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!
Location: Preston, Lancashire
Permanent | Full-time - 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £77,744 - £83,546
After a remarkable 26-year journey with Caritas Care, including five years as CEO, our current Chief Executive will retire at the end of 2025. This creates a rare and exciting opportunity to lead this dynamic, well-established and vibrant organisation. The Trustees are looking for an exceptional leader to take forward and further develop one of the North West's most respected and impactful charities.
About Caritas Care
For 90 years, Caritas Care has been at the heart of communities across Lancashire, Cumbria and Greater Manchester. We are a values-driven charity committed to improving lives and creating opportunities for people across the North West. Our services include adoption and fostering, support for people with disabilities, rehabilitation programs and community projects, all designed to ensure that everyone has the chance to thrive.
About the Role
As CEO, you will provide strategic leadership and operational management, ensuring our services continue to make a meaningful impact. Reporting to the Board of Trustees, your key responsibilities will include:
- Leading the organisation with passion and integrity, upholding our values in everything we do
- Developing and implementing strategic plans to enhance and expand our services
- Building strong relationships with key stakeholders, including funders, commissioners and partner organisations
- Ensuring financial sustainability, overseeing budgets and securing funding opportunities
- Maintaining governance and compliance standards, ensuring all activities meet legal, ethical and regulatory requirements
- Inspiring and supporting our dedicated staff and volunteers, fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence
About You
We are looking for an experienced and visionary leader who is passionate about making a difference. You will bring:
- Strong leadership and strategic planning skills with experience in a senior management role
- A deep understanding of the charity, social care or public sector, particularly in service delivery and safeguarding
- Excellent financial and operational management skills, ensuring sustainability and growth
- A collaborative approach, with the ability to engage and influence a wide range of stakeholders
- A values-driven mind-set, committed to inclusion, equality and social justice
Why Join Us?
This is more than a leadership role – it is an opportunity to make a real and lasting difference. You will be joining a charity with deep community roots, a skilled team and a future full of possibility.
- Lead a well-respected and impactful charity
- Work with a passionate team dedicated to making a difference
- Shape the future of services that change lives
- 30 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
- Incremental salary scale progression
- Flexi-time and flexible working
- Opportunity to maintain a Social Work England registration
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Work based pension 5% employer contribution (LGPS transfer will be considered for the right applicant)
- Birthday leave after 10 years’ service
- Essential car user post with travel paid at 45p per mile
- Onsite free car parking
If you believe you have the skills, experience and passion to lead Caritas Care into its next chapter, we’d love to hear from you.
To find out more about this opportunity and to access the full candidate application information, please visit our vacancies page on our website
For an informal discussion, please contact Susan Swarbrick, Chief Executive.
Applicants who have previously applied for this position need not reapply.
Closing date for applications: Wednesday 24 September 2025
Provisional interview dates: Tuesday 7 & Wednesday 8 October 2025
Early applications are encouraged as we may close the recruitment process ahead of the deadline if a sufficient number of high quality applications are received
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
About the role:
Battersea is entering an exciting phase of innovation and transformation as we embark on the first year of our new five-year strategy. With increased investment in income generation starting in 2025, we are expanding our team to drive the growth necessary to achieve our organisational goals. Our fundraising team bridges the journey of the animals in our care with the wider public, demonstrating how their contributions enable us to support every dog and cat. We now have several new roles within this team to further our mission.
Main purpose of the role:
This is a new role working within Battersea’s Income Generation department to develop and deliver the campaign plan for a £4-6million pound capital fundraising appeal.
One of the key pillars of Battersea’s current strategy is to ensure that we continue to provide expert care for all the dogs and cats that come through our gates. One of the ways in which we do this is by investing in our facilities to ensure that they continue to meet the changing needs of the animals we care for. This fundraising campaign will help to achieve that aim.
You will work with teams across Battersea to develop a comprehensive plan for the campaign and co-ordinate the work of multiple specialist teams to deliver the campaign on a day-to-day basis. You will also be responsible for developing a clear governance structure for the campaign, and ensuring all stakeholders are kept informed of progress. You will also oversee and track progress of a series of internal process improvements that support the running of the campaign.
Please note, this is not a direct fundraising position, but will support our fundraising teams in delivering ambitious financial targets for the appeal.
What we can offer you:
In return for your commitment to our cause and to recognise the value of our employees, Battersea offers a range of benefits to support the wellbeing of our employees. These include:
- 28 days of annual leave (plus 8 days paid public holidays) per year
- Discounted gym memberships and cycle to work schemes
- Employee Assistance Programme and access to Wellbeing Resources
- Generous pension contributions - up to 10% employer contribution
- Free healthcare cash plan, where you can claim for a range of treatment including dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropody and acupuncture every year
- Annual interest-free season ticket loans
We are also committed to providing learning and development to our employees. During your time with us, we provide support for your professional and career development, including access to digital and in-person training programmes, leadership and management training, mentoring and much more.
Our hybrid working model:
We operate a 50% onsite hybrid working model, with our office-based staff splitting their time between site based and home working. This enables our office-based staff to balance the benefits of home working with onsite collaboration and maintaining a connection to our cause.
Diversity and inclusion:
We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for all staff, volunteers and trustees and those hoping to join us. We operate an anonymised shortlisting process and actively seek to ensure our process is fair and equitable for all.
We understand the value of diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences to help us deliver even more for our dogs and cats, and we welcome applicants from all sections of the community.
As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we will ask about any adjustments you may need at application and/or interview stage, and if you are offered a role with us, we’ll talk to you about any workplace adjustments you may need to help you perform at your best.
More about us:
At Battersea, we aim to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. We give each one lots of love, expert care and get to know their characters and quirks so we can find them a new home that’s just right for them. Join us and help us be here for every dog and cat, wherever they are, for as long as they need us.
Acceptable use of AI:
At Battersea, we value expertise. We recognise each candidate that applies to us will have a range of expertise they can offer us, so we want to hear about this in your own words. We understand the support that generative artificial intelligence (AI) software can offer but it can also lead to numerous applications presenting as generic and impersonal. This makes it difficult to gain understanding of your unique experience.
To best showcase yourself, we encourage you to write your responses without the assistance of AI. If you require the use of AI software to aid in completing your application, we ask you use the generative responses as a prompt for writing your answers and avoid copying and pasting. You must also ensure the information presented in your application accurately reflects your experience.
Closing date: 28th September 2025
All applications must be submitted before the closing date advertised. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.
Interview date(s):
First Stage (online): w/c 6th and 13th October 2025
Second Stage (in person): to be confirmed
For full details on the role, please download the recruitment pack from our Careers website.
Registered Charity
501 - 1000
Battersea is here for every dog and cat, and has been since 1860. We believe that every dog and cat deserves the best.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.