Assistant chief executive jobs in Edinburgh

Start date: December 2026

Timeline: 

• Application deadline: 13 August 0900
• Initial phone interview: 14 August 
• First panel interviews: 20 August (online)
• Written task: wk/c 24 August (online, 1 hour)
• Final panel interviews: 8 September (in person, London)

Full-time 37.5 hours per week.

Remote with international travel

Salary and benefits: 

• £98,800 per annum pro rata
• 10% employer pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave, bank holidays on dates of your choice, a week of office closure in August and December
• Flexible working and other benefits (here)

 About us

Foxglove is a non-profit that exists to make the use of technology fair for all. When Big Tech companies abuse their power, their workers or the planet – and when governments use technology to oppress, exclude or discriminate – we litigate and campaign to fix it.  

Big Tech companies have become so large – gobbling up a huge slice of the global marketplace and an unprecedented treasure hoard of user data – that they’re now more powerful than many states. The harmful effects of this concentration of power are everywhere – threats to our democracy, to our privacy, decimated workers’ rights and platforms rife with disinformation and hate. Big Tech and AI data centres are rapidly expanding, resulting in huge strain on energy and water supplies. Worldwide governments are ploughing ahead with the use of algorithms and mass data systems to cut costs and increase efficiency often resulting in digital tools that entrench unfairness and leave the most vulnerable in society in crisis. All these problems are only getting worse with generative AI. 

Foxglove works to bring the rule of law to the tech and AI giants who have upended our public square, workplaces, and social lives. We have a strong track record. We’ve launched landmark cases seeking structural changes to big tech’s harmful business models, supported 180+ Facebook content moderators fired for trying to form a union to sue Facebook. We’ve supported tech workers and their unions to file cases challenging union busting at Google, Amazon and TikTok. We urged state regulators worldwide to stop Google’s theft of independent news. We won the UK’s first legal challenge to a data centre permission decision and filed the first such case in South Africa. We forced disclosure of secret contracts between tech giants and the NHS, stopped a racist Home Office visa streaming algorithm, helped make grading fair for UK A-level students and challenged the Department of Work and Pension’s use of an algorithm unfairly flagging disabled people for benefit fraud investigations. We have much more in the works and we hope you want to join us.

We are a small but growing team of lawyers, communications experts, and campaigners. Our work is global, and we work in partnership with lawyers, civil society, unions, and people impacted by Big Tech.

About you

You are an experienced social change leader who thrives at the intersection of politics, law and communications. You know that court wins alone don't create lasting change – it takes a compelling public narrative and a movement to back it up. You're energised by the prospect of what a well-run Foxglove can bring to the fight for tech justice and thrive in fast-moving environments and complex coalitions – holding a room, building a movement, and keeping a small team motivated and focused. You are a self-starter with the judgement to prioritise and the generosity to support others. You understand that Foxglove's power comes from the communities we work with as much as the cases we bring. If that's you, and the Foxglove mission excites you, we would love to hear from you.

The role

This is a fixed-term parental leave cover post for 1 year. The post holder will step into the co-Executive Director role with co-responsibility for Foxglove's strategy, impact, advocacy, operations, fundraising and public facing work. The post holder will work very closely with Foxglove’s other co-Executive Director and will make all sizable decisions about Foxglove together. UK and international travel (approx. 20%) is required.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Strategy, Leadership and Impact

1.Serve as a member of Foxglove's leadership team, helping to set direction across the organisation.

2.Work closely with the co-Executive Director and Director of Advocacy to align Foxglove's legal, advocacy and operations work.

3.Represent Foxglove externally: to the press, at events, with funders (trusts, foundations & individual donors), members of parliament and with policymakers and allies.

4.Help ensure communities', workers' and affected individuals' voices are at the centre of all of Foxglove's work.

5.Champion a culture of impact, monitoring and evaluation across the organisation, ensuring Foxglove can clearly demonstrate the change it is achieving internally and externally.

6.Use monitoring and evaluation insight to sharpen strategic decision-making – learning from what's working (and what isn't) to keep Foxglove's campaigns and casework focused on change for the people and communities we support. 

Advocacy and Campaigns

1.Oversee the work of Foxglove's advocacy team (led by our Director of Advocacy) and shape our overall approach to campaigning across digital, media and grassroots channels.

2.Build and maintain relationships with a wide range of allies – civil society organisations, unions, policymakers, regulators, journalists, academics, and international partners – to strengthen Foxglove's reach and influence.

3.Spot and pursue new opportunities for campaigns, litigation, coalition-building and advocacy, keeping Foxglove responsive to a fast-changing tech and policy landscape.

4.Act as a public voice for Foxglove's work – engaging with the press, media and public platforms as required to advance our work.

Operations and Organisational Management

1.Oversee Foxglove's day-to-day operations, ensuring the organisation runs smoothly and effectively.

2.Manage and support staff across the organisation, providing clear leadership and creating a positive team culture.

3.Oversee financial management in partnership with relevant staff, ensuring responsible stewardship of Foxglove's resources.

4.Ensure compliance with Foxglove's policies and obligations to donors, partners and statutory bodies.

5.Line management of Director of Advocacy, Head of Operations, Digital Campaigner, Operations and Executive Assistant and peer support the other co-Executive Director.

Fundraising and Donor Relations 

1.Oversee and lead Foxglove’s fundraising and donor relations in partnership with relevant team members.

2.Drive Foxglove’s fundraising strategy that diversifies Foxglove's income across foundations, major donors and other funding sources.

3.Build and maintain strong personal relationships with key funders and major donors, serving as Foxglove's primary external contact for funders. 

4.Identify and cultivate new funding prospects aligned with Foxglove's mission, including researching and pursuing grant opportunities.

5.Oversee the preparation of compelling funding proposals, reports, and impact updates, ensuring funders have a clear and accurate picture of Foxglove's work and results.

6.Set and track annual fundraising targets in collaboration with the co-Executive Director and finance team, ensuring income projections align with organisational budgets and plans.

7.Represent Foxglove at donor meetings, briefings, and sector events to build the organisation's profile and credibility within the funding community.

8.Ensure fundraising practices reflect Foxglove's values and independence.

Person Specification

Essential

• A strong interest in tech justice and Foxglove's mission.
• Significant (5+ years) experience at CEO level.
• Experience managing and motivating a team, with a track record of supporting people to do their best work.
• A brilliant fundraising track record and experience in financial management. 
• Excellent communication skills – you can write persuasively, clearly and concisely, hold a press conference, and brief a politician, all in the same day.
• Strong political judgement and an ability to navigate complex stakeholder landscapes.
• Experience in organisational management or operations, including oversight of budgets and financial processes.
• A self-starter who is able to work independently and take initiative, while contributing generously to a shared team goal.
• Excellent time management skills of yourself and others – able to prioritise a complex workload and work to tight deadlines.
• Willingness to muck in and support other members of a small team as required.
• UK based with right to work in the UK.

 Desirable

• Experience working on technology, digital rights, or AI.
• Legal qualification or equivalent advocacy leadership experience. 
• Experience working with a wide range of groups and partners from impacted communities, civil society groups, unions, associations and small businesses.
• Experience working with or alongside legal teams in a campaigning or advocacy context.
• Experience working with unions or impacted communities.

Length and Salary

This is a fixed-term parental leave cover contract of 12 months. The annual salary is £98,800 per annum pro rata less any required deductions for income tax and national insurance. Please note our pay is transparent and non-negotiable.

Our team works remotely; this role must be based in the UK, ideally London. Our team travels every two months for team days and annually for team retreats. 

Please note we are only accepting UK based applicants for this role. Applicants must already have right to work in the UK, unfortunately we are not able to provide visa sponsorship.

How to apply

Please make your application via the Be Applied link provided, answering the application questions and uploading your CV. We will not review applications sent via a job board or to our email.

All applications are reviewed by a Foxglove member of staff. We do not use automated systems to select which candidates proceed through the recruitment process. The only way in which we will use generative AI is as a comparison, to assess whether applications may have been AI generated. We do not otherwise use AI to process applications, and would request that candidates do not use generative AI to draft theirs.

Foxglove is growing and we are striving to build a team that is inclusive. We will create a diverse and adaptable environment where we support people to do their best work. We believe an effective and creative team is made up of people from different walks of life. You can read more about how we work and what we offer our staff on our website.

If any part of this process causes you difficulty or you require any reasonable adjustments to make your application, please get in touch with us via our website.

If you would like to know more about how we process your data as part of the recruitment process you can read our recruitment data use policy on our website

We're looking for an experienced PA to join our team to work with our Chief Mission Officer. You'll be organised with excellent administrative skills and a strong communicator.

The Chief Mission Officer is a member of our Executive Team, who report into the CEO. The Exec Team help shape and deliver organisational strategy ensuring alignment with our vision, values and mission. The PA to the CMO provides operational and administrative support across a wide range activities, which could include mission development, partnerships, training, resource development, digital innovation and strategic projects.

Key Responsibilities

Administrative support for the CMO

• Manage and coordinate the CMO’s diary, meetings, travel, accommodation, and key commitments.
• Ensure the CMO is adequately prepared for meetings, including drafting agendas, papers, and tracking follow up actions.
• Assist in the prioritisation of the CMO’s workload, ensuring deadlines are met.
• Provide administrative support for the CMO, including draft correspondence, reports, presentations, and other documentation on behalf of the CMO.
• With the CMO, translate ideas and discussion into clear action plans and deliverables.
• Develop and maintain systems that improve organisation, communication, and operational efficiency.
• Attend meetings and events, both remotely and in person, taking accurate notes/minutes and translating them into action plans for the CMO.
• Maintain organised records and filing systems.

Audio transcription and document preparation

• Transcribe audio recordings into written documents.
• Format, proofread and edit documents and correspondence.

About You

Please note that there is a Genuine Occupational Requirement that the post holder is a committed Christian under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010. 

Skills and Abilities  

• Excellent administrative and organisational skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks at once and prioritise well.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

Knowledge and Experience

• Experience supporting a senior leader in a similar role.
• Experience taking meeting minutes, producing action logs and preparing professional documentation.
• Experience transcribing audio recordings.
• Knowledge of CRM systems and project management tools.

 Personal Approach and Attributes

• A genuine passion for youth leaders and the mission of Urban Saints.
• Proactive and self-motivated with the ability to work independently. 
• Positive and professional attitude. 
• Maintain focus in a dynamic, mission-driven environment.

Location

The role is home-based with travel as required. All full-time Urban Saints employees are required to attend two team residentials per year.

How to Apply

Please fill out our application form which you can find on our website. The closing date for applications is Monday the 24th of August at midday. Please note, we will be actively reviewing applications ahead of the closing date and reserve the right to close applications before this date.

DBS Check

Due to the nature of this position, any offer of employment with Urban Saints will be subject to a satisfactory DBS check.