19 Chief executive officer jobs in Bermondsey, Greater London

Blackheath Conservatoire Music and Arts – delivering music and arts to 2,000 learners of all ages each week

Executive Director

Responsible to:     The Board of Trustees

Hours:                      5 days per week 

Contract type:       Full-time

Location:                 19-21 Lee Road, Blackheath SE3, some remote working potential

Salary:                      £65,000 annual salary

Do you want to help more people get access to music and arts education?

Are you a keen supporter of the arts? (You don’t have to be a musician or artist yourself.)

Do you want to make a difference to a local community?

Do you love growing and developing organisations?

We, at the Blackheath Conservatoire of Music and the Arts, aim to nurture creativity and be accessible to all communities, centred around our heritage base in the heart of SE London.

We are looking for an experienced Executive Director to lead the Conservatoire team through updating our listed building and growing the Conservatoire, including expanding our services and audience. This role is full time and will lead the Conservatoire team. We are a learning organisation and hope you will learn and grow in the role too.

About you:

• You are something of an entrepreneur in that you have tried out new ways, even though some of them haven’t worked, you’ve learned from the experience
• You have grown an organisation and customer base
• You have worked with creatives and freelancers
• You have worked with others and set up new systems and improved old ones
• You believe it is very important to treat everyone with care and respect, doing your best to understand their needs
• You have managed teams and are skilled at delegation
• You have turned departments and organisations round and been involved with / have experience of big capital projects
• You have led a small business (or a larger one!)
• You have experience in the not-for-profit sector
• We are not just looking for someone who likes to improve things, but also measures the results of what they have done
• You have experience with risk management and governance within an organisation.
• You have good IT literacy skills, some understanding of current cyber-security issues, experience of Health & Safety.

The organisation is at a strategic turning point, with ambitions to restore and reinvigorate its heritage building as a community hub and to grow sustainable, diversified income to support that.

About this role – Executive Director

As Executive Director, you will lead and run the Conservatoire and work alongside the Board to develop and deliver the organisation’s strategic goals. Reporting directly to the Board of Trustees, your main duties will include:

• Work with the Board to provide good visibility of issues and implement the Conservatoire’s short-term and long-term strategic goals including planning for the long-term restoration of the Estate.
• Manage and run all aspects of the charity, leading the Senior Management Team and taking all key operational decisions
• Ensure the organisation fulfils its charitable objects, its regulatory, legal and compliance obligations and that all policies follow latest legislation or guidance
• Improve financial resilience, in particular through fundraising, supported by a Fundraising Director
• Be one of the principal public ambassadors for the organisation, engage with stakeholders in the local and wider community to build strong relationships and partnerships.
• Any other duties required to ensure the smooth running of Conservatoire operations.

About the Blackheath Conservatoire of Music and the Arts

The Blackheath Conservatoire of Music and the Arts is a registered charity, with 140 years’ history of delivering high-quality experiences and learning in music and art. We deliver music and arts education to around 2,000 people each week across all ages, with a strong commitment to access and community participation in Greenwich and Lewisham.  

To apply:

• Please see instructions via the How to Apply button
• We’d love you to apply even if you think you only match 70-80% of the criteria.

Equality Statement

Please apply, even if you are returning to work after a career break. We’re an organisation passionately committed to equality and inclusion in music and arts we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. We are committed to becoming more representative of our local community, so we particularly welcome applications from under-represented groups.  Currently, we especially encourage global majority people who might be interested to apply.

Safer Recruitment

Blackheath Conservatoire is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff to share and demonstrate this commitment. We require all staff and freelance tutors to hold an Enhanced DBS and undertake Safeguarding Level One and Prevent training - we can process a DBS for those who do not already hold one.

If you are invited for an interview for a role at the Conservatoire, please review the Safer Recruitment Self Declaration which we will ask you to complete on your arrival:
‍
The Safeguarding Recruitment - Self Declaration 2026 can be downloaded from this link (PDF).

We will also ask you to bring:
- Photo ID
- Proof of Address
- Evidence of Right to Work in the UK

All offers of work are contingent on the candidate providing:
- An Enhanced DBS certificate
- Two professional or academic references
- An Overseas Police Check if they have lived abroad for more than 12 months within the last 10 years. See the .GOV guidance on how to obtain an overseas Police check. (open in new tab).