Chief executive officer jobs in Exeter, devon

Downright Perfect is a volunteer-run charity supporting children with Down syndrome and their families through professional services, resources and community events. We are seeking a passionate Chief Executive Officer to oversee the day-to-day running of the charity and support the Board of Trustees.

Key responsibilities include:
 •  Supporting governance and Charity Commission compliance
 •  Managing finances alongside the Treasurer
 •  Coordinating volunteers and charity operations
 •  Managing communications, website and social media
 •  Overseeing projects, events and family support services
 •  Identifying funding opportunities and submitting grant applications

Essential skills: experience of running a charity or community group, strong governance knowledge, financial literacy, volunteer management experience, and experience working with vulnerable families or children.

Preferred skills: Knowledge of our charity; understanding or experience of Down syndrome, either professionally or personally; and awareness of the challenges that families may face when supporting someone with Down syndrome.

Requirements: right to work in the UK, driving licence and vehicle, DBS check.

If you are passionate about supporting children with Down syndrome and want to play a key role in a growing charity, we would love to hear from you. Please apply with CV and covering letter.

Interim Chief Executive
National Lived Experience Network (Gambling Harms)
Duration: Approx. 6 months – (April – September). 0.8 FTE (Alternative working patterns may be agreed for the right candidate).
Salary: c. £500 per day depending on experience
Location: Flexible/remote with travel as required

Prospectus is delighted to be supporting a national lived experience network working in the field of gambling-related harms to recruit an Interim Chief Executive.

The organisation is an independent voice raising awareness and offering support to people affected by gambling-related harms. The ambition is for the network to be able to make a difference to people’s lives, with a voice that can meaningfully participate in and influence national debate and policy.

The Interim Chief Executive will provide immediate strategic leadership, visible system presence and lead internal organisational development, including an increase in staff capacity.

This is a time-bound leadership role focused on the immediate transition phase. The skills required to establish presence, build infrastructure and secure early system positioning are distinct from those needed to lead the charity over the longer term.

The successful candidate will bring:

• Proven experience as a Chief Executive or Senior Leader operating at executive level.

• Experience of building and sustaining strategic partnerships across complex stakeholder environments, including within commissioning systems.

• Experience leading organisations through periods of transition, growth or structural change.

• Strong experience of embedding governance frameworks, strengthening compliance and overseeing safeguarding protocols (preferably within a charity setting).

Alongside technical capacity, the organisation is seeking a leader with a commitment to its mission and values, and demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, with the ability to embed inclusive organisational practice.

Candidates must be available immediately.

Closing date for applications: Friday 13th March 2026

Interviews for successful candidates: w/c 16th March 2026

Applications should be submitted via CV only. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so early application is encouraged. Candidates invited to interview will be asked to complete a short application form as a supporting statement.

As we look ahead to our next strategic phase from 2026, we are seeking an exceptional leader to build on this momentum. As Chief Executive, you will guide a skilled and dedicated team, work closely with an engaged Board of Trustees, and shape how the Trust deepens its impact while strengthening its voice in policy and practice. The role calls for strategic clarity, strong and authentic relationship-building, and the confidence to represent the Trust across government, civil society, and the energy industry.

We are looking for a leader of sound judgement and emotional intelligence, with a collaborative and inclusive style. Someone who recognises the dignity and potential of the people we serve, and who believes that lasting change is achieved through partnership, evidence, and purpose.

The Trust has evolved significantly in recent years. We now operate with a strengthened in-house team, a clear and ambitious strategic direction, and a growing reputation as both a trusted funder and a respected voice in the national conversation on fuel poverty. Our work spans direct financial assistance, specialist advice, and community-based programmes, underpinned by an increasingly sophisticated understanding of what truly enables households to build resilience. This combination of practical support and system-level insight places us in a distinctive and influential position within the sector.

The Organisation

LawCare is the mental health charity for the legal sector, providing free, confidential emotional support and information to people working in law across the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. While our primary focus is on direct support services, we also play a leading role in advocating for improved mental health practices within legal workplaces and driving cultural transformation through education, training, and research.

Established in 1997, we have spent almost 30 years supporting legal professionals by offering a safe, confidential, and non-judgemental space to talk, whether individuals are experiencing day-to-day pressures or more complex, enduring challenges. Our team of Champions, over 100 volunteers, and staff bring lived experience of the legal sector, enabling us to provide informed, empathetic support grounded in a deep understanding of the profession’s unique demands.

We serve all branches of the legal community, including barristers, solicitors, in-house teams, chartered legal executives, and business and support staff. From early-career professionals facing bullying or imposter syndrome to senior leaders managing risk, regulatory pressures, or professional  isolation, we are a trusted and independent source of support.

In addition to our direct support services - including helpline, live online chat, and email support - we provide peer support and maintain a substantial, regularly updated online library of resources, including articles, personal stories, research, and multimedia content designed to promote mental health awareness and resilience across the sector. We also deliver training on mental wellbeing, management and supervision, vicarious trauma, and the new SRA workplace behaviour standards, and offer online sessions for legal workplaces and organisations to explain the support we provide.

By combining frontline service delivery with sector-wide advocacy, LawCare is uniquely positioned at the intersection of individual wellbeing and organisational cultural change. We are supported by a strong, capable team and a committed Board of Trustees, enabling us to continue making a meaningful impact across the legal profession.

The Role

LawCare is seeking an inspiring and values-led Chief Executive to lead the charity into its next phase of development at a pivotal moment for the legal profession. As the public face and strategic leader of the organisation, the Chief Executive will champion LawCare’s mission - ensuring the continued delivery of high-quality, confidential support services while strengthening its voice and influence across a rapidly evolving and increasingly commercial mental health landscape.

This is an exciting opportunity to build on strong foundations, guiding a respected and independent charity through a period of significant sector change. Working closely with staff, volunteers, funders and partners, the Chief Executive will drive sustainable growth, deepen impact, and help shape a more compassionate and mentally healthy legal culture for the future.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Impact

• Lead delivery of LawCare’s forthcoming strategy (2026 onwards), translating vision into measurable impact.
• Ensure LawCare sharpens its positioning and messaging in a crowded mental health marketplace.
• Balance direct support services, research, education and influencing work to maximise impact.
• Identify what the charity should prioritise and where it should collaborate rather than deliver directly.

External Relations & Sector Influence

• Act as the primary ambassador and spokesperson for LawCare across the legal sector in the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man.
• Build and maintain senior relationships with:
  • Professional bodies
  • Regulators
  • Law firms and chambers
  • Legal educators
  • Funders and charitable trusts
• Speak regularly at conferences, sector events, roundtables and award ceremonies. These are primarily London based, however, there will be occasions where representation is required across England, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
• Build alliances to influence policy, regulation and workplace practice around mental health and wellbeing.
• Position LawCare as the authoritative, evidence-informed voice on mental health in law.

Service Oversight & Quality

• Ensure the continued delivery of high-quality, confidential helpline and peer support services.
• Maintain robust safeguarding, confidentiality and data governance practices.
• Oversee volunteer recruitment, training and engagement.
• Ensure services evolve in response to emerging issues (e.g., stress, anxiety, workplace conflict, regulatory pressure, AI-related disruption).

Financial Sustainability & Governance

• Lead financial planning and sustainability, working closely with the Treasurer and Board.
• Manage relationships with core professional body funders and diversify income streams.
• Develop compelling funding cases and annual pitches to key stakeholders.
• Strengthen reserves and long-term financial resilience.
• Ensure strong governance, compliance and risk management.
• Support and work closely with the incoming Chair and a refreshed Board.

Research, Education & Prevention

• Build on the impact of the Life in the Law research programme.
• Promote preventative approaches for firms and educators.
• Strengthen LawCare’s role in vocational education and regulatory conversations.
• Ensure research informs policy influence and funding opportunities.

Organisational Leadership

• Lead, support and develop a small, experienced and fully remote team.
• Foster a culture of trust, collaboration, wellbeing and accountability.
• Provide clarity and reassurance during a period of leadership transition and financial strengthening.
• Ensure operational efficiency and effective use of technology in a remote environment.

The Person

LawCare is seeking a credible, strategic and values-driven leader with a deep understanding of the legal profession and the pressures shaping it today. You will bring senior leadership experience, strong commercial and financial acumen, and the ability to balance operational excellence with sector-wide influence.

An authentic and compelling ambassador for mental health and wellbeing, you will be an exceptional communicator who builds trust with ease. Emotionally intelligent, resilient and grounded, you will combine empathy with clarity and conviction, guiding the organisation confidently while remaining steadfast in your commitment to improving mental health across the legal community.

Essential

Professional Background

• Prior professional experience in the legal sector is required. Experience working in a qualified or regulated professional role is desirable.
• Deep, intrinsic understanding of the culture, pressures and structural dynamics of the profession.
• Senior leadership experience with responsibility for strategy, people and budgets.

Leadership & Influence

• Credible, visible and compelling leader with presence.
• Exceptional communicator - confident public speaker and strong writer.
• Knowledge of mental health systems, workplace wellbeing or addiction support.
• Able to influence senior stakeholders and bring sceptical audiences “on the journey.”
• A credible ambassador for mental health and wellbeing - knowledge of mental health systems, workplace wellbeing or addiction support.
• Comfortable operating at Board level.

Organisational Capacity

• Experience managing and motivating high-performing teams (ideally remote).
• Financial acumen, including budget oversight and income generation.
• Fundraising experience, particularly with trusts, foundations or membership bodies.
• Ability to balance operational delivery with strategic influence.
• Skilled at prioritisation in resource-constrained environments.

Personal Qualities

• Authentic commitment to mental health and wellbeing.
• Emotionally intelligent, empathetic and values-driven.
• Resilient and calm under pressure.
• Able to navigate sensitive conversations with discretion and diplomacy.

Desirable

• Experience within the charity or not-for-profit sector.
• Experience working with regulators or professional bodies.
• Understanding of research commissioning or evidence-led advocacy.

Further information

For further information about LawCare, the scope of the role and the person specification, please download the Candidate Briefing Pack.

How to Apply

If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please provide the following with your application:

• An up to date CV, with the details of two referees (we will not contact them without your prior permission).
• A supporting statement outlining how you meet the criteria set out in the Person Specification, along with your motivation for applying for the role.

Closing date for applications: Monday 30th March 2026
Preliminary interviews with Russam: Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th April 2026
Interviews with LawCare: Week commencing 20th April 2026

We look forward to receiving your application.

Join a charity rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission and play a central role in our senior leadership team.
This is a rare opportunity to use your finance and people leadership expertise to help shape the future of a well-established, values-driven organisation.

Shared Lives South West delivers long-term and short break care and support across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, enabling people to live fulfilling lives within family homes and communities. We are proud of the quality of our work and the positive, relational culture we have built as an organisation, and we are ambitious about what comes next.

As Deputy Chief Executive, you will join our senior leadership team in a pivotal organisation-wide role leading finance, people and core business functions. Working closely with the Chief Executive and Leadership Team, you will help strengthen financial stewardship, support a thriving and sustainable people culture, and ensure the organisation remains resilient, well-governed and effective.

This is a broad and influential leadership role offering both strategic responsibility and meaningful organisational impact. You will contribute to long-term planning and decision-making, provide leadership depth and continuity, and deputise for the Chief Executive when required.

We are looking for an experienced senior leader with strong organisational finance expertise and a good understanding of people leadership and workforce practice. You may come from the charity, public or wider values-led sector, and you will bring a collaborative, grounded leadership style alongside professional rigour.

For the right candidate, this role offers the opportunity to make a significant contribution to an already high-performing organisation while continuing to grow your own leadership portfolio in a supportive and purpose-driven environment.

For full details and to apply please see Applicant Pack attached. 

Other organisations may refer to roles like this as Deputy CEO, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Finance Director, Director of Finance and Operations, or Executive Director of Corporate Services.

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.

Chief Executive Officer (Part-time, 3 days/week)

Veterans With Dogs (VWD) is seeking a dynamic and compassionate Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead our charity into its next chapter. This rare and exciting opportunity offers the chance to guide a small, high-impact team at a pivotal stage in the charity’s growth.

Location: Exeter (hybrid with regular office presence required)
Salary: £45,000–£55,000 pro-rata (equivalent to £27,000 - £33,000 for 3 days/week) + 3% pension contribution
Contract: Initial 1 year role with opportunity to extend

Hours: 21 hours / 3 days per week

Holiday: 28 days per annum (FTE), plus bank holidays
Reports to: Chair of Trustees
Direct reports: 4

About Veterans With Dogs

Veterans With Dogs is a UK charity that transforms the lives of Armed Forces veterans living with mental health challenges. Through the provision of highly trained assistance dogs and trauma-informed support, we help restore purpose, independence, and dignity to those who have served.

Founded in 2012, our work addresses a vital gap for veterans living with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and complex trauma. Through our award-winning PALS™ (Partner Animal Life Skills) programme, we help veterans re-engage with life, with the support of a trusted companion by their side.

Following a period of governance transition and renewal, we are entering a new and exciting phase. We are strengthening leadership, systems, and strategy to ensure long-term sustainability and greater reach. As we begin this next chapter, we are seeking an experienced, values-driven CEO to lead us confidently into this next phase.

The Role

The CEO will provide strategic direction, operational oversight, and cultural leadership for Veterans With Dogs. Working closely with the Board of Trustees, the CEO will oversee the delivery of the charity’s mission, ensure operational excellence, develop our long-term strategy, and foster a values-led and high-performing team.

This is a hands-on, multi-dimensional leadership role, ideal for a calm, pragmatic, and inspiring individual with experience of organisational stabilisation, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable growth. You will be a visible leader at our base in Exeter, while building strong relationships across the veteran, assistance dog, and wider charity sectors.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

· Lead the development and delivery of an interim plan and longer-term organisational strategy

· Translate strategic goals into clear operational priorities and plans

· Foster a compassionate, inclusive, and mission-aligned organisational culture

· Act as a credible and inspiring ambassador for Veterans With Dogs with stakeholders, funders, partners, and the public

• Guide the charity through stabilisation and values-led, sustainable growth

Governance & Compliance

· Ensure compliance with all relevant charity law, regulation, and best practice

· Work in partnership with the Board of Trustees, supporting effective governance and reporting

· Implement and embed improvements in HR, finance, safeguarding, IT, and operational systems

• Lead on organisational risk management, ensuring policies and procedures are in place and regularly reviewed

Operations & Programme Delivery

· Oversee day-to-day operations to ensure safe, ethical, and effective service delivery

· Ensure safeguarding standards are upheld for both veterans and dogs

· Drive continuous improvement in programme quality, delivery, and impact measurement

• Ensure operational systems and data processes are robust, compliant, and fit for purpose

People & Culture

· Lead, support, and nurture a small, dedicated staff team and wider network of volunteers

· Promote staff wellbeing, clear communication, and professional development

• Work with trustees to assess future staffing needs and build leadership capacity

Finance & Sustainability

· Work with trustees and advisors to ensure sound financial management and reporting

· Contribute to financial planning, budgeting, and development of a sustainable reserves policy

• Help diversify income streams, supporting fundraising efforts, corporate partnerships, and individual giving

Fundraising & External Relations

· Build and maintain relationships with funders, donors, corporate partners, and sector allies

· Collaborate with the fundraising trustee to develop new funding opportunities

· Represent the charity externally with credibility, transparency, and professionalism

• Strengthen partnerships with ADUK, ADI, Cobseo, and other key membership bodies

Person Specification

Essential

· Senior leadership experience within a charity, social enterprise, or values-led organisation

· Strong knowledge of charity governance, regulation, and trustee relationships

· Experience leading teams through organisational change or stabilisation

· Financial literacy with experience of budgeting, reporting, and planning

· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills across diverse stakeholders

• A calm, values-based, and ethical leadership approach

Desirable

· Experience in health, mental health, veterans’ services, or trauma-informed work

· Experience working with boards during periods of strategic or leadership transition

· Fundraising and/or income generation experience

· Understanding of safeguarding best practice (for people and/or animals)

• Lived experience of the military or charity sectors (not essential)

Our Commitment

Veterans With Dogs is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We actively welcome applicants from all backgrounds and strive to create a supportive, respectful, and empowering workplace. We recognise the value of lived experience and are committed to continuous learning as an organisation.

How to Apply

Apply with your CV and a brief cover letter outlining your interest and suitability.

If you would like a confidential conversation before applying, we would be happy to speak with you.

Closing date to apply: Friday 13 March 2026

· First interviews (online): week commencing 16 March 2026

· Second interviews (in our Exeter office): week commencing 23 March 2026 TBC

NO RECRUITERS AT THIS STAGE PLEASE

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