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Social Care Recruitment

How to Hire a Operations Director (Care) in the UK (2026)

Board-level leadership of care operations and quality. Hiring an Operations Director.
By Mark Wilkinson, Managing Director of Coburg Banks
Anthony leads social care recruitment at Coburg Banks, placing Registered Managers, Area Managers and care leaders across the UK.
Mark's Linkedin Profile

An Operations Director owns care operations at board level - quality, compliance, growth and the leadership team across the portfolio. It's a hire that shapes standards and performance across the whole organisation, so it deserves a careful, considered process.

⚡ In short

A UK Operations Director in care typically earns £70k-£100k plus bonus. Expect a placement in 8-14 weeks. Coburg Banks recruits them with no fee until your hire starts.

£70k-£100k

Typical base salary

8-14 weeks

Time to hire

48 hrs

To first shortlist

12 wks

Replacement guarantee

What to look for in a Operations Director (Care)

1

Strategic care leadership

Ask about quality and performance they drove across a large portfolio.

2

CQC and governance

Probe their approach to compliance, governance and risk at scale.

3

Leading leaders

They lead Regional and Area Managers. Look for proven senior leadership.

How to run the hire

1. Agree the mandate
Decide what the Director must deliver - quality, growth, turnaround - and the measures.

2. Match the scale
Target people who've led care operations at your size and complexity.

3. Source through networks
Senior care leaders come from introductions and headhunting.

4. Use a strategy presentation
Have the shortlist present an operations plan for your organisation.

5. Reference deeply
Confirm quality delivery, governance and leadership at board level.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to hire an Operations Director in care?

Fees typically run 20-25% of first-year salary, capped and agreed upfront.

Nothing is due until your hire starts, and for senior briefs we can discuss a retained approach.

How long does it take to hire an Operations Director?

Around 8-14 weeks, given the seniority and checks.

Board alignment on the mandate is the biggest factor in keeping it on track.

What does an Operations Director in care do?

An Operations Director owns care operations at board level - quality, compliance, governance, commercial performance and the senior management team across the portfolio.

They set the standards and strategy the whole organisation delivers against.

What experience should an Operations Director have?

Senior multi-site care leadership - usually Regional or Operations Manager background - plus strong CQC, governance and commercial credentials.

We match portfolio scale and care type to their experience.

What should I ask an Operations Director at interview?

Try: Tell me about quality you drove across a portfolio.
How do you approach governance and risk at scale?
How do you develop your senior managers? and What would you focus on first in our organisation?

Do you run confidential Operations Director searches?

Yes. We handle discreet and replacement searches at Director level, approaching candidates directly.

External citations

Ready to hire your next Operations Director (Care)?

Tell us about your role and a specialist social care recruiter will call you. No fee until your hire starts.