Operations Manager

Our guests arrive having been told, in a hundred different ways, that they are a problem to be managed. Our radical welcome is the opposite of that - and we are looking for someone to help us sustain it.

Kairos Housing grew out of a shared vision between local churches in Blackburn with Darwen. Our mission is to show the love of Jesus as we provide sanctuary, build community and seek justice.

The people we house have often been sleeping on park benches, sofa-surfing, or staying somewhere unsafe. Some have had an asylum claim refused and cannot work, rent or claim benefits. Others have just been granted refugee status and days to leave Home Office accommodation. We offer a home, and walk with them until they can stand on their own.

Our welcome means saying welcome home and meaning it - a safe place, a bed, community, support and belonging. Not hostility, and not even tolerance. We publicly challenge the hostility our guests face and speak up for a fairer system as part of our mission. Everything in this job about compliance, rent collection and record-keeping exists as so we can provide that radical welcome.

The role

We need someone to take on the day-to-day running of Kairos Housing.

What you'll be working on

• You'll oversee our properties - maintenance, repairs, standards and compliance - as we grow from five homes to seven.
• You'll manage rental income and housing benefit applications from start to finish.
• You'll line manage two part-time colleagues and our volunteers, and coordinate the support our guests receive.
• You'll hold hard conversations with our guests around: arrears, house rules, and occasionally asking someone to leave.
• You'll build partnerships with councils, contractors and other charities, and work with our CEO and trustees on the charity's growth.
• You'll hold our Christian ethos - leading staff prayer and devotionals, building partnerships with local churches, and being available for prayer when asked.

This job is for you if

• you have a heart for social justice and for people rebuilding their lives
• you are well organised and can hold a lot at once without dropping things
• you build good working relationships easily, inside and outside your own team
• you are calm in difficult situations and can say hard things with kindness
• you are confident with records, figures and computer systems, or ready to learn
• you can travel between our properties across Blackburn and Darwen

You do not need a housing background. If you arrive with relevant operations or housing experience, we would expect to appoint at or near the top of the range. If you have the values and transferable skills but not the technical knowledge, we will train you - including a fully funded housing qualification with paid study leave.

Key details

Office based at Church House, Blackburn Cathedral grounds, with the option to work from home occasionally, and regular travel to our properties. 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday (This is not an on-call role). Responsible to the Board of Trustees.

Benefits: 25 days holiday plus statutory holidays; 3% employer pension; full mileage; funded qualification and paid study leave; reflective supervision and peer support.

It is an occupational requirement of this post that the postholder is a practising Christian, in accordance with Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010. Our guests come from many faiths and from none, and are never expected to share ours.

A driving licence valid in the UK and access to a vehicle are essential, and an Enhanced DBS check is required. We cannot sponsor visa applications.

We shortlist blind, and guarantee an interview to anyone meeting the essential criteria who identifies as disabled or has first-hand lived experience of the UK asylum or immigration system.

How to apply

Download the recruitment pack and application forms from our website and return them to our recruitment inbox. We would be glad to have a chat or show you round first - please get in touch.

Closing date: 11.59pm on Sunday 27 September 2026. Interviews will be held in October.