Head of Guidance and Education Operations

job description

Level: Head of

Location: 4 days per month in Bedford

Where leadership meets lasting national impact

The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) exists to deliver a clear and compelling vision: better financial futures for everyone in need. As an arm’s-length body sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions, MaPS plays a central role in the UK’s financial wellbeing agenda, bringing together policy, delivery and innovation to ensure that people can access trusted guidance and make confident financial decisions throughout their lives. Through its work across pensions guidance, debt advice and money guidance, MaPS is shaping a more inclusive and resilient financial future for millions.

Shape the future of financial wellbeing across the UK

Guidance & Education Systems (GES) is a new and growing directorate with an ambitious mission: to strengthen the quality, reach and effectiveness of money guidance and financial education delivered through organisations, partners and practitioners across the UK. We work to support better financial outcomes for people at every life stage, including children and young people.

Why this role matters

As Head of Guidance & Education Operations, you'll lead the delivery and improvement of key services, ensuring they remain effective, scalable and customer-focused. You'll oversee operating models across learning, support and engagement services, enabling sustainable growth and impact.

The role will play a key part in delivering a new Managed Learning Service, helping transform digital learning and customer support while driving high standards of quality, performance and continuous improvement.

This is more than an operational leadership role. It's an opportunity to shape how a nationally important service develops and scales, delivering meaningful improvements in financial capability and wellbeing across the UK.

About you

We're looking for an experienced operational leader with a track record of delivering and improving complex services at scale across the UK. You'll have experience leading operations, driving performance and continuous improvement in customer-focused environments.

You'll turn strategic goals into effective delivery plans, manage suppliers and contracts, implement new services and technologies, and use data and feedback to improve outcomes.

A collaborative leader, you'll build strong stakeholder relationships, develop high-performing teams, lead through change, and foster a culture of accountability, inclusion and improvement.

Join us

If you're excited by the opportunity to help build and scale services that strengthen the UK's money guidance and financial education ecosystem, and to play a leading role in improving financial wellbeing for millions of people, we'd love to hear from you.

For an informal and confidential conversation, please contact the appointed search partners at GatenbySanderson. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation.

Closing date: 14th September 2026