Chief Operations Officer – Services

Steering Point are proud to partner with Stewarts Care for the appointment of a Chief Operating Officer – Services.

Stewarts Care provides community-based services to over 2000 adults and children across Dublin, Meath and Kildare.

Our Mission is to achieve our vision by empowering and supporting individuals with different abilities to have an enriches life experience based on their own decisions and life choices.

The Opportunity

Our Vision 2030 will continue our journey becoming a recognised leader in health and social care, renowned for our commitment to supporting people to have enriched life experiences.

The Stewarts Care Strategy (2022-2026) set out our ambitious Vision: to imagine, innovate and create a world of choice with individuals whose dreams and aspirations have no boundaries. We have strengthened the quality of our services as we also developed new opportunities for those we support. We continue to open new community hubs, new homes and new respite services across new regions, and supported by an ever-growing skilled workforce.

Our development combines our Vision, our ambition and the HSE’s requirements to increase services for day attenders, respite services, residential supports and those living in supported independent living. Whilst building on our success over recent years, our future strategy and service growth must be supported through an updated organisation design.

Job Purpose:

• Working with the CEO, lead, govern, manage and coordinate all service and operational activities and resources to maximise the delivery of high-quality service user experiences.
• The COO (Services) will lead the ongoing development, innovation and high standards of Stewarts Care services through strong service user and employee engagement.

Scope of the Role:

• The COO (Services) is a member of the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) and directly leads the Service Leadership Team.
• The COO (Services) will attend Board meetings representing the Service Leadership Team.
• COO (Services) is responsible fully for all strategy, governance and management matters relating to care and support services in their brief.
• To represent the Chief Executive at corporate and sectoral engagements as requested.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategy

• Promote the active citizenship and seek the best lived experience for each person supported by Stewarts Care. Where possible, extend this beneficial reach to those outside of Stewarts Care.
• Develop, plan and deliver the service priorities of Stewart Care’s strategic development programme.
• Work with the COO (Development) and the Service Management Team to build detailed strategy and workplans for services and support operations
• Work with COO (Development) to develop strategic infrastructure plans and initiatives across property, facilities and service areas to support future growth.
• Identify revenue streams and opportunities within existing or new offerings and develop plans to manage and achieve them.
• Maximise positive service impact using the full resources of the organisation.
• Innovate to achieve more, to more people, within existing resources.
• Achieve standards of care and support beyond the standard set out in Regulation and National Policy.
• Prioritise human rights in leadership within a large corporate entity.
• Be steadfastly focused on being a learning organisation.

Service Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for services and operations within Stewarts Care, enabling delivery of excellence in services and supports.
• Lead the Services Management Team to plan, manage and deliver services and support infrastructure to meet current and future service user needs.
• Champion the voice of the person, developing initiatives to learn, assess and transform service delivery and outcomes.
• Work with all Service Leads on the development, innovation and implementation of high standards of services and care.
• Identify and lead change management initiatives that enable development and advancement for people with intellectual disabilities.
• Oversight of operational and workforce management systems focused on the delivery of effective, coordinated, best practice services.
• Liaise proactively with Service Leads to ensure smooth day-to-day operations of all services.
• Foster a strong culture of innovation and continuous improvement across all services and operational activities.
• Champion a strong quality and compliance culture across all services. Provide clear feedback loops for continuous improvement and development.
• Promote resource and budgetary accountability through strong planning and reporting processes, disseminated through the service as appropriate.

Governance

• Liaise and update the Chief Executive and Strategic Leadership Team on services and support operations.
• Ensure strong governance ethos and practices across all services to meet stakeholder, Board, Management and Regulatory requirements.
• Present to the Board, providing reporting, advice, and relevant updates to support Board and Board Committee discussions and decision making.

Stakeholders

• Liaise, collaborate and work in partnership with key stakeholders in the HSE, HIQA, Tusla, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Department of Health, et al., to champion the needs of service users and influence policy and decisionmakers in support of same
• Actively support close links with other healthcare organisations and stakeholders, educational institutions and the wider clinical and healthcare community for the development and delivery of service user care
• Maintain strong public relations including good working relationships and communications with appropriate statutory, professional and voluntary organisations

People management

• Strong and open management style that fosters active engagement and encourages contributions from both staff and service users, promoting their development to better serve the needs of service users.
• Foster a culture of teamwork and respect that leads to a high quality and highly committed, skilled, and educated workforce.
• Promote a learning and development environment that enhances employee engagement and growth and enables service development.

Qualifications

Candidates must meet the following criteria relevant to the role:

• Third level qualification in a Healthcare, Clinical or Social Care Discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience working in healthcare, social care, intellectual disability or related areas.
• Minimum of 5 years leadership and staff management experience and be able to demonstrate same.

Experience & Skills

• Demonstrable knowledge of the sector, national policies and standards guiding services.
• Proven experience of leading the daily operation and delivery of complex and diverse services across multiple areas, teams &/or projects, and achieving high quality outcomes.
• Demonstrable capability to identify lead and deliver change programmes involving services, operations, processes, organisation structures, people etc.
• Demonstrable service development and improvement expertise.
• Experienced in managing budgets, financials, resources and people, and in meeting all regulatory and compliance requirements in similar sector.
• Proven ability to work on multiple priorities and objectives, delivering to deadlines, whilst supporting others to deliver.
• Strong organisation and project management skills to successfully develop, plan and deliver projects across teams.
• Ability to foster collaboration across teams and third parties to deliver quality work outputs that benefits service users.
• Strong relationship management capability with proven ability to successfully develop and maintain internal and external stakeholder relationships.
• Strong, open management style that engages and empowers others and fosters a collaborative team culture and approach.
• Excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills, ability to adapt, multi-task and prioritise.
• Resourceful, creative thinker and problem-solver with a hands-on attitude and ability to navigate change
• Excellent communication and presentation skills (written and verbal) with personal impact and credibility to influence.
• Personal integrity and gravitas to ensure a culture of respect and responsibility is role modelled.

How to Apply

If you believe that you meet the requirements necessary to take on this important role, please submit a comprehensive Curriculum Vitae in strictest confidence, for the attention of Shay Dalton – Managing Partner, Steering Point to sdalton@steeringpoint.ie on or before 12 noon on Friday 30th May 2025.

For a confidential discussion please contact Shay Dalton on +353 (0)86 856 2176.

Additional Information

Steering Point is acting as an employment agency and has been retained to manage this appointment process.

We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act.

Candidates for this post will be sourced through both an advertised selection and executive search process.

Please note that any offer of employment will be made subject to satisfactory reference checks as well as any other background checks and/or assessments considered appropriate to the process.