Chief of staff to ceo jobs

Role Purpose 

The Chief Executive Officer will provide strategic, operational and values-led leadership for Home-Start Norfolk, ensuring the charity delivers its mission, supports its families effectively and remains financially sustainable. Working closely with the Board of Trustees, the CEO will lead the organisation’s strategy, people, services, partnerships, governance, income generation and volunteer strategy, while acting as an ambassador for the charity and its work. 

Key Responsibilities 

Strategic Leadership 

• Lead the development and delivery of the charity’s strategic plan in partnership with the Board of Trustees. 

• Translate the charity’s vision, mission and values into clear priorities, measurable objectives and effective operational plans. 

• Identify opportunities for growth, innovation, collaboration and improved impact. 

• Ensure services and activities remain responsive to beneficiary needs and changing external circumstances. 

Governance, Compliance and Risk 

• Support the Board of Trustees to fulfil its governance responsibilities through clear reporting, sound advice and timely information. 

• Ensure the charity complies with charity law, company law where applicable, employment law, fundraising regulation, data protection requirements, safeguarding duties and all relevant regulatory obligations. 

• Maintain a robust approach to risk management, internal controls, policies and procedures. 

• Promote transparency, accountability and ethical decision-making across the organisation. 

Financial Leadership and Income Generation 

• Provide overall leadership for financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and long-term sustainability. 

• Work with trustees and senior colleagues to ensure resources are used effectively and in line with charitable objectives. 

• Lead the development of a diverse and resilient income strategy, including grants, trusts and foundations, individual giving, corporate partnerships, contracts and other appropriate income streams. 

• Maintain strong relationships with funders, commissioners, donors and supporters, ensuring excellent stewardship and reporting. 

Service Delivery, Quality and Impact 

• Ensure the charity delivers high-quality, safe and effective services that achieve positive outcomes for families. 

• Embed continuous improvement, evidence-based practice and meaningful beneficiary involvement. 

• Oversee monitoring, evaluation and impact reporting to demonstrate the value and effectiveness of the charity’s work. 

• Champion safeguarding, inclusion, accessibility and dignity in all areas of service delivery. 

• Comply with Home-Start UK’s Quality Audit Policies and Process, to ensure the charity maintains a high standard of quality assurance. 

People, Culture and Organisational Development 

• Lead, support and develop the senior leadership team and staff, creating a positive, inclusive and high-performing culture. 

• Ensure the charity has the right structures, systems, skills and capacity to deliver its strategy. 

• Promote wellbeing, learning, accountability and collaboration across the organisation. 

• Ensure effective HR, performance management and recruitment practices are in place. 

Volunteer Leadership 

• Provide strategic leadership for the development and delivery of the charity’s volunteer strategy, ensuring it supports organisational priorities and beneficiary needs. 

• Oversee effective volunteer recruitment, induction, training, supervision, support, retention and recognition. 

• Ensure volunteers are valued, well-supported, appropriately deployed and able to contribute safely and confidently to the charity’s work. 

• Develop a sustainable volunteer workforce plan, identifying current and future volunteer capacity, skills and support requirements. 

• Promote a positive volunteering culture that reflects the charity’s values and strengthens engagement, inclusion and community connection. 

External Relations, Partnerships and Advocacy 

• Act as the public face and senior ambassador for the charity, representing it with credibility and confidence. 

• Build and maintain strong relationships with beneficiaries, partners, funders, commissioners, local communities, statutory bodies and sector networks. 

• Raise the charity’s profile and influence through effective communications, thought leadership and advocacy. 

• Promote collaboration and partnership working to extend reach, improve outcomes and strengthen sustainability. 

The School for Social Entrepreneurs backs people with purpose — entrepreneurs building organisations that change their communities. We're looking for a National Partnerships Lead to work directly with our CEO, driving high-priority national funding partnerships, diversifying our income, and building the relationships that fund our impact. 

You'll identify major funding opportunities, negotiate with trusts, corporates and government partners, and lead complex proposals from first conversation through to a signed agreement — including the budgets, risk assessments and value propositions behind them. You'll also act as a sounding board for the CEO, pressure-testing ideas and sharpening how we tell our story to funders. 

We're looking for sustained experience supporting a CEO or senior leader, a track record of leading multi-million pound funding initiatives end-to-end, and the versatile writing skills to move between board papers and detailed funder tenders without losing accuracy under pressure. Sharp budgeting and numeracy matter for this role, alongside real comfort building trust with senior external stakeholders. 

This position is for someone who thrives on ambiguity, enjoys solving complex problems, and wants their work to directly fund entrepreneurs changing their communities. 

We are seeking an enthusiastic and highly motivated Chief Executive to assume overall responsibility for the management of HMC. The purpose of this senior leadership role is to lead the organisation in fulfilling its purpose of supporting migrants in Hackney and the wider London community, ensuring they can access their rights and overcome injustices in the immigration and social welfare system.

Reducing the Risk is an Oxfordshire-based charity with a growing regional and national reputation for delivering high-quality, victim-centred domestic abuse services. Established in 2007, we empower communities, train multi-agency professionals, and provide critical Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) services to ensure the safety and wellbeing of adults and children at risk.

We are now looking for an exceptional, values-driven leader to build on these strong foundations and guide us through our next exciting phase of growth and innovation.

The Role

As our next Chief Executive Officer, you will work closely with an ambitious Board of Trustees to shape and deliver the charity’s strategic plan. Inheriting a highly skilled, dedicated team of practitioners and a network of over 1,800 Domestic Abuse Champions, you will balance compassionate strategic vision with sound operational and financial leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute the charity's strategic plan, driving innovation and service development across our local and national footprint.

• Income & Sustainability: Diversify income streams beyond traditional grants, growing our accredited training and consultancy services into sustainable earned revenue.

• Partnership & Influence: Act as the principal public voice for the charity, building high-impact relationships with statutory, corporate, and voluntary sector partners.

• People & Culture: Foster an inclusive, high-performing, and trauma-informed workplace culture that prioritises staff wellbeing.

• Governance & Compliance: Oversee robust risk management, safeguarding frameworks, and regulatory compliance alongside the Board.

Who We Are Looking For

You are a credible, resilient senior leader with a proven track record in the charity, public, or social impact sectors. While a background in the domestic abuse sector is highly valued, what matters most is your ability to navigate complex funding environments, secure multi-source income, and champion victim-centred practices. You are a collaborative relationship-builder who combines commercial awareness with genuine empathy and integrity.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your up-to-date CV alongside a covering letter explaining how your experience meets the job description and person specification.

• Application Deadline: Midday, 14th August

• Shortlisting: 19th August

• Interviews: 26th August (In-person at our Oxford office)

Job Title: Chief Operating Officer (with CFO responsibilities) 

Location: Rugby or Hybrid/ Home with ability to travel to meet the charity’s needs
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Salary: £68,000 - £75,000  
Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent
Closing Date: 21st August 2026

About HCPT

HCPT is a UK-based charity that provides life-changing pilgrimage experiences to Lourdes for children and adults with disabilities, complex medical needs, and social challenges of all faiths, and none. Every Easter and Summer, HCPT brings together thousands of volunteers, medical professionals, and chaplains to support pilgrims in a joyful, inclusive, and faith-filled environment. Our work is rooted in Christian values, community, and the belief that every person is uniquely gifted and loved.

Role Overview

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a key member of HCPT’s Senior Leadership Team, responsible for the effective delivery and high performance of all operational and business support aspects of the charity’s work. This includes leadership of all business support functions; Finance, HR, IT and Governance, working with and through internal teams and external business partners.  As such we are looking for an experienced chartered accountant who is also astute in leading the wider business operation of medium sized charity.

The postholder will have oversight of the quality and efficiency aspects of all that we do in planning and execution of pilgrimages, care & safeguarding, compliance and infrastructure and will support the CEO to develop a culture of accountability and high impact, whilst staying true to our values of: Compassion, Faith, Inclusion, Community and Celebration.

The COO will ensure that HCPT’s operations are safe, efficient, and aligned with our Catholic ethos and mission of inclusion and care, and that our performance is optimised to deliver excellence, which is:  THE BEST pilgrimage experience we can offer as defined and measured by our beneficiaries and volunteers.

This is a senior role in volunteer-led organisation and as such the successful postholder will be required to exercise flexibility with evening and weekend work to meet the business needs of the charity, given the availability of our volunteer leaders who have professional commitments during the day. The role also requires the post holder to travel to and work in Lourdes for two weeks over Easter each year, leading operational delivery of our largest annual pilgrimage.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Work closely with the CEO to implement HCPT’s strategic plan and vision.
• Lead and line manage internal business support functions and outsourced partners across; finance, HR and IT delivering excellence in our infrastructure.
• Support the CEO to realign the resources of the charity to improve performance, build capacity and increase impact, utilising the best in digital and AI tools to simplify complexity and create capacity.
• Lead on the development and tracking of departmental KPIs and dashboards, developing a culture focused on personal accountability, performance, quality management and continuous improvement.
• Support CEO to develop Operational Risk Register, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plans.
• Line manage our Head of Care and Safeguarding, ensuring compliance with policies, procedures, and working as part of the wider care and safeguarding committees to anticipate legislative and other changes to how we deliver our mission in partnership with the CEO and Board of Trustees.
• Support CEO in project management of system migration and development of AI tools which drive efficiency and quality of service delivery.
• Support CEO in quality management and articulation of impact for all stakeholder groups.
• Deputise for the CEO as required.

Finance & Business Support Function Management

• Own and lead all financial strategy, planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting across the organisation. 
• Lead the internal finance team and external partners to deliver accurate, timely monthly and quarterly management accounts and financial insights. 
• Develop and implement HCPT’s long-term financial strategy, including reserves policy, sustainability planning, and scenario modelling. 
• Oversee cashflow management and liquidity planning in line with appropriate reserves levels, ensuring the financial resilience of the organisation. 
• Ensure robust financial controls, policies, and compliance with all statutory requirements, including VAT, Corporation Tax, and charity regulations. 
• Lead the organisation’s annual audit process and act as the primary finance liaison with auditors. 
• Drive value-for-money, cost optimisation, and financial efficiency across all operations and pilgrimage programmes. 
• Provide strategic financial insight, analysis, and challenge to the CEO and Board of Trustees, including leading financial reporting to the Board. 
• Partner with fundraising teams to support financially robust grant applications, pricing strategies, and impact reporting. 
• Oversee financial governance and reporting alignment across UK and French operations. 
• Lead and manage all business support functions, including HR, IT, and governance, ensuring effective integration with financial planning and control.

Performance Management & Growth

• Support the CEO with development and implementation of HCPT’s strategy for growth, ensuring all departments understand their roles and responsibilities, demonstrated by high performance.
• Lead on the development of HCPT-wide KPIs in the UK and French organisations and support the CEO to deliver the step change in a culture of accountability and leadership at every level.
• Devise and develop reporting frameworks and a dashboard for operational management reporting which links into the quarterly Board pack.

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with UK charity law, care & safeguarding regulations, data protection requirements, and health & safety standards.
• Maintain risk registers and lead on safeguarding and incident response protocols, working with and through the Head of Care & Safeguarding.
• Support the CEO and Board of Trustees with operational reporting and risk management as the key point of contact with our volunteer leaders relating to the business operations of the charity.
• Assume Company Secretary duties and ensure all legal and fiscal records and annual returns are prepared on time to our regulators, working in partnership with our professional services advisers, CEO, SLT and Board of Trustees.

People & Volunteer Management

• Lead and support a team of staff and volunteers, fostering a culture of compassion, professionalism, and collaboration.
• Oversee HR policies, recruitment, training, and wellbeing.
• Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion across all operations.

Systems & Infrastructure

• Ensure our systems and infrastructure are fit for purpose and can enable positive customer service approaches and develop SLAs internally and externally and which include what the organisation needs from our volunteers.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of systems for group registration, medical records, safeguarding, and volunteer management, including disposal in line with information lifecycle management and legislation governing this.
• Ensure data security, operational efficiency, and user-friendly processes for data management in line with GDPR and applicable data protection law.

Person Specification

Essential

• Significant experience in a senior operational leadership role, ideally within a UK charity or faith-based organisation.
• Strong demonstrable financial leadership and management of a medium sized charity with a turnover of £4m plus, and a recognised accountancy qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA).
• Strong experience of developing and delivering improvement methodology in change management programmes.
• Strong understanding of UK charity governance, safeguarding, and financial management.
• The ability to travel to Lourdes for two weeks each Easter to deliver the largest annual event for the charity.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• An understanding of HCPT’s spirituality, mission and values.

Desirable

• Experience working with Lourdes pilgrimages or Catholic diocesan structures.
• Familiarity with medical or care provision in a group travel context.
• Experience working in cross-cultural environments.

N.B. Please note the duties listed are not exhaustive and the charity may require different or additional duties to be undertaken depending on changing business needs.

What We Offer

• A meaningful leadership role in a mission-driven charity
• Flexible working arrangements and generous annual leave
• Up to 5% employer pension contributions, based on employee contributions
• Group life cover and healthcare benefits
• Opportunities for spiritual and professional development
• The chance to make a lasting impact on the lives of children and adults with additional needs

HCPT is committed to safeguarding children and adults at risk. The successful candidate will be required to complete an Enhanced DBS check before appointment, and references will be taken up prior to confirmation

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a respected and well-established charity with deep roots in the communities we serve. Jigsaw4u has a strong reputation and dedicated staff and volunteers.

As CEO, you will provide strategic, operational and cultural leadership, working closely with the Board of Trustees, staff, volunteers and partners to ensure the delivery of high-quality services.  You will drive our strategic priorities, strengthen financial sustainability, build effective partnerships and foster an inclusive, high-performance culture.

We are seeking a values-driven leader who can inspire confidence, champion collaboration and innovation and deliver meaningful outcomes for children, young people and families.

York Travellers Trust (YTT) is seeking an inspiring, values-led Chief Executive to
lead our organisation through its next stage of development.

We work alongside the vibrant and resourceful Gypsy and Traveller communities of York and the surrounding area. We challenge discrimination and inequality, increase opportunities and life chances, and build bridges that promote understanding and community cohesion.

As Chief Executive, you will provide strategic leadership and hold overall responsibility for YTT’s performance, financial sustainability, governance, safeguarding and organisational development.

Working closely with our Board, staff and community members, you will:

 shape and deliver YTT’s strategic direction;
 strengthen our financial sustainability and develop new income opportunities;
 ensure our services remain effective, safe and responsive;
 build influential relationships with communities, funders, partners and
policymakers;
 champion the rights, needs and aspirations of Gypsy and Traveller
communities; and
 embed sociocratic and democratic ways of working so that community voices
genuinely shape our decisions.

We are looking for an experienced senior leader with a strong commitment to equality, social justice and community empowerment. You will have experience of leading in a charity, community organisation, public service or another values-led environment.

You will understand the strengths, needs and systemic barriers experienced by Gypsy and Traveller communities, gained through direct work with these communities or substantial experience alongside other marginalised groups.
You will combine strategic thinking with a collaborative, authentic and hands-on leadership style. You will also bring experience of managing people, working with a Board, overseeing finances, securing income and representing an organisation externally.

This is a rare opportunity to lead a trusted community organisation at an important point in its development. If you share our ambition for an inclusive, community-led and sustainable future, we would be delighted to hear from you.

The job description sets out the skills and experience we are looking for, but we know
that the right person may not tick every box. If you are passionate about our mission and bring significant relevant experience and the capacity to develop into the role, we would love to hear from you.

We are open to applications from people wishing to job share or looking for less than full-time hours; if this applies then let us know in your application.

The Belay Foundation supports adoptive, kinship and special guardianship families raising children who have experienced early developmental trauma, often alongside neurodiversity. Founded in 2020 from lived experience, Belay offers something many families struggle to find elsewhere: practical, in-home support and expert guidance that’s genuinely trauma-responsive, delivered by people who understand what these families are living through.

Why now? - Belay has just spent a year strengthening its foundations - redesigning services, building organisational capacity and setting an ambitious growth plan. The groundwork is done. What we need now is a permanent CEO with the vision to take a small, high-impact charity and turn real momentum into lasting change - for families and for how the sector understands and responds to developmental trauma.

About the role - You’ll provide strategic and financial leadership across a small team, working closely with an exceptional Board and Belay’s Founder, who remains closely involved as Services Director. You’ll lead fundraising and income diversification, shape Belay’s public voice and ensure the organisation’s trauma-responsive, DDP-informed model continues to deliver real impact as it scales.

This is a rare chance to take the helm of an organisation with an innovative model, a loyal community and genuine room to grow - and to leave your mark on how the UK supports some of its most vulnerable children and families.

This is a home‑based role, but applicants must be permanently based, and have the right to work, in the United Kingdom. For legal, tax, and operational reasons, we cannot consider applications from outside the UK.

Please see the CEO Application Pack for further details, including the full job description and the application/ interview process.

Ambition Aspire Achieve is seeking an exceptional, values-led Chief Executive to lead our much-loved children and young people’s charity into its next chapter.

This is a rare opportunity to lead a practical, relationship-based and strongly rooted Newham charity that makes a real difference to children, young people and families facing disadvantage, vulnerability, SEND, disability or risk.

Founded in 2016 by Kevin Jenkins OBE, Ambition Aspire Achieve has grown from a small number of projects at the Terence Brown Arc in the Park into a well-established charity working across Newham. Today, AAA supports nearly 1,000 children and young people each year through its hubs, with many more reached through outreach, schools-based work and community programmes.

Our work is grounded in the belief that every child and young person should be able to enjoy their childhood, overcome barriers, build confidence and develop the skills and self-belief to achieve positive futures. We deliver a broad programme of support including after-school clubs, holiday programmes, youth clubs, SEND activities, mentoring, outdoor learning, sports, family days, residentials, detached youth work, schools-based youth safety work, community events and targeted family support.

This is an exciting and important moment in AAA’s journey. Following a period of growth, the charity is now focused on consolidation, quality and long-term sustainability. We are financially stable, well regarded and deeply rooted locally, with strong relationships across funders, schools, corporate partners, local agencies and community organisations.

The next Chief Executive will provide clear, steady and values-led leadership, working closely with the Chair and Board of Trustees. They will lead and support the staff team, strengthen organisational sustainability, maintain and develop partnerships, champion safeguarding and inclusion, and ensure children and young people remain at the heart of every decision.

As AAA does not currently have a dedicated senior fundraising post, the Chief Executive will also play a central role in securing and maintaining the income needed to sustain and develop the charity’s work. This will include trusts and foundations, statutory funding, corporate partnerships, individual donors, appeals and wider supporter engagement.

We are looking for someone who can combine strategic leadership with practical operational understanding. You may already be a Chief Executive, or you may be an experienced senior leader ready to step into your first Chief Executive role. What matters most is your ability to lead with clarity, care and resilience; build trusted relationships; secure income; uphold strong governance; and keep AAA’s values at the centre of how the charity works.

AAA’s values are Committed, Caring, Collaborative and Creative. We are looking for a leader who can live these values, promote a positive and inclusive culture, and help ensure AAA remains strong, responsive and ambitious for the children, young people and families who need us most.

This is not a turnaround role, but it is a significant leadership opportunity. The successful candidate will inherit a respected and impactful charity with strong foundations, while also leading it through a more challenging external funding environment and into its next phase of development.

Earliest Start Date: 1st December 2026

About the Role

We are looking for a Chief Operations Officer to lead the operations team, join the management team and support the CEO. Your priorities will be to oversee all fundraising, including campaigns, major donors and grant applications. You will oversee the HR of the organisation, including recruitment and disciplinaries. In partnership with the CEO and finance officer you will be jointly responsible for finance within the organisation. You will manage the facilities manager and administrator, ensuring that processes are followed appropriately and the building is maintained in good condition, ensuring we fulfil all legal requirements.

About You

You will be a senior manager who has energy and drive as well as sound judgement. On top of a strong track record in an operational position, you will have the breadth of experience to lead HR and systems, finance, monitoring and evaluation and fundraising. You will have experience in fundraising and funder management and be able to lead on making funding applications and reporting to funders. You will be a clear, analytical thinker who will strengthen the leadership of our charity. You will be an excellent manager of people. Finally, you will be excited about working in an organisation with a unique mission that strives to make a difference in the lives of some of the most disadvantaged young people in London.

Plumstead Community Law Centre is a specialist legal advice charity providing free legal advice and representation in immigration, welfare benefits and employment law. Based in the heart of Woolwich, we support local people through our office and community outreach services.

We are seeking an Interim Chief Executive / Operations Manager to oversee the day-to-day running of the Law Centre. Working closely with our Board of Trustees, you will manage staff, office operations, finance and administration, funded projects and organisational compliance, ensuring our services continue to deliver high-quality support to the community.

This flexible role could suit an experienced Chief Executive, Charity Manager, Operations Manager, Office Manager or Practice Manager. Experience of the legal advice or charity sector would be advantageous but is not essential.

To apply, please send your CV together with a supporting statement explaining how you meet the requirements of the Job Description and Person Specification..

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and the vacancy will remain open until the post is filled.

Plumstead Community Law Centre is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

If you want to work with wonderful people and make a positive impact on our woodlands and wood culture, then being Woodland Heritage’s Chief Executive is the perfect opportunity for you!

Woodland Heritage’s Chief Executive is an inspirational leader, who leverages impact against the charity’s mission to derive strategy, underpin governance, deliver operations, generate income and make working at and supporting the charity a highly rewarding and motivating experience.

This role will be a core part of how Woodland Heritage achieves its mission and will be an incredibly rewarding and varied experience for someone with the right skills, experience and approach to their work.

About the role
● The role is 37.5 hours per week with occasional planned evening and weekend working as required.
● Options for flexible and hybrid working, with an average of 1 day per month at the Whitney Sawmills office
● 25 days plus Bank/Public holidays as paid leave (pro rata)
● £50 - 70k dependant on experience
● Permanent contract
● You will report to the Co Chairs and the Culture Action Group (Co Chairs, Past Chair, Treasurer)
● You will line manage the Engagement Manager, Project Manager, a seconded AOD administrator, work closely with a group of freelance fundraising, finance and operational support and lead a wider team of 3. In addition you will have key relationships with the sawmill manager, directors and team. An organisational chart will be provided to shortlisted candidates
● Lead on the charity’s relationship with Whitney Sawmills and their Directors, a business owned by Woodland Heritage
● Employer contribution to Nest Pensions.
All other terms and conditions will be as per your contract. More details are available via our staff handbook which can be provided to shortlisted candidates.

Person Specification
Qualification
● Degree level education or equivalent experience

Essential Experience and Knowledge
● Experience of leading excellent teams
● Proven experience of signifi cant income generation and leading on fundraising
● Experience infl uencing change with stakeholders
● A strong comprehension of charity governance and compliance
● Expert at managing shifting priorities
● A deep well of financial and commercial literacy
● Experience of delivering impact through hybrid working, including leading a diverse and dispersed team and stakeholders
● Demonstrable success in a senior management role
● Proven experience delivering strategy and leading impact against mission

A full job description is available on our website vacancies page.

How to apply

Please apply using the Application Form on our website. 
Your covering letter should be no more than two pages.
Through your CV and Covering letter please demonstrate how you meet sections 3 and 4 of the job description, in doing so communicate what makes you the best person for this role.

• Closing date for applications is 19th August 2026

• We will respond to candidates about a potential interview on 24th August 2026

• We may not be able to provide feedback to everyone that applies

• First round interviews will be held online at 28th August 2026

• Second round interviews will be held in person at Whitney Sawmills, Herefordshire on the 7th September 2026. There will be a task to prepare prior to this interview.

The interview will be conducted by a panel of charity staff and trustees.

We reserve the right to close the advertised positions early if we receive a high volume of high quality applications. We may also extend the deadline if necessary. We will provide feedback to candidates who are shortlisted for interview. 

Scottish Mountain Rescue represents 26 volunteer Mountain Rescue Teams across Scotland, alongside Police Scotland and RAF Mountain Rescue services. Its highly trained volunteers respond around the clock, in all conditions, to emergencies across Scotland’s mountains and remote communities.

Scottish Mountain Rescue is now appointing its first Chief Executive Officer.

Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive will lead the charity’s operational functions, manage and support its staff team and help shape its future strategic direction. They will build strong relationships with member teams, volunteers, funders, government, emergency services and other national partners.

This is a significant leadership appointment during a period of organisational development and change. The successful candidate will combine strategic judgement with a practical, hands-on approach and will be confident working within a small national organisation.

Candidates should bring:

• Significant senior leadership and management experience
• Experience of strategy, operations, finance and organisational change
• Strong people management and Board reporting skills
• Outstanding stakeholder engagement and relationship-building experience
• Knowledge of Scotland’s policy, public sector and voluntary sector landscape
• A genuine commitment to Scottish Mountain Rescue’s purpose and volunteers

Applicants must be based in Scotland and have the legal right to work in the UK.

Application is by CV and covering letter, each no longer than two pages.

Closing date: Midday, Friday 21 August 2026
Interviews: Wednesday 9 September 2026, in central Edinburgh

All enquiries are being managed by Abeer Macintyre Consultancy. Please do not contact Scottish Mountain Rescue staff or Board members directly.

Chief Executive Officer

The Opportunity

Many Tears Animal Rescue is at an exciting stage in its development. We rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome thousands of animals each year, and are now seeking an experienced, practical leader to guide our next chapter. You will build on our legacy, strengthening our foundations and securing our long-term sustainability. This role is for someone who can help us grow our reputation while giving our staff and volunteers the support they need to continue providing the best possible care for our animals. 

What will you be doing?

You will guide the charity's strategy and drive a period of transformation, ensuring our operations are effective, fully compliant, and set up for long-term sustainability. Your leadership is about ensuring that our strategy, finances, and operations all serve to give our animals the best possible chance of recovery and a loving, forever home. 

To achieve this, the role is structured around three key areas of focus:

Strategy, Governance and Compliance

• Work with the Board of Trustees to develop and deliver a strategic vision with animal welfare at its heart.

• Provide the Board of Trustees with accurate, timely, and insightful reports on risk management and performance. These updates will ensure the Board has the clear visibility they need for effective oversight and strategic planning.

• Champion a culture of transparency, accountability, and excellence in governance. Build strong, positive relationships with our regulators and key partners, including contributing to our statutory and regulatory filings to ensure we maintain full compliance with all external obligations.

• Lead the development of our internal policies and processes, ensuring every policy and process is fit-for-purpose, compliant with regulatory expectations and the highest standards of animal welfare, and are regularly reviewed to help the team work safely and effectively.

• Ensure strict adherence to all animal welfare legislation, Charity Commission standards, and sector best practices, maintaining the reliable framework our team needs to focus on the animals in our care.

• Proactively monitor and adapt to evolving Welsh animal rescue licensing regulations, ensuring our practices always reflect the highest welfare standards in Wales.

• Oversee the integrity of our operational and governance records, maintaining full transparency and auditability across the charity.

Financial Strategy and Sustainability

• Work with the Board of Trustees to develop and implement a financial strategy that puts the controls and oversight in place to secure our future and direct resources to where our animals need them most.

• Lead a long-term income generation strategy, focusing on sustainable, diverse streams including legacy giving, grant-making trusts, and community fundraising, to support our rising operational costs.

• Implement and monitor strict internal financial controls to ensure all charity resources are used exclusively for approved charitable purposes.

• Oversee data governance and digital integrity, ensuring robust data protection compliance.

Operational Delivery and Team Development 

• Take responsibility for the charity’s safeguarding culture, ensuring that all policies are embedded, staff and volunteers are trained, and that all incidents are investigated and reported with transparency, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our people.

• Foster an inclusive and supportive culture while providing strategic oversight of the modernisation of our HR practices, digital systems, and infrastructure. Ensure we are positioned to support our team’s wellbeing, growth, and development - including our volunteers and fosterers - through structured engagement and retention strategies.

• Act as the charity’s lead ambassador, building relationships with the press, local authorities, other neighbouring and notable charities, and animal welfare professionals to enhance our external reputation. 

• Oversee our operational planning, including the day-to-day management of staffing rotas and fleet resources. Provide direct line management to the senior leadership team, making sure everyone has the support they need to work effectively.

• Monitor the rescue, and report to the Board of Trustees on core operational performance, including intake-to-rehoming metrics, fostering network capacity, and clinical standards to provide clear visibility on the welfare outcomes we achieve.

• Lead the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across operational activity, ensuring consistent service levels and adherence to regulatory and best practice standards, to ensure our animals receive the highest standards of care.

• Direct all physical site operations, planned maintenance, and infrastructure improvements, ensuring all premises are safe, efficient, and fit for purpose.

• Manage charity risk, including contributing to the risk register, site-wide health and safety audits, staff and volunteer training, and carrying out robust assessment and management of operational risks.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for a dedicated leader who is passionate about our work and ready to use their skills to help Many Tears Animal Rescue grow and develop. You will operate at a strategic level while maintaining a firm grasp of day-to-day operations.

Key Requirements

Values and Personal Alignment

• A genuine commitment to animal welfare. You aren't just looking for a leadership role; you are here for the right reasons, with a clear understanding that every strategic decision you make serves a single purpose: improving the lives of the animals in our care.

Essential Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience, ideally within a regulated charity or an animal welfare organisation.

• A strong track record of leading organisations through periods of transition, using resilience and clarity to guide teams through change.

• Extensive people management experience, with a proven ability to lead, and support teams comprising paid staff, volunteers, and fosterers.

• Significant experience reporting to and working directly with a Board of Trustees, providing strategic advice and managing governance relationships with openness and integrity.

• A practical approach to managing organisational risk, ensuring compliance and safety standards are understood and met across all areas of the charity.

• Proven success in setting up and maintaining clear policies and processes that ensure everyone knows how to work safely, consistently, and compliantly.

• Extensive experience in financial management, including budget oversight and the practical controls needed to ensure charitable funds are used effectively.

• Proven success in developing and delivering income generation strategies, including fundraising, grant applications, or legacy giving to support long-term financial sustainability.

• A clear, demonstrable commitment to safeguarding, with experience in fostering a culture that prioritises the safety and well-being of all staff and volunteers.

• Experience in managing site operations and facilities, including the oversight of health and safety and ensuring premises remain safe and fit for purpose.

Essential Knowledge and Skills

• A deep understanding of charity governance and regulatory requirements, specifically with the Charity Commission and Companies House.

• A comprehensive working knowledge of animal welfare legislation, specifically the Animal Welfare (Wales) Act 2006 and the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Wales) Regulations 2021.

• Exceptional communication and diplomatic skills, with the ability to build trust among diverse stakeholders, including staff, volunteers, local authorities, and the public.

• A full, clean UK driving licence and the ability to travel as required.

Desirable

• Experience in clinical or animal welfare operations, including familiarity with Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) standards.

• A formal management or leadership qualification.

• Experience of managing a diverse and geographically disparate team

Time Commitment

• Hours: This is a full-time role. It requires flexibility to meet the needs of the charity, including occasional evening and weekend work.

• Location: This is primarily an on-site role, based at the rescue centre in Carmarthenshire, Wales to provide visible leadership. There is some ability to work from home for some tasks, and permanent on-site accommodation may be available if required.

• Nature of the Role: As the lead for both strategic direction and operational stability, the role requires availability to respond to urgent operational matters.

• Salary Range: £50,000

What difference will you make?

Your leadership will be the heart of our next chapter. As we build on our legacy, your focus on operational excellence will help Many Tears Animal Rescue stay a trusted lifeline for the animals who need us most. You’ll bring the stability and strategic vision we need to support our team, strengthen our impact, and keep our essential work going for years to come.

Application Process

To apply, please submit your CV and a covering letter outlining how your experience aligns with our mission and the requirements of this role to Dr Emma Sargeant by 15th August 2026.

We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments for the interview process.