. We need someone with a track record of delivering major change and to ensure we can evolve as an organisation to deliver impact at scale.
The COO leads in accordance with our values across the organisation at all levels to enable a high performance culture which is focussed on delivering positive outcomes for the communities we serve. This role is responsible for ensuring that our key resources (people, relationships, finance, systems and data) are being effectively deployed to service our strategy. This role will champion our approach to inclusion and ensure effective approaches to staff welfare and health and wellbeing.
They work closely with the Board to create confidence in our core functions and reporting and as the lead Director to our Audit, Investment and Risk Committee and the People & Culture Committee.
The role is crucial in ensuring the best possible relationships with colleagues across Lloyds Banking Group in order to make the best of this partnership. In addition the COO will enable us to maintain excellent relationships with the other three Lloyds Banking Group Foundations and in the case of the Channel Islands supporting their back office functions.
Our Team
You will be a key member of our senior leadership team comprising the Chief Executive (CEO); Director of Charity Development; Director Policy, Communications and Research; and Director of Communities. Alongside them, you will be accountable to the CEO and through them to the Board.
You will directly manage a team that currently comprises a Head of Finance, Head of People and Culture, Company Secretary, a contracted IT Manager and oversee our wider systems support including PMO, grants and admin support. You will work with the Leadership Team and SLT to co-ordinate delivery in line with our strategy.
Scope of Role
In this particular role, you will be responsible for:
Strategy and Delivery: the Directorate
Overall responsibility for Transformation and Strategic Portfolio Management
- Act as the ‘spine’ to our operations – taking overall and active responsibility for co-ordination across the Foundation in delivering the approved Operating Plan/Portfolio, ensuring co-ordination and delivery of programmes/projects which cut across Directorates.
- Oversee planning, coordination and reporting of significant change projects and programmes of work.
- Commission outsourced and consultancy support to supplement capacity where necessary.
- Lead preparation and monitoring against the Foundation’s annual budget and portfolio and associated reporting at SLT/Board level including core MI and KPI reporting.
- Provide strategic leadership to the Directorate Leadership Team guiding them to develop and deliver the Foundation’s strategy.
- Provide strategic leadership and enablement on the Foundation strategy, ensuring that the Foundation has the appropriate, systems, people and policies in place to enable the strategy.
Accountable for core support services, including finance, HR, technology, premises, programme management
- Accountable for our risk management, governance and control frameworks.
- Oversee the effective and efficient delivery of ‘back office’ support to the Foundation, including Finance, HR, IT, Systems, Compliance and general office support.
- Ensure development and delivery of an effective IT/digital strategy, including solutions to manage hybrid working, and remote working across wide geographical patches and the maintenance of a Business Continuity plan for the Foundation.
- Develop an information management strategy that is secure and maximises the value of management information generated from the data collected.
- Responsible for an effective people strategy and delivery of a core People and Culture framework and processes.
- Ensure we have access to appropriate legal advice as required e.g. on contracts with suppliers.
- Where agreed, develop shared service operational support for other Foundations, incorporating service level agreements, reporting and transfer charging arrangements where appropriate.
- Work closely with the Company Secretary to ensure appropriate compliance and good governance.
- Oversee the Foundation’s compliance with and delivery of the requirements set out in the latest funding agreements with Lloyds Banking Group and liaise with Lloyds Banking Group on matters relating to this, including payments against the covenant with Lloyds Banking Group.
- Liaise with other Lloyds Banking Group Foundations as appropriate. Note we currently provide outsourced assistance to the small Channel Islands Foundation including financial accounting and governance/secretariat services.
Responsible for ensuring the effective financial management
- This function is supported by a finance team including a qualified Head of Finance.
- Responsible for ensuring accurate and effective accounting systems, processes and controls so that the financial affairs of the Foundation are managed in a timely manner and in line with all legal, regulatory and tax requirements.
- Accountable for delivery of statutory annual report and accounts in compliance with SORP and relevant company and charity legislation.
- Responsible for delivery of monthly management reports to aid financial and strategic decision making.
- Ensure the preparation of the annual budget and regular forecasts for the Foundation and provide advice to senior management in constructing the budget/forecast for grant and other programme expenditure.
- Provide assistance to the Audit, Investment and Risk Committee to manage the Foundation’s cash and other investments in a compliant, secure and effective way.
- Support Senior Leadership Team, Audit & Investment Committee, People and Culture Committee and the Board decision making with the provision of financial and non-financial analysis and recommendations.
As a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT)
- Play a full role in the wider leadership and management of the Foundation.
- Ensure we are more than the sum of our parts, by creating excellent collaborative working relationships with other members of the SLT to ensure we are role modelling valued-based leadership with the ambitions to deliver the strategic plan.
- Ensure staff are inspired and encouraged to achieve the best they can through effective performance management, regular feedback, coaching, and appropriate training and development opportunities.
- Maintain excellent working relationships with Board members to ensure they are appraised of all key developments and actively engaged in key issues of strategy.
- Personally exhibit open, inclusive and effective communication practices in all day to day activities, communicating strategy and policy decisions from the Senior Leadership Team as appropriate.