Chief executive officer jobs in Brighton and hove
Want more results?
Add job titles:
Brainkind exists to ensure that life after brain injury can be a life well lived.
As the UK’s largest not-for-profit provider of specialist brain injury rehabilitation and neurological services, we support more than 750 people each year across our network of hospitals, assessment and rehabilitation centres, and community services in England, Scotland and Wales. With 86% of our services rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’, and a unique integrated pathway from hospital to community, Brainkind is the national leader in specialist brain injury rehabilitation.
We are now seeking an exceptional Chief Executive Officer to lead Brainkind into its next phase. This is a pivotal moment for the organisation: an opportunity to strengthen financial resilience, sharpen operational alignment, and build on our strong foundations to deliver even greater impact for the people we support.
Reporting to the Chair and Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive Officer will have full accountability for organisational performance, strategy, and culture. You will lead and develop a committed and experienced Executive Team, ensure the continued delivery of high-quality, person-centred services, and build trusted relationships with commissioners, partners, regulators, and stakeholders across the health and care system.
This role requires a proven executive leader with experience operating at scale within health, social care, or a similarly complex regulated environment. You will bring a strong track record of delivering organisational performance, financial stewardship, and leading organisations through periods of change, growth, or transformation.
Above all, you will be a visible, values-driven leader, able to combine strategic clarity, operational discipline, and commercial judgement with a deep personal commitment to improving the lives of people with brain injuries.
This is an opportunity to lead one of the UK’s most important specialist charities at a time of both challenge and opportunity, and to make a lasting difference to the lives of those we serve. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the future of specialist brain injury rehabilitation in the UK and lead an organisation with deep expertise, committed staff, and a clear sense of purpose.
Registered Charity 
More than 1000
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
This is a full-time Chief Exec role offering an exciting time to join an organisation making
a huge impact with minimal resources. As the Organisation enters its tenth year,
regrettably the need for this work has never been greater and in addition to enhancing
existing projects, we plan to grow our Dignity Centre locations as well as expand our
outreach and impact in the coming two to five years. As a small charity, the role is
incredibly varied as well as hands-on. While there is no physical back office, meaning
the role is mostly from home/remote, the CEO spends sustained periods of time in our
projects in Nicosia, Cyprus and Bournemouth, UK as well as any new or potential
project sites in the UK and abroad. A typical day could include troubleshooting and
managing maintenance problems at distance for our projects in Nicosia and
Bournemouth, preparing and delivering interviews and presentations to the media or for
donors, calling volunteers to prepare them for collaborating with us and collating
indicator data for impact reports.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Neotree: The Digital Learning Health System
Neotree is an award-winning digital learning health system co-designed with frontline clinicians to end preventable newborn deaths in low-resource settings. Our open-source platform integrates real-time, knowledge-based clinical decision support (CDS), structured data capture, and visual dashboards into routine neonatal care. Currently active in 18 healthcare facilities, Neotree has supported care for 60,000 newborns and trained over 3,000 health workers to date. Neotree is the only platform of its kind with a defined pathway to embed AI-enabled decision support into routine neonatal care in sub-Saharan Africa.
Neotree: The Charity
The UK charity was established by core members of the University College London (UCL) Neotree research project to maximise the impact of their research on the quality of newborn care and newborn mortality. After five years of rapid growth and proven clinical impact, Neotree is seeking a visionary Executive Director to lead our next chapter. Having evolved from an innovative research pilot into a multi-country digital health intervention, integrated into routine neonatal care in Malawi and Zimbabwe, Neotree is poised for national-scale rollout and scale up, alongside rigorous ongoing monitoring and evaluation.
The Opportunity: Impact at Scale
By 2030 the ambition is for Neotree to be a fully integrated, sustainable standard of care across Malawi and Zimbabwe, having been handed over to, and owned by, their respective Ministries of Health. The incoming Executive Director will lead this transition, shifting the organisation from a research-led implementation partner to one able to scale up a digital public good (currently a DPGA Nominee with a full submission for DPG designation under review).
While the technological landscape, and specific delivery modules, will evolve, the Executive Director will ensure Neotree remains a safe, cost-effective, equitable, and evidence-based system that is successfully embedded within national digital health infrastructures.
The Executive Director's success will be measured collaboratively, focusing on KPIs related to impact and sustainability, and they will work alongside experienced clinical, technical, and academic leads.
Location: Remote within 2-3 hours of Central Africa Time (CAT), with approximately quarterly travel (including to Malawi, Zimbabwe and the UK).
Reports to: Board of Trustees
Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week)
Key Responsibilities
1. Operations, Clinical Safety & Quality Assurance
1.1. Senior Operational Oversight: Provide high-level oversight of Neotree’s operations across 18 healthcare facilities in Malawi and Zimbabwe, ensuring that the "baby-first" mission is consistently delivered on the ground.
1.2. Clinical Safety & Ethical Governance: Lead the overarching strategy for clinical safety and ethical compliance. Ensure the platform remains a safe and effective clinical tool, and that all operations comply with international data protection and health governance best practices.
1.3. Quality & Effectiveness: Oversee the continuous improvement and optimisation of the Neotree platform based on real-world feedback from frontline clinical staff, ensuring the system remains highly acceptable and trusted by healthcare professionals.
2. Management: People, Grants & Finance
2.1. International Team Leadership: Lead, oversee and inspire a multi-disciplinary, multi-country team (UK, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa), fostering a culture of agility, collaboration, and excellence.
2.2. Develop local leadership and support the growth of country-based teams, ensuring long-term sustainability through in-country capacity building.
2.3. Financial & Grant Management:
2.3.1. Provide robust oversight of the charity’s finances, including budget setting and cash flow.
2.3.2. Lead the management of complex institutional grants (e.g. FCDO, Gates Foundation), ensuring all milestones and reporting requirements are met.
2.3.3. Manage relationships with multiple downstream partners.
3. Governance & Accountability
3.1. Statutory Compliance: Lead Neotree’s reporting and compliance with the Charity Commission, HMRC, Companies House, donors and other relevant legislation. Oversee internal and external audits.
3.2. Board Development & Relations: Act as the primary link to the Board of Trustees, providing transparent reporting on risks, financial performance, and strategic progress. Work proactively with the Chair to strengthen the board, supporting its growth and ensuring its membership is representative of the diverse international contexts and communities Neotree serves.
3.3. Risk Management: Serve as the ultimate lead for organisational risk, identifying and mitigating risks to protect the charity’s reputation, clinical safety, and financial health.
3.4. Organisational & Innovation Governance: Responsible for the continuous review and implementation of all policies (HR, due diligence, safeguarding, clinical and data governance etc.). Ensure policies are legally compliant across international operations.
4. Strategy & Impact Scaling
4.1. Overall Strategy: Lead the development and execution of Neotree’s business model and strategy to scale impact globally, ensuring the sustainable growth and wider adoption of Neotree as a digital public good.
4.2. Evidence base: Work closely with Neotree’s academic team at University College London to identify and address evidence gaps, to support on Neotree research grants (e.g. NIHR, Gates Foundation), and to ensure academic insights are translated directly into clinical impact and national policy.
4.3. Tech Strategy & Interoperability: Lead the development and execution of Neotree's digital strategy. A key focus will be driving the roadmap for system interoperability to ensure Neotree is a future-proofed platform. This includes FHIR compatibility and integration with national systems, such as DHIS2 and national EHRs, to support seamless data exchange.
4.4. Fundraising Strategy: Design and deliver a diverse fundraising strategy that further moves the organisation toward financial resilience and reduced dependence on major academic grants.
4.5. Partnerships & External Relations: Serve as one of the primary ambassadors for Neotree, alongside our Principal Investigators and co-founder Professor Michelle Heys. Define priority stakeholders, and build and maintain relationships with those high-level strategic partners to drive adoption and raise Neotree’s profile.
Key Priorities for the First 12-18 Months
The new Executive Director will focus on the following key priorities during their initial 12-18 months:
1. Successful Project Delivery & Ministry of Health Partnerships. Ensure successful delivery of the projects currently in flight, in both Malawi and Zimbabwe. This includes partnerships with the Ministries of Health in both countries to build and hand over neonatal modules in their EHR systems based on Neotree, and support their successful rollout.
2. Strategic Plan Development. Develop a 3-5 year plan with the Board, academic partners, and wider project team to build on our existing foundation to expand Neotree – including addressing research gaps, using AI to improve clinical decision support, and finding ways to expand the adoption of the technology in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and beyond. Sustainability is a core part of that strategy.
3. Strategic Plan Execution. Execute on that plan, including securing funding, building partnerships, and further developing the Neotree team.
Person Specification
Personal attributes and skillset
- Overall: Values-driven, mission alignment, humility, and commitment to equitable partnership.
- Visionary Leadership: An inspiring leader who can balance day-to-day operations with a long-term strategic focus. You can articulate a clear future for Neotree that motivates an international team and aligns global partners toward making Neotree a national standard of care, ensuring every innovation remains underpinned by our "baby-first" mission.
- Adaptability & Flexibility: You must thrive in a landscape that is constantly shifting. You can pivot strategies as national digital health priorities evolve or as new technological partners emerge. You are comfortable with ambiguity and can steer the organisation through the "unknowns" of the next five+ years.
- Communication & Collaborative Mindset: You are a bridge-builder. You have a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across international borders and multidisciplinary partners, linking academic research, technical development, and frontline clinical delivery.
Experience
1. Education: Master’s degree (MSc, MPH, MBA) in a relevant field (e.g. Global Health, International Development, Digital Health).
2. Proven track record of overseeing delivery of health services and/or health interventions (ideally in low-resource settings).
3. Experience of working in partnership with Ministries of Health strengthening health systems.
4. Proven experience in scaling an organisation or a digital product / health intervention from a pilot phase to a national or regional standard.
5. Experience of leading multidisciplinary, multi-cultural teams, both in person and remotely.
6. Experience of monitoring and evaluating health programmes.
7. Experience managing complex grants, and diverse revenue streams (grants, philanthropy, or social enterprise models).
Desirable
- AI & Innovation: Understanding of the ethical and practical implications of integrating AI/Machine Learning into healthcare.
- Governance: Familiarity with UK charity governance, including reporting to the Charity Commission and Companies House.
Equal opportunities
Neotree values diversity and is committed to equal opportunities. All applicants for employment will receive equal treatment without discrimination on grounds of gender, race, ethnic or national origins, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation, or any other grounds. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from candidates from minority ethnic backgrounds, and the low-resource settings in which we work, to ensure we have a well-balanced and widely representative staff base.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Are you a visionary leader who can help shape the next stage of our work to protect, create and restore Scotland’s woodlands?
We are looking for our next Chief Executive, someone who can lead the charity into an exciting period of growth and change.
FWS is a Scottish charity working to create a Scotland where trees and native woodlands are thriving for our wildlife, communities and climate. Our mission is to protect, create and restore these vital habitats through knowledge, partnership and practical action.
Founded in 2012 to support innovative thinking for trees and native woodlands, we have grown into an organisation delivering practical action at scale. Today, our work stretches from city spaces to wild places — supporting farmers and landowners to create or restore native woodlands, strengthening local nurseries, building sector skills, and bringing trees into everyday landscapes across Scotland.
The organisation has grown rapidly over the past three years, and now operates as a team of seven delivering national programmes across Scotland.
About the role
This is a rare opportunity to shape a small, ambitious and high‑performing charity at a time of growth and increasing national influence.
As Chief Executive, you will report to and work closely with our Board of Trustees, providing strategic leadership and acting as the organisation’s senior representative. You will:
- Lead the delivery of our strategic plan and future direction
- Strengthen partnerships across the woodland, environmental, community and land‑use sectors
- Oversee programme delivery and organisational performance
- Support, motivate and develop our small and committed team of seven, working across programmes, fundraising and communications
- Represent Future Woodlands Scotland at senior levels across Scotland
You will bring strategic clarity, a collaborative leadership style, and the ability to build strong, trusted relationships across sectors and with funders.
Location
This role is Scotland-based, working from home with travel across Scotland to meetings. Our current team is spread across Dumfries & Galloway, Lothian, Central Scotland and Aberdeenshire.
Contract and salary
- 8% employer pension contribution
- Permanent, part‑time (3 days per week)
- £65,000–£75,000 FTE, depending on experience
- 25 days annual leave + 10 public holidays (pro rata)
- Additional annual leave increasing with length of service, up to a maximum of 10 additional days.
How to apply
Before applying, please read the Candidate Pack for full details of the role, responsibilities and the application process. You can find it on our website.
Invitations are invited from suitably qualified people and applications should consist of a CV and covering letter. The covering letter should explain how you meet the essential skills set out in the Candidate Pack and what you would bring to Future Woodlands Scotland.
If you would like an informal chat about the role, please contact Shireen Chambers to arrange a call (details in Candidate Pack).
Key dates:
- Application deadline: Midday, Monday 16 March 2026
- Interviews: Monday, 30 March 2026, in Edinburgh in person
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.