Frontline services senior manager jobs in Edinburgh
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Context:
Kinship provides direct support to, raises awareness of and campaigns for the rights of kinship carers across the UK. Kinship carers are navigating complex family relationships, trauma, poverty, discrimination. The children that they care for have frequently experienced abuse or are at risk of harm. Safeguarding concerns can be disclosed by kinship carers at all contact points with Kinship.
Safeguarding children and adults at risk of abuse or neglect is a collective responsibility and requires a safeguarding approach that is aligned to statutory frameworks, is professional, consistent, trauma-informed and proportionate to level of risk.
The designated safeguarding officer holds organisational responsibility for Kinship’s safeguarding framework and actions. The role works collaboratively with a team including a Safeguarding Trustee and a group of Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads drawn from key service areas across the charity.
The role provides expertise, professional guidance and clear direction across the organisation, supporting staff and volunteers to make sound safeguarding decisions within a framework.
Purpose of the role:
The Designated Safeguarding Manager works closely with all teams across Kinship to embed proactive, person-centred, and partnership-driven safeguarding practice to protect children and adults at risk of harm.
The role provides professional oversight to Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads through individual and group reflective practice and supports high-quality and defensible safeguarding decision-making. The role drives contextual safeguarding approaches, promote professional curiosity, continual professional development and ensures safeguarding responses are informed by lived experience and the realities of kinship care.
At Kinship safeguarding concerns come from risks of harm to adults and children often with risks of harm to multiple people in the same family context.
This requires careful, trauma-informed decision-making and support for staff responding to complex safeguarding situations.
How the role works:
Reporting to the Head of Programmes, the Designated Safeguarding Manager holds responsibility for safeguarding practice across the organisation and provides expert oversight and organisational assurance ensuring safeguarding is embedded consistently, proportionately and in line with best practice.
This role will require flexibility for occasional travel in England and Wales.
Key responsibilities:
Organisational safeguarding accountability and assurance
- Act as Kinship’s Designated Safeguarding Officer, holding organisational authority for safeguarding decision-making and escalation.
- Hold organisational accountability for safeguarding practice, ensuring responsibilities are well defined, understood and embedded across the organisation.
- Maintain and assure a robust safeguarding framework, including defined roles, escalation routes, decision-making thresholds and accountability arrangements and balance safeguarding rigour with compassion and proportionality.
- Provide safeguarding oversight and assurance during service development, mobilisation and organisational change to ensure risks are identified, assessed and mitigated.
Trauma-informed safeguarding practice and oversight
- Embed trauma-informed safeguarding practice, ensuring all decisions, interventions, and organisational processes:
- Recognise the impact of past and ongoing trauma on children, kinship carers, and families.
- Prioritise emotional and psychological safety while balancing protection, autonomy, and empowerment.
- Integrate trauma-awareness into risk assessments, safety planning, case management, policies, and service design.
- Support staff through reflective supervision, guidance, and training to respond effectively.
- Provide professional oversight and reflective practice support to Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads.
- Provide expert safeguarding advice and consultation to staff and managers, supporting the assessment of concerns, threshold decisions, appropriate escalation, and proportionate, trauma-informed decision-making.
- Quality-assure safeguarding practice and decision-making to ensure actions are proportionate, person-centred, trauma-informed, and defensible.
- Maintain appropriate oversight of safeguarding records, risk assessments, and safety planning.
Policy, compliance and organisational assurance
- Develop, review and maintain safeguarding policies, procedures and guidance in line with legislation, statutory guidance and Charity Commission expectations.
- Ensure safeguarding systems, processes and recording arrangements are robust, accessible and consistently applied.
- Provide regular safeguarding assurance, analysis and learning reports to senior leadership and the Board of Trustees.
Culture, capability and continuous improvement
- Embed trauma-informed, contextual and culturally responsive safeguarding practice across the organisation.
- Promote professional curiosity and reflective practice, supporting staff to exercise sound professional judgement and avoid overly procedural responses.
- Design and deliver safeguarding training and guidance for staff and volunteers, building organisational capability and confidence.
- Lead learning reviews following safeguarding incidents or near misses, ensuring learning informs service and practice improvement.
Equity, inclusion and anti-racist safeguarding
- Ensure safeguarding practice actively considers how race, ethnicity, racism and intersecting inequalities shape risk, vulnerability and access to support.
- Support teams to identify and challenge bias and assumptions through reflective practice, supervision and learning.
- Embed equity, inclusion and anti-racist principles within safeguarding frameworks, policies, training and quality assurance processes.
Partnership working and external accountability
- Work collaboratively with statutory partners and external agencies to support effective safeguarding responses.
- Represent Kinship in multi-agency safeguarding forums, reviews or regulatory engagement as required.
Experience (Essential)
- Significant experience in adult and child safeguarding practice, including oversight of complex, high-risk, and multi-agency safeguarding situations.
- Experience providing professional oversight, reflective supervision, and structured learning support to safeguarding practitioners or leads, without direct line management responsibility.
- Experience embedding contextual safeguarding approaches and promoting professional curiosity in decision-making.
- Experience of working confidently with complexity, challenging constructively and supporting teams to do the right thing in difficult situations.
- Experience developing, reviewing, and embedding safeguarding policies, procedures, training, and learning frameworks.
- Substantial experience working with dispersed or multi-disciplinary teams, supporting wellbeing, professional development, and reflective practice.
- Experience working in voluntary sector, community-based, or service delivery organisations, particularly where safeguarding concerns arise through multiple routes.
Knowledge (Essential)
- Strong working knowledge of adult and child safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance, and recognised safeguarding frameworks, with the ability to apply them proportionately in practice.
- Up-to-date knowledge of children’s and adult social care systems.
- Understanding of trauma-informed, strengths-based practice in work with adults, children, and families.
- Awareness of how racism, inequality, and structural disadvantage can increase risk and shape safeguarding experiences, particularly for Black and minoritised communities.
- Understanding of organisational safeguarding governance, including accountability, assurance, escalation, and risk management.
- Knowledge of safeguarding responsibilities within the voluntary and community sector, including Charity Commission expectations, trustee duties, and regulatory requirements
Skills and abilities (Essential)
- Strong professional judgement, with confidence in making and defending complex safeguarding decisions.
- Calm, credible, and reflective approach in ambiguous or high-pressure situations.
- Ability to support and challenge colleagues constructively through reflective discussion, learning, and coaching rather than directive management.
- Clear, compassionate, and adaptable communicator, able to translate safeguarding complexity for diverse audiences, including operational and service delivery teams.
- Highly organised, able to manage multiple safeguarding priorities while maintaining attention to detail.
- Ability to work collaboratively across wide-ranging professional teams and external partners.
- Values-led, with a demonstrable commitment to equity, inclusion, anti-racist practice, and culturally responsive safeguarding.
Qualifications (Essential)
- Relevant professional qualification (e.g. social work, health, or related field), or equivalent professional experience.
- Evidence of ongoing professional development in safeguarding children and adults.
- Permission to work in the UK.
Attributes and general characteristics (Essential)
- Commitment to the values, aims, and objectives of Kinship.
- Respectful, empathetic approach to working with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- Flexible and willing to travel across England as required.
- Excellent written and spoken English.
Desirable
- Lived experience of kinship care.
- Experience using Salesforce, Asana, Notion, and/or general AI tools for case management, project management, or documentation.
- Experience in innovation and continuous improvement within safeguarding practice or organisational culture.
How to apply:
Please apply for the role of Designated Safeguarding Manager by sending a tailored CV and responding to these 5 questions below in the online application process. Please read the guidance notes in the job pack.
Closing date is 9am on Mon 2 March, with a first interview (30 mins online) that week and a second interview in person on Tues 10 March 2026.
For all questions, please provide a maximum of 250 words per answer.
1.Alignment with Kinship: Why do you want to work for Kinship, and why does this Safeguarding Manager (Designated Safeguarding Lead) role matter to you at this point in your career? Please refer to Kinship’s work and services in your answer, and explain what specifically about this role you are drawn to.
2.Trauma informed practice: Describe a specific example where you have led or overseen a safeguarding concern using a trauma-informed approach.
3. Contextual safeguarding and professional curiosity: Tell us about a time you applied contextual safeguarding or professional curiosity to a situation where the initial concern did not tell the full story. What did you notice, what questions did you ask, and how did this change the safeguarding response?
4. Reflective practice and supporting others: Give an example of how you have supported others to improve safeguarding decision-making through reflective practice (for example group reflection or one-to-one discussion). What was the issue and what changed?
5. Equity, racism and safeguarding: Describe a situation where race, ethnicity or structural inequality affected safeguarding risk or decision-making. How did you recognise this and what did you do to ensure a fair and proportionate response?
What we offer you:
- Flexible working - we understand how important it is to balance family and work life.
- 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays (1 April to 31 March) pro rata (3 to be taken at Christmas shutdown)
- Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 confidential advice line and counselling)
- Charity Worker Discounts.
Read the guidance notes in the job pack.
Make sure you’ve read the job description and the essential requirements – make sure your application reflects those points in the requirements very clearly.
Tell us why you want to work for Kinship. We’re interested in working with people who share our values. You can read about our values above.
Keep your response clear – use bullets points and short paragraphs if that helps. It will help the recruitment team to focus on your knowledge, skills and experience.
We know people might use AI – however make sure the answers reflect you and who you are and your experience. So many applications are the same because they’re using AI. Make sure you stand out.
Registered Charity
21 - 50
We support kinship carers in their homes and communities, giving advice and helping them work through problems to find the best way forward.
Thank you!
About Parenting for Lifelong Health:
Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) aims to empower parents to improve child development, reduce family violence, and promote mental health. We give parents the support they need, the skills that work, and trusted advice they can count on to protect and support their children’s health, safety and development. Our parenting courses are developed with families, powered by low-cost and accessible technology, backed by rigorous evidence, and delivered within systems. Originally founded as an initiative in 2012 in collaboration with UNICEF and the WHO, Parenting for Lifelong Health was established as a UK charity in 2022 and since then has reached over 8 million families in more than 35 countries.
PLH Values
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Courage
We have the courage to design for the big picture and complex problems with a commitment to creating sustainable solutions that last.
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Evidence
We believe our work transforms the lives of children, families, and communities. Evidence of impact guides every decision, and we are relentless in pursuing the greatest impact with the least investment of time and resources required for parents and providers.
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Playfulness
Parenting and child wellbeing thrives on play — and so do we. We experiment, learn from each other, as well as from parents and children, and create playful and engaging products and programmes that inspire joy, curiosity, and connection.
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Respect
Everyone brings something essential. We show kindness in our team, honesty with our partners, and deep respect and empathy for parents and children, and those who are on the frontline of providing services for them.
PLH has a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity in how we work, who we work with, and what we do. Candidates from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
PLH also has a strong commitment to the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). All candidates considered for the role will be subject to background and reference checks in their country of residence.
Benefits: Flexible remote-working, home office set-up, unlimited annual leave, professional development opportunities, enhanced pension contributions, enhanced statutory leave provisions including maternity and paternity leave.
About the role:
The Senior Director of Finance is the most senior finance professional at Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH). The role provides strategic financial leadership and ensures the organisation meets its fiduciary, regulatory, and governance obligations as a UK charity, while enabling responsible growth and global scale.
Acting as the organisation’s senior finance lead, the postholder will support the CEO and Board of Trustees to meet their statutory duties under UK charity law, including duties of care, prudence, and accountability, while building robust financial systems aligned to PLH’s 2026-2028 Strategic Plan and country implementation model.
The role ensures that PLH’s resources are used exclusively to further its charitable purposes, safeguarded appropriately, and managed transparently in the public interest.
Responsibilities:
Charity Governance, Fiduciary Oversight, and Trustee Support
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Act as the primary source of financial advice to the CEO and Board of Trustees, supporting trustees to fulfil their legal and fiduciary duties under UK charity law.
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Support the effective functioning of the Board Finance Committee, including preparation of high-quality financial papers, scenario options, and risk analyses.
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Ensure trustees have clear oversight of:
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Financial performance against approved budgets
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Liquidity, reserves, and solvency
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Financial risks and mitigations
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Long-term sustainability and going-concern considerations
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Ensure financial decision-making aligns with PLH’s charitable objects, governing documents, and public benefit obligations.
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Support compliance with Charity Commission guidance, including SORP (Standard Operating Procedures), CC3 (The Essential Trustee), CC12 (Managing a Charity’s Finances), and CC19 (Charity Reserves).
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Support trustees in understanding and exercising oversight of charity-wide financial risk, including downside and stress-test scenarios.
Financial Strategy, Planning, and Sustainability
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Lead the costing and financial modelling of PLH’s 2026-2028 Strategic Plan and country implementation model, ensuring affordability, sustainability, and strategic coherence.
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Design, implement, and institutionalise a three-tier scenario planning framework (base, growth, and downside cases) to support prudent and adaptive decision-making.
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Develop a long-term (3-5 year) financial sustainability model projecting:
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Revenue by source (restricted and unrestricted)
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Expenditure and staffing growth
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Enterprise risk management (ERM) contributions
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Reserves, liquidity, and risk exposure
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Develop, maintain, and regularly review PLH’s reserves policy, including target levels, rationale, and planned use, in line with Charity Commission expectations.
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Advise senior leadership and trustees on the financial implications of growth, innovation, and funding opportunities.
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Provide forward-looking financial insight to support organisational decision-making under uncertainty and changing funding conditions.
Financial Management, Reporting, and Controls
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Work closely with the Finance Manager to ensure accurate, complete, and timely accounting records in accordance with UK charity accounting standards (SORP FRS 102).
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Provide strategic oversight and assurance over organisation-wide financial reporting, using management accounts and dashboards prepared by the Finance Manager to inform executive and trustee decision-making.
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Ensure proportionate internal controls, segregation of duties, and approval frameworks are current and implemented by the Finance Manager.
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Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive financial risk management framework covering:
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Liquidity and cash-flow risk
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Donor concentration and funding dependency
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Currency and foreign exchange exposure
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Contractual and grant compliance risk
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Contingency and downside planning
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Ensure effective coordination between in-house finance staff and outsourced accounting and payroll providers, maintaining clear accountability and quality assurance.
Audit, External Reporting, and Transparency
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Oversee the annual audit process, supporting the Finance Manager’s role as primary liaison with external auditors and ensuring timely completion of statutory accounts.
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Support trustees in reviewing and approving:
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Statutory financial statements
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Trustees’ Annual Report
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Financial disclosures to regulators
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Ensure high standards of financial transparency and accountability to donors, partners, regulators, and the public.
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Oversee statutory filings and financial reporting to the Charity Commission and Companies House.
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Contribute to narrative financial reporting on sustainability, risk, and reserves where appropriate.
Organisational Financial Capability and Culture
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Develop and maintain clear financial policies, procedures, and approval workflows to support consistency, compliance, and accountability.
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Embed a culture of financial stewardship, prudence, and shared accountability across the organisation.
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Promote ethical financial practice and safeguarding of charitable assets in line with PLH’s values and public-interest obligations.
Team Leadership and Management
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Lead and develop PLH’s finance function, including line management of the Finance Manager and oversight of external bookkeeping and accounting partners.
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Ensure the finance function is appropriately resourced, scalable, and fit for a growing, multi-country organisation.
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Set clear objectives, performance standards, and professional development pathways for finance staff.
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Promote ethical practice, professionalism, and continuous improvement within the finance team.
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Provide mentoring and strategic development support to mid-career finance staff as the organisation grows.
Essential Skills and Experience
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Senior-level financial leadership experience.
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Strong understanding of UK charity governance, trustee responsibilities, and Charity Commission expectations.
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Demonstrated expertise in strategic financial planning, scenario modelling, and reserves management.
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Proven experience establishing robust financial controls, reporting systems, and audit processes.
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Experience working directly with Boards and Board Committees in a governance context.
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Demonstrated experience embedding or overseeing organisational-wide financial risk management frameworks.
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Ability to translate complex financial analysis into clear, decision-ready advice for trustees and senior leaders.
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Experience operating in organisations with a mix of restricted, unrestricted, and partially recoverable income streams.
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Comfort working in an evidence-driven, analytically rigorous organisational environment.
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Strong people leadership and management capability.
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High levels of integrity, sound judgement, and commitment to PLH’s charitable aims.
Preferred Skills and Qualifications
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Financial leadership experience within a UK charity, international NGO, or comparable not-for-profit organisation.
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Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CPA) or equivalent experience.
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Experience with multi-country, multi-currency operations and restricted funding environments.
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Familiarity with UK charity accounting (SORP FRS 102).
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Experience working closely with trustee Finance or Audit & Risk Committees.
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Familiarity with donor concentration risk analysis and income diversification strategies.
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Exposure to safeguarding or PSEA considerations from a financial governance perspective.
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Experience supporting organisational growth and scale within regulated charity contexts.
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 role is predominantly remote but you will be asked to come to our Brighton office few times a year
JOIN US ON THE FRONTLINE
About the role
A key role leading the risk, performance and legal functions within Frontline AIDS. The role embeds a risk management approach across all organisation functions, ensures best practice in compliance, contractual management and data protection. Works closely with others to ensure consistent and effective programme delivery practice. The role spearheads business continuity planning and security management.
We are looking for an inspirational manager who will bring significant experience and a track-record of delivering risk management plans in large complex organisations. You will be passionate about driving forward improvements in the system of internal controls, risk management and governance across the organisation. With strong analytical skills and proven experience of risk management leadership, you will lead and develop our response to anti-corruption, safeguarding, security, health & safety, and other concerns.
As an experienced leader, you will be effective at developing strong relationships with teams across the organisation. You are committed to fostering a high performance culture, and will delegate thoughtfully to give colleagues real accountability and authority.
Who we are
We’ve been on the frontline of the world’s response to HIV and AIDS for over 25 years, working with marginalised people who are denied HIV prevention and treatment simply because of who they are and where they live.
Set up in 1993 to work with community groups in the countries most affected by the global AIDS epidemic, we’ve continually adapted our approach, looking for innovative ways to break down the barriers that marginalise people living with, or at risk of acquiring, HIV. All with one goal in mind – a future free from AIDS for everyone, everywhere.
Everything we do is rooted in our two key beliefs:
- That the lives of all human beings are of equal value.
- That everyone has the right to access the HIV information and services they need for a healthy life.
Today, we work with communities in more than 40 countries, taking local, national and global action on HIV, health and human rights.
As a global partnership that is open to everyone, we can only do what we do – and achieve what we want to achieve – by working with partners from grassroots community groups to national governments. Our partners drive change where it matters, shaking up the status quo and making a noise on issues the world often chooses to ignore.
Are you the Frontliner we’re looking for?
We are looking for someone who has:
- Qualified to degree level in a relevant field to risk management and compliance.
- Post-graduate and/or professional qualification in a relevant field, including accounting, law, audit, or risk
- Extensive experience of working in a risk management/compliance/assurance function within a sizeable organisation, with strategic and operational accountability.
- Experience of managing and maintaining a risk case management system to ensure appropriate management of issues.
- Experience in developing and managing programme oversight and governance mechanisms that drive consistent approaches and strong performance.
- Experience of rolling out dedicated risk management and compliance training and supporting and guiding staff in developing risk registers and appropriate mitigating actions for risks.
- Experience of contract review and drafting of new clauses for contracts
- Experience of working with international donor rules and requirements and supporting/guiding project teams in managing projects in accordance with these rules and regulations.
- Knowledge of best practice in process review and improvement.
- Senior Experience in setting, reviewing, simplifying organisational policies and procedures and encouraging compliance.
How to apply
Find out more by downloading the full job description and person specification. If you are excited by this opportunity and think it’s right for you, we’d love to hear from you so apply using the button at the top of this page and upload your CV along with a covering letter outlining why you are a great match for this role.
Closing Date : Sunday 22nd February 2026
We have transitioned to a hybrid model of working. We are currently working from home but you will also be required to spend time working alongside your team as appropriate. The successful applicant will need to hold the right to work in the UK and /or South Africa.
Interview Date is: tbc
Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults
Frontline AIDS operates a rigorous recruitment and selection process that reflects our commitment to child protection. The Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy can be downloaded here
Frontline AIDS is committed to diversity and inclusion in its hiring approach. We welcome applications from Black people, and other people of colour, people with disabilities, people living with HIV and LGBTIQ+ and non-binary individuals.
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and a criminal records check. Having a criminal conviction and/or any other information divulged on the DBS/PVG or country equivalent check would not necessarily prevent you from working for the charity, but any recruitment decision will be dependent on the nature of the position sought and the circumstances and background of the offence(s).
Registered Charity
51 - 100
We want a future free from AIDS for everyone, everywhere.
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.