Are you a strategic leader with a passion for delivering meaningful impact? We’re looking for an exceptional Chief Operating Officer to help lead Deaf Action through its next stage of growth, ensuring our services, people, and operations are positioned to deliver lasting change for Deaf communities. Could that be you?

Deaf Action is a Deaf-led charity, supporting and celebrating Deaf people since 1835. We work with Deaf people across Scotland and the South of England, empowering individuals to achieve their potential and fully participate in society with equality of rights, access and opportunity.

Through a range of charitable and commercial services, Deaf Action provides support, access, education, communication services and opportunities that improve the lives of Deaf people. We are committed to innovation, sustainability, and delivering high-quality services that create lasting impact.

Role purpose

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) provides strategic and operational leadership across Deaf Action, ensuring the organisation delivers high-quality, integrated services in line with its mission, values, and business plan.

Working closely with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team, the COO will be responsible for translating strategy into effective operational delivery, driving organisational performance, commercial growth, and long-term sustainability. The COO provides leadership across service delivery, operational systems, performance management, and organisational development, ensuring Deaf Action operates efficiently, effectively, and in alignment with its strategic objectives.

Key responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across Deaf Action, ensuring high-quality, efficient, and sustainable service delivery.
• Contribute to the growth and development of Deaf Action’s commercial services, helping to maximise income and long-term sustainability.
• Work closely with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to translate organisational strategy into effective operational plans and outcomes.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure services and operations align with Deaf Action’s mission, values, and commitment to Deaf-led practice and accessibility.
• Lead major organisational projects and cross-functional initiatives, ensuring successful delivery and integration across services.
• Support financial sustainability through effective budgeting, resource management, and oversight of commercial activities.
• Establish robust reporting and accountability frameworks, ensuring clear performance information is available to the CEO and Board.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with partners, funders, stakeholders, and external agencies, representing Deaf Action where required.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement across the organisation, ensuring that services remain responsive to the needs of Deaf communities.

Person specification

Essential:

• Proven experience in a senior operational leadership role, leading complex, multi-service or multi-department organisations.
• Demonstrable success in commercial income generation, organisational growth or change management.
• Strong strategic planning, operational management, and decision-making capability.
• Experience developing and managing high-performing teams.
• Experience implementing performance management systems and reporting frameworks.
• Strong understanding of core organisational functions, including operations, finance, HR, and service delivery.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
• Commitment to Deaf Action’s mission, values, accessibility, and inclusion.

Desirable:

• Experience working within the third sector, public service, or mission-led organisations,
• Understanding of Deaf communities and Deaf-led organisations.
• Experience working within the care or support service sector.
• Knowledge of accessible service delivery and inclusive practice.
• British Sign Language (BSL) skills or willingness to develop skills.

What’s on offer?

• Occupational pension scheme with employer contributions of 6%
• 32 days leave pro rata (inc bank holidays)
• 24/7 access to an Employee Assistance Programme provided by Health Assured
• In-house Mental Health First Aiders
• Access to the Cycle to Work Scheme and IT Voucher Scheme
• Ongoing support for learning and development through our PDR process

Our Communities are places where people with and without learning disabilities live, share and grow together. Our Edinburgh Community is made up of over 80 members - including people we support, employees, volunteers, long-term friends and members.

We are looking for someone with the leadership gifts, values and ambition to enable us to achieve our

2030 Strategy aims of:

• brilliant, person-centred support and housing for adults with learning disabilities, and
• beautiful community where people with and without learning disabilities share lives, homes, friendships and spiritual journeys together.
• effective organisation

This is a very varied role which includes both operational management and visible leadership. The Community Leader brings people together, leading Celebrations, spiritual spaces, role modelling the values of L’Arche and building a culture which empowers teams to flourish, as well as co-producing plans to develop the Community and the services which we provide. The Community Leader is also responsible for managing compliance, budgets, embedding systems, organisational processes and policies in the Edinburgh Community.

Alongside other Community Leaders across the UK and members of the National Team, you will also contribute to the development and delivery of projects focusing on: Finances, People, Care and Housing, to meet our ambitious 2030 Strategy.

But being Community Leader is more than just a job and we are looking for someone who wants to be part of a movement of hope and joy. In L'Arche, you will be part of changing the world, and you could be profoundly changed too.