Executive director jobs

This role is now at interview stage. While we will review all applications, the process is progressing quickly and it may be too late to be considered for this particular position. That said, we would still encourage you to apply as the role is still vacant and we may have other suitable positions available. 

Role Overview
The Talent Set are delighted to partner with a well-known health charity on a fantastic Interim Director of Marketing, Communications and Digital role. This 9 month Executive leadership position will shape how the organisation tells its story, protects its reputation, and builds momentum around social change.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead strategic marketing, communications, and digital direction, translating it into clear priorities and practical plans.
• Create a more compelling, audience-focused narrative that balances empathy with the challenging conversations needed for real change.
• Modernise communications and marketing ways of working to be more agile, prioritised, and responsive to issues and opportunities.
• Strengthen external presence to support funding, sustainability, and broader engagement beyond “inside the cause” audiences.
• Support effective crisis and reputational communications readiness and ensure timely, consistent messaging.
• Work collaboratively with senior stakeholders and trustees, providing clear guidance and decision-ready recommendations.
• Oversee storytelling and campaign effectiveness (including ROI where relevant), ensuring impact is measurable and credible.
• Help shape the approach to future structure by advising options for the permanent leadership/operating model.

Person Specification

• Proven Executive-level experience setting marcomms strategy across marketing, communications, and digital.
• Strong judgement in reputation management, including building plans for sensitive or high-pressure moments.
• Ability to turn complex strategy into a simple, compelling argument for multiple audiences and channels.
• Demonstrated agility: reshaping working practices, removing barriers to delivery, and improving prioritisation.
• Results-focused mindset with experience linking campaigns to outcomes such as fundraising performance and engagement.
• Confident stakeholder leadership with the ability to advise Chief Executive and influence trustees.
• Resilient, practical approach to change in a pressured environment, including handling pushback constructively.
• Digital fluency and comfort setting expectations and improving capability through training and process.

What’s on Offer
Day rate: £350-£450 per day PAYE + holiday pay, inside IR35. This role will require at least 1 day a week in their London office.

How to Apply
To apply, please submit your CV demonstrating your suitability for this role by clicking the 'apply now' button (please do not apply via email). We aim to get back to all successful candidates within 48 working hours.

Commitment to Diversity
The Talent Set are committed to diverse and inclusive recruitment practices, ensuring equal opportunities for all applicants regardless of race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, disability, or age. We actively encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds and are always happy to make reasonable adjustments to ensure a fair recruitment process.

Next step
If this sounds like an opportunity to deliver meaningful change through smarter marketing and communications, submit a tailored CV and apply without delay.

Director of Operations – Finance & Support Services
Dartington (& Torquay as required)
Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, ideally Monday-Friday 08.30-16.30
Salary: £51,663.00 - £59,597.00 per annum (DOE)

Are you a skilled operations professional with a background in finance?

We have a brand-new opportunity at Lifeworks Charity, for a Director of Operations (Finance & Support Services) to play a crucial role in our Central Support team. You will drive the sustainable growth and operational efficiency of the charity, directly contributing to our charitable impact.

You'll blend your financial expertise with your keen eye for operational oversight in this hybrid role, ensuring our resources are managed effectively to benefit the young people and families we support.

Who we are:

Since 1996, we've been empowering people with learning disabilities in Devon to achieve their dreams and build fulfilling lives. Our core values of kindness, respect, and positivity guide everything we do.

What you’ll do:

Finance

- Manage and maintain all financial aspects of the charity, including (but not limited to), budgeting, forecasting, reporting, ledgers, balance sheets, bank reconciliations, debtor accounts, cash flow management, insurances, property and procurement.
- Take a lead on the development of financial and fundraising processes and strategies.
- Manage and be the main point of contact for all aspects of ESFA and DfE funding compliance and reporting.
- Lead a small team to deliver outstanding support to the charity and act as a key financial advisor to managers across the organisation.
- Produce clear and concise monthly management accounts and provide financial insights to senior managers and the Board of Trustees.
- Working closely with external auditors, prepare and oversee our year end accounts.

Operations

- Ensure that charity governance and compliance is upheld, by contributing to record maintenance, managing registers and supporting with reviews of policies and procedures.
- Work with our external IT partners to manage our technology. You will make sure that the correct infrastructure, systems and processes are in the right place at the right time.
- Lead on IT security for the charity, implementing regular reviews to monitor compliance.
- Act as the Data Controller and manage all areas of data protection regulations, always prioritising data security.
- Develop and review charity policies as necessary, ensuring they align with best practices and legal requirements.
- Ensure compliance of Health and Safety policies, liaising with external advisors to maintain safety within the workplace.

Last but not least, we are looking for someone that is an advocate for people with learning disabilities and shares our common goal of making sure the people we support achieve their best lives with us. You may not be involved in the day-to-day work with our service users, but the work you will do is vital to the success of our charity.

What we're looking for:

You'll be a motivated and experienced professional who is passionate about making a difference. You should be:

- ACCA/CIMA/ACA part-qualified with significant experience (or fully qualified is a bonus!).
- A proven leader with the ability to inspire and develop a team.
- An expert in financial management, from budgeting to reporting.
- An excellent communicator who can clearly explain complex financial information to all audiences.
- Experienced in managing a broad portfolio, ideally including Health and Safety, IT, or facilities.
- Knowledgeable about governance frameworks and risk management.

If you are a strategic thinker with a hands-on approach and a desire to contribute to a vital cause, we would love to hear from you.

We're passionate about supporting our staff just as much as we are about supporting our service users. When you join our team, you can expect:

- An hourly rate above the Real Living Wage
- A holiday entitlement of 33 days’ holiday (inclusive of bank holidays)
- A fully funded DBS check and update service to ensure a smooth onboarding process
- Access to valuable resources including an employee assistance program to support your mental and emotional health

Building a diverse and safe team:

At Lifeworks, we're committed to fostering a workplace that reflects the diversity of our community. As a Disability Confident Employer, we actively encourage applications from individuals with disabilities who meet the job criteria, and we guarantee qualified candidates with disabilities an interview.

Lifeworks is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. To achieve this commitment, we will ensure the continuous development, improvement and review of robust safeguarding processes and procedures that continuously promote a culture of vigilance in respect of safeguarding within our organisation. All staff undergo Safer Recruitment checks which include pre-employment checks, reference checks, and a DBS check with Barred List checks (where applicable).

Early applications encouraged!

This vacancy is scheduled to close on the 19th of July, but may close earlier if suitable candidates are identified. So, to ensure your application is considered, ensure you apply early!

The interview format will consist of 3 parts; a formal interview assessment, a short presentation and a Q&A with staff members. If you are selected for interview, further details will be shared ahead of the above date.

Apply today and tell us why you'd be a great fit for our team.

Please note that this role was previously advertised as Operations Manager. We ask that previous applicants of this role need not reapply.

We’d appreciate no contact from agencies regarding this role. We are only accepting direct applications.

As Chief Executive, you will provide visible, compassionate and credible leadership across the organisation. Working closely with the Board, Senior Leadership team, staff, volunteers and supporters, you will set strategic direction, drive financial sustainability and champion exceptional care for those who need us most!

You will be the primary ambassador for St Catherine’s, developing and managing key NHS and system wide partnerships, influencing locally and regionally, and ensuring the hospice remains a trusted, valued partner within an evolving health and social care landscape.

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Key priorities

• Values‑led leadership – living and breathing our core values every day, fostering a culture of energy, courage, expertise, connection, and not forgetting Human!
• Strategic delivery – translating our vision into clear priorities that keep St Catherine’s relevant, responsive and impactful
• Financial sustainability – navigating ongoing financial challenges faced by the hospice sector, strengthening income generation and ensuring long‑term resilience
• Partnership & influence – building strong, constructive relationships with NHS partners, other hospices and third sector organisations, commissioners and system leaders
• Modern and digitally savvy – ensuring the organisation continues to evolve, embracing digital innovation and using data and technology to improve care, efficiency and reach
• People & culture – empowering staff and volunteers, developing talent and leading change with clarity and empathy

About you

You will be an experienced, credible leader with a strong strategic mindset and a track record of leading complex organisations through change. You may come from the hospice, health, public, voluntary or related sectors, but you will bring clear understanding of partnership working, financial stewardship and the realities of operating in a constrained funding environment.

Above all, you will share our values, believe deeply in our mission and be motivated by the opportunity to lead St Catherine’s confidently into a modern, sustainable future.

This post is offered on a permanent, full-time basis, working 37.5 hours per week, (flexible working patterns would be considered for the successful candidate). At St Catherine’s we offer work from home opportunities, however this is adaptable depending on business need and regular onsite attendance is required.

Please note, the successful candidate will be an essential car user, therefore candidates must have a full driving licence and access to a vehicle.

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The recruitment process will be a four-stage process:

• Application process closes 17 July 2026
• Shortlisting and testing 20 August 2026
• Presentations to our stakeholders 4 September 2026
• Interview Panel 7 September 2026

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Please visit our website to view Giles Tomsett's retirement announcment video, to view our draft Finance information and to see a covering letter from our Chair of Trustees.

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​Employees at St Catherine’s Hospice can enjoy a variety of benefits including:

• Generous annual leave starting at 27 days, (rising to 32 days after completion of probation) and 36 days with length of service, plus Bank Holidays, and an opportunity to buy / sell annual leave days. Plus we offer a day off for volunteering & moving house.
• Generous Pension scheme with up to 9% employer contributions or honour of NHS pension.
• Life Assurance Scheme, Counselling Offering, and a range of discounts.
• Enhanced maternity and adoption pay.

How to Apply:

If you join St Catherine’s, you’ll be joining a supportive team all working towards a big ambition: a future where everyone approaching death and those who love and care for them can access compassionate, specialist palliative and end of live care. If that sounds like something you’d find fulfilling, please apply today​.

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We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone, and we are proud to be a Disability Confident Level 2 Employer, committed to creating an inclusive, supportive workplace, if you need any help completing your application form please contact our HR team.

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Terms & Conditions:

• This role is subject to an Enhanced DBS check. By applying you are confirming you have read the Enhanced Check Privacy Policy for applicants and understand how DBS will process my personal data and the options available to me for submitting an application.

• Please ensure you have read our employee and recruitment privacy statement prior to applying for this role.

• Must be authorised to work in the United Kingdom, please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorships.

• Please note a requirement of all roles at St Catherine’s is to complete mandatory E-learning training and remain compliant with this throughout your employment.

• We understand that Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be used to support some applications, whilst we do not discourage this, please ensure any documentation and applications submitted accurately and truthfully reflect your own experience and suitability for this role.​

We are located in Grace Holland Avenue, Pease Pottage, Crawley, West Sussex RH11 9SL. You can access the Hospice by car, bus, bike or walking, with full transport details on our website.

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If you require any additional information or would like an informal discussion with our current Chief Executive, please visit our website for contact information and we will arrange this.