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Involve Northwest is an innovative, community-based organisation with an approach that is grounded in our core belief that the services we offer are free, confidential, and are motivated for public benefit, and not profit.
Job Title: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Location: The Community Village, Rock Ferry, and the Wirral community.
Working Pattern: 35 Hours per week (to be discussed)
Salary: £70,000 - £75,000 per annum (FTE) Depending on experience
Reporting To: Board of Directors
Responsible For: Operations & HR Director, Finance Manager and supporting Consultants.
This role is subject to a DBS check and subscription to the update service in line with the internal Safer Recruitment Policy.
Core Responsibilities
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Lead the organisation, establish its standards, and represent it as the public face and ambassador.
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Serve as the organisation’s figurehead while strengthening and expanding relationships with commissioners and key stakeholders.
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Define the strategic direction in collaboration with the Board of Trustees.
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Implement the strategic plan and drive sustainable organisational growth.
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Provide strong financial leadership, including budgeting, forecasting, income generation, and asset management.
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Prioritise and advance the diversification of funding streams with overall accountability.
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Ensure effective risk management and regulatory compliance including GDPR, H&S, Safeguarding, Charity Governance.
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Build and develop a strong workforce while fostering a unified, one-team culture.
Leadership And Managerial Responsibilities
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Lead the organisation, providing direct line management to the Operations and Human Resources Director, Finance Manager and Consultants.
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Deliver strong, visible leadership across the organisation.
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Accountable for shaping, influencing, and delivering both internal and external operational strategies.
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Maintain strategic oversight of existing contracts and services, ensuring effective delivery and performance.
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Develop, monitor, and review key operational resources, including business plans, business continuity plans, and risk registers.
Strategic Responsibilities
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Scope and drive forward funding & partnership opportunities in support of sustainability and growth.
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Grow Involve Northwest’s network of commissioners and strategic/mutually beneficial partnerships.
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Identify the opportunities for collaboration and diversification.
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Consider the organisation, its destination and routes to that destination with ‘out of the box’ thinking.
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Reviewing all aspects of service provision and the roles of Involve Northwest personnel.
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Oversee management of Involve Northwest assets, including any buildings.
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Assist in identifying new premises and the basis upon which they are occupied (purchased/leased) in the context of Involve Northwest’s needs.
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Lead on organisational change; provide governance around internal resources, communication and marketing, and growth.
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Lead on all funding opportunities, including the scoping and writing of bids and responses to tender invitations, expressions of interest and soft market testing as appropriate.
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Overseeing Involve Northwest’s communication and marketing strategy.
Partnerships Management
Involve Northwest is predominantly funded through contracts with central and local government. The successful person will interface directly with funders and commissioners, managing those relationships and attending contract meetings where appropriate. Attend external meetings/groups and act as the ‘face’ of the organisation, in collaboration with the Management Team.
The role will focus on growing Involve Northwest’s influence within our network of commissioners and strategic/mutually beneficial partnerships to secure future commissions in new delivery themes or areas in the Northwest that align with our strategy and vision.
You would also be expected to identify, explore, and develop new partnerships outside Involve Northwest’s traditional stakeholders with organisations in both the public and private sectors.
This role profile is not exhaustive and is subject to review in conjunction with the post holder and according to future changes/developments within the Company.
Company Duties and Responsibilities:
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Evaluate and work in line with statutory requirements and company policies and procedures, including ISO9001:2015, the Companies Act, Charity Law and UK GDPR.
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Work to Involve Northwest’s Safeguarding procedures.
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Represent the charity in the best manner.
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Demonstrate a commitment to the vision, values, and strategic aims of Involve Northwest.
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Maintain high standards of professionalism and keep abreast of current legislation, standards, best practice and maintain a focus of continuous improvement.
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Work within Involve Northwest’s practice standards.
Person Specification – Essential
Experience
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Significant experience in a senior management role.
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Development of a strategy with a proven record of implementation, tracking and monitoring progress.
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Experience in securing year-on-year sustainable funding.
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The ability to link operational delivery with the strategic plan to achieve its stated objectives.
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Track record in delivering business change.
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Risk management, business continuity and disaster recovery planning and testing
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Working with commissioners/grant funders at senior levels.
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Significant experience in overseeing bid/tender writing at an operational and strategic level, with the ability to present at all levels and deliver reports as required.
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Strong decision-making skills.
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Budget management experience.
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Developing communication and delivery strategies.
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Working in the third sector would be useful but is not essential.
Knowledge and Skills
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Excellent people skills, including communication, relationship building and emotional intelligence.
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Proven track record in change management.
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Problem-solving, planning skills and innovative thinking.
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The ability to implement strategies to meet the organisation’s goals agreed with the board of directors.
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Understanding the importance of excellent employee management and have the ability to motivate.
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Excellent organisational skills, results-driven, with a clear focus on outcomes.
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Consider the organisation, its destination and routes to that destination with ‘out of the box’ thinking.
Personal Attributes
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Innovative thinking.
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A belief in the Organisation’s service delivery and objectives.
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Enthusiasm and a catalyst to motivate others.
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Be a visionary for the organisation and lead by example
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Good communication skills with excellent people skills
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Be compassionate and empathetic and have a high level of integrity.
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The ability to deliver honest feedback in a direct but emotionally intelligent way.
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Act with integrity and respect when working with all clients, agencies, and individuals.
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Flexible, adaptable, and an excellent active listener.
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Be a team player with an open and honest manner and be able to build effective relationships.
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High level of personal resilience concerning workload and ability to discharge tasks.
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Excellent organisational skills, hard-working, results-driven, with a clear focus on outcomes.
As a community-focused employer who values the health and well-being of our employees, Involve Northwest encourages a positive work-life balance and actively supports our staff so they can better support the community.
We offer a range of benefits to fulfil this, including:
· 25 Days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
· Birthday Day Off
· Company Pension & Health Cash Plan (eligible after 3 months)
· Extra days of annual leave for service loyalty
Please note this role is subject to a 6-month probation period, 2 satisfactory references, right to work and DBS check.
Involve Northwest is committed to the welfare and safety of all individuals, particularly those who are vulnerable or at risk. We recognise our responsibility to protect the well-being of children, young people, and adults who may come into contact with our charity and its projects. We have a clear Safer Recruitment Policy in place, which is applied to all staff, including third-party individuals and volunteers.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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!
Head of Finance | DFN Project SEARCH
Remote, with travel to London on average once a month plus occasional site visits | £51,500 – £61,500 | 9-day fortnight (after probation), flexible working welcome
DFN Project SEARCH is a national charity supporting young adults with a learning disability, autism, or both, into real, paid, lasting work. Last year alone, 431 young people started jobs through our programme. We work with around 200 employers, colleges and local authorities across the UK, and we've supported over 2,900 people since we started. We're good at what we do, and we want to do a lot more of it. Our aim is to support 10,000 interns by 2030.
We've grown rapidly, which is exciting, and this role has been newly created to make sure all the finance processes are set up so that we can continue to grow and scale properly. So, this isn't a steady-state job where you inherit clean processes and just keep them ticking. You'll be helping to build the structure as the charity grows around it.
That means we need someone who can lead and do. You'll own the finance function end to end: month-end, management accounts, statutory reporting, cash flow, controls. You'll also shape how all of it should work as we continue to grow. One day you're posting journals and reconciling the balance sheet; the next you're helping a budget holder who's never read a P&L understand their numbers, or modelling what reaching 10,000 interns actually means financially. You'll report to the Finance Director and line manage our Finance Administrator.
What your time will look like:
- Running the finance function day to day and ensuring everything is accurate, compliant and efficient, which means journals, reconciliations, month-end close, the monthly rhythm
- Producing management accounts and board-level reporting that people can act on, with clear commentary
- Working with the Finance Director on budgeting, statutory accounts, audit and VAT
- Strengthening cash flow forecasting, treasury, reserves and credit control
- Owning the controls framework, financial policies and procedures, and getting more out of Xero so we have real-time insight, not using out-of-date assumptions to make business critical decisions
- Managing restricted, designated and unrestricted funds, and reporting to funders properly and on time
- Supporting fundraising and bid colleagues with budgets for grant applications and tenders
- Overseeing payroll and pensions with our provider
- Helping non-finance colleagues across the charity get more confident in their own financial understanding
What we need from you:
- A qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent)
- Solid charity finance experience. You'll know Charity SORP, restricted funds and grant reporting, and you're across the changes coming to SORP
- Someone happy with their hands on the controls: month-end, reconciliations, statutory accounts and board reporting
- Strong on Xero (or quick to get there) and advanced Excel
- The ability to explain numbers clearly to people who don't think in numbers
- Experience setting up or developing financial instructions, controls and processes in a charity
You don't need to tick every single box. If you've been part of a finance team that's been through this kind of change and you're ready to step up and lead it yourself, we'd still really like to hear from you.
But honestly, the most important element is you, and how you bring people along with you through a period of change. You'll be comfortable bringing structure and calm to an organisation that's still growing into its processes. We need someone who can be calm and measured when the numbers feel busy, who can be a steady anchor point for the team when a lot is changing, and who knows when to help and when to teach someone how to help themselves. You'll be relentless about making things better, but able to bring people with you rather than drag them. If you want to lead a change rather than just be part of one, this is for you!
The practical stuff: This is a remote and flexible role, and we mean it, but it isn't a "never-leave-the-house" role. The leadership team comes together regularly, on average once a month, plus occasional travel to sites and the odd away day. Travel is always planned in advance and we cover the costs. If you can reach London comfortably and you value time with the people you work with, you'll get the best of both.
- 25 days' annual leave, plus your birthday off and bank holidays on top, with the option to buy back additional leave
- 9-day fortnight after successful completion of probation: 37.5 hours worked across nine days, with the tenth day off
- Flexible working genuinely considered: job share, part-time (minimum 4 days), compressed hours
- Pension: 6% employer contribution
- Employee Assistance Programme and NHS top-up wellbeing support
Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship, so you'll need the existing right to work in the UK.
It won't be a surprise that we're a Disability Confident employer. We share interview questions in advance, and if you need any adjustments to the process, or a different format for any stage, please just tell us.
If you're a charity finance person who wants their work to really mean something, and who fancies building something rather than just maintaining it, we'd love to hear from you.
Dates to note:
- Closing date: 16th June
- First interviews (remote): 24th–25th June
- Final interviews (London): 30th June
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.