Chief executive officer jobs in Manchester, greater manchester

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

This is an exciting opportunity for a values-led and dynamic leader to become CEO of Rochdale and District Mind and guide us in our mission to make a positive impact on the mental health and well-being of our communities.

About us

Rochdale and District Mind is an independent mental health charity that supports people facing mental health and wellbeing challenges. A part of the national Mind Federation and the Mind in Greater Manchester partnership, our goal is to ensure that individuals do not face mental health issues alone and can live free from stigma and discrimination.

About the role

This role offers an excellent opportunity for an empathetic leader to shape our strategy and cultivate a culture of continuous learning, inclusion, and support, fostering a spirit of celebration for achievements across all teams.

Your leadership will both shape our strategic vision and deliver our operational plans, ensuring robust governance and championing diversity and inclusivity. You will also spearhead the efficient, effective, and safe management of our organisation, in line with our mission, strategy and values.

Committed to mental health advocacy, you will elevate our impact for service users through meaningful co-production of services and by your ability to build effective relationships with partners and commissioners.

Collaborating closely with our dedicated Board of Trustees and experienced Senior Leadership team, you will oversee resource management, finances, and operations, upholding the highest standards throughout and ensuring our growth and long term sustainability.

About you

• Experienced as a CEO/senior leader in a similar sized (or larger) voluntary organisation or an organisation delivering services into the sector or working closely with the voluntary sector.
• Passionate about our mission of ensuring that people do not face mental health and emotional wellbeing issues alone and are free from stigma and discrimination.
• Demonstrable experience as a values-led, resilient and people-centred leader.
• Experience of supporting teams through change.
• Strong financial acumen, able to develop and monitor/evaluate financial plans, budgets management accounts etc.
• Experience of building a culture that promotes continuous learning, inclusion, collaboration, and accountability.
• Proven track record of successful business development/fundraising.
• Able to balance strategic oversight with operational grip.
• Experience of the demands of governance and compliance, including working with Boards of Trustees/NEDs.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.

Understanding of challenges affecting the voluntary sector.

Benefits:

• Auto-enrolment Pension scheme with 3% contribution from the organisation
• Opportunities for hybrid working after an initial embedding period
• Training and development opportunities
• Our commitment to providing wellbeing opportunities in support of staff, including an Employee Assistance Programme

How to apply

Eastside People is supporting Rochdale and District Mind in the recruitment for this role. Please apply by submitting your CV and a cover letter. You are welcome to send your cover letter in writing, or as a video or audio clip, alongside your CV.

Please respond to the following areas in your cover letter:

• Your familiarity with mental health and wellbeing challenges and how this resonates for you
• Your experience/knowledge in relation to the Person Specification.

Please note that we will focus on your demonstrable experience and potential in the areas listed under the Person Specification and do not expect candidates to have experience in all responsibilities outlined in the Job Description.

We would discourage you from deselecting yourself if you are in doubt about meeting all the criteria.

The closing date for applications is noon on Wednesday, 29th July 2026, and our candidate assessment schedule is anticipated as follows:

• Eastside People longlisting interviews will be held throughout the advertising phase up to and immediately after the above closing date – online
• First Interviews with Rochdale and District Mind will be held on Friday August 7 or August 14 in-person at their offices
• Final interviews with the Board are planned for Friday August 14 or, week commencing August 24 2026 - online

We would like to encourage candidates to apply early for the role where possible.

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential. If you have a disability or require reasonable adjustments during the application/interview process, please contact us so we can support you appropriately.

REF-229 627