chief executive jobs

Barnet Mencap is a very well-established local charity which provides services and support for people with learning disabilities, autistic people, and their family carers, while also campaigning alongside them to improve their lives. The organisation aims to create a world where people with learning disabilities are valued equally, have their voices heard and are included in the community. 

We are looking to appoint a new CEO to lead the organisation and ensure it continues to provide its much-valued services.

The successful candidate will have: 

• Experience in a senior role in a relevant service i.e. Learning Disabilities, Children or Adult Services

• Experience of developing a strategy and monitoring framework in a similar environment 

• Experience of effective partnership working at a strategic and practical level 

• Proven track record of income generation and financial management 

• Knowledge of charity governance, regulation for a medium size charity, and working effectively with a board of trustees.

• Knowledge of the Health and Social Care environment, including key policies and legislation 

• Understanding of Health and Safety and Safeguarding in a service delivery environment 

• Understanding of the Social Model of Disability and how to apply it to deliver empowering person-centred projects and services 

Please read the full Job Description, Person Specification and Recruitment Pack for further information on the role. 

To apply, please send your CV alongside a covering letter explaining how you meet the criteria in the person specification. 

The successful candidate will be required to complete an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service application in line with Section 115 of The Police Act 1997.   

 Closing Date: 16th of January 2026 

Interview dates are planned for the 10th and 11th of February 2026.  

Interim CEO

Mental health charity | 3–6 Months | Hertfordshire - Hybrid
Salary: £55,000–£65,000 (pro rata)

I am excited to be working with an established mental health charity at a pivotal moment of change, seeking an experienced Interim CEO to provide steady, credible leadership during a period of transition.

Reporting to the Board, you will stabilise day-to-day operations while delivering a focused organisational review covering governance, safeguarding, culture, skills, and sustainability. This is a hands-on assignment starting early January 2026 requiring clarity, sensitivity, and pace.

Key Focus

• Lead and support staff and volunteers, ensuring service continuity

• Conduct an organisational and governance review

• Deliver a full safeguarding audit

• Assess skills and capacity across staff, volunteers, and trustees

• Facilitate sensitive conversations and help rebuild trust

• Advise on future leadership recruitment

About You

• Senior leadership experience in the charity sector

• Proven interim or turnaround experience

• Strong safeguarding knowledge and audit experience

• Excellent board-level communication and reporting skills

Practicalities

• Contract: 3–6 months

• Hours: Full-time (part-time considered)

• Location: Hybrid with regional travel

If you have the above skills and experience and are available from early January 2026, please apply online today, I would love to have a conversation with you!

We’re looking for an organised and person centred leader who can join our leadership team to support the quality, growth and sustainability of Stomping Grounds North East CIO.

The Deputy CEO will support the CEO by planning, overseeing, monitoring, reporting and taking appropriate action to deliver the service, business and financial strategies ofStomping Grounds North East CIO, with a focus on developing people, business and safeguarding and ensuring management capability across the organisation. It is key that the successful candidate can work at least some of the school holidays. 

Reports to: CEO

Hours of work :35 hours per week (1 FTE)

Remuneration: TBD

Main responsibilities 

• To ensure projects and delivery adheres to the Company’s vision, mission and values. 

• To oversee the development and implementation of new projects and sessions to meet the Company’s aims and objectives. Specifically, to ensure that:

  • Appropriate risk assessments are undertaken and documented in line with Stomping Grounds Risk Assessment procedure

  • Appropriate communications to and involvement of communities, parents and schools are delivered effectively

  • High quality Forest School provision is delivered, in line with the Stomping Grounds NE vision

• To proactively manage the financial performance of projects and the business overall, including overseeing the planning and delivery of fundraising and donations

• To oversee, monitor and report on all aspects of business governance including health and safety, safeguarding and employee wellbeing.

• To work with line managers to develop their managerial capabilities and performance, with a focus on team development. As part of this, to ensure that:

  • Regular meetings of the team leaders are organised to share information on business performance, plans and issues and to create action plans as appropriate

  • Appropriate observations are conducted, documented and shared

  • PDRs are completed in line with company policy

  • To ensure training is up to date and relevant

  • To ensure that company policies are up to date and relevant and are reviewed as required

• To be proactive and maintain requirements for governing bodies, associations and memberships

• To develop and support the implementation of effective evaluation and impact monitoring processes, including annual reporting of the impact of Stomping Grounds work. 

• To attend meetings of the Board of Trustees and report progress against the business plan

• To carry out other duties compatible with the role purpose as reasonably required or as directed by the CEO.

Person Specification 

Essential 

• Proven exceptional leadership skills

• Experience of leading and developing a diverse staff team

• Excellent communication skills 

• Excellent organisational skills 

• Extensive project management experience

• Excellent understanding of neurodivergence 

• Excellent business management skills 

• Flexibility to work during school holidays 

• Ability to travel to our multi region sites including but not restricted to: Prudhoe, Haltwhistle, Chopwell, Leadgate, Benwell and Gateshead Riverside Park

• Commitment to Stomping Grounds Mission and Values

Desirable 

• Experience with Ofsted

• Experience of working in the charity sector

• Experience of working with children and young people, particularly those with neurodivergence and/or who are not currently thriving in mainstream schools

• Experience as a Designated Safeguarding Lead

• Experience of leading teams through change and growth

We abide by Safer Recruitment guidelines and therefore we only accept application forms.

Chief Executive Officer - FoodCycle
Location: Vauxhall, London (flexible working; regular travel to Projects and for meeting with key stakeholders required)
Salary: circa £75,000
Contract: Permanent, full-time (35–37.5 hours per week)

Are you ready to lead FoodCycle through a period of consolidation and sustainable growth, protecting its volunteer-led, guest-centred model while building reliable income streams and scaling proven pilots?

About FoodCycle
FoodCycle is a national charity running volunteer-powered community dining projects that combine rescued surplus food, spare kitchen space and local volunteers to deliver free, hot, sociable three-course meals. Our work sits at the intersection of food-waste reduction, food-poverty relief and loneliness prevention. Nationally scaled but locally delivered, FoodCycle has grown rapidly, enjoys strong volunteer goodwill and is developing promising trading and schools pilots to strengthen sustainability.

As our next CEO you will:

• Shape strategy & impact - co-create and implement a clear 3–5 year strategy and a focused 12-month operational plan with measurable milestones.

• Stabilise leadership & culture - provide visible, warm and practical leadership across Projects; develop the senior team and protect volunteer trust.

• Secure financial sustainability - own the income strategy, diversify revenue across trusts, individual giving, corporate partnerships and trading, and present credible cashflow plans to the board.

• Build commercial & trading capacity - drive Manor House and other trading pilots towards viable, repeatable income models.

• Safeguard quality & risk - ensure robust safeguarding, food-safety and operational thresholds for opening new Projects.

• Raise profile & partnerships - act as FoodCycle’s principal ambassador to corporates, funders, local authorities and policy audiences.

Who you are

• A senior leader with experience stabilising and growing people-facing, delivery-focused organisations.

• Proven at generating income from multiple streams, with commercial fluency to develop simple trading models and convert corporate engagement into lasting partnerships.

• Financially literate - comfortable owning budgets, forecasting and discussing risk with trustees.

• Excellent at people and change management - able to build and motivate small national teams and large volunteer cohorts.

• Data-driven, curious and pragmatic - tests pilots, embeds what works and sets clear go/no-go criteria for scale.

• Values-driven and visible - passionate about food justice, guest dignity and volunteer leadership.

• Right to work in the UK and satisfactory DBS checks required.

Why FoodCycle?

• Lead a nationally recognised, volunteer-led movement tackling food waste, food poverty and social isolation.

• Play a pivotal role growing promising trading and schools pilots to create sustainable income.

• Work with an engaged Chair and committed board, and a small, passionate national team.

• Be part of a friendly, non-hierarchical culture where leaders are visible in Projects.

For full details of the role including how to apply, please download the full appointment brief. For an informal and confidential conversation about this position, please contact Jenny Hills at Harris Hill at via the apply button with times to speak and (optional but appreciated) a CV or professional profile which will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 19th January 2026

As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.

The Brain & Spine Foundation is seeking a Fundraising-Focused CEO to take the helm of our charity at a moment of growth and opportunity. This is a rare chance to shape the future of a national charity, driving income, influence and impact for the 1 in 6 people in the UK affected by neurological conditions.

As Fundraising Focused CEO, you will combine leadership with personal fundraising delivery, building high-value relationships, diversifying income streams, and raising the charity’s profile. Working closely with a committed Board and a passionate team, you will lead a trusted organisation into its next chapter to ensure more people than ever can access vital information, support and hope when they need it most.

Deadline for applications

Sunday 11th January

Interviews with Brain & Spine Foundation

w/c 19th January

Hillside Clubhouse is looking for an Executive Director to champion its vision for inclusive, co-produced mental health and employment support.

Applications close at 9 a.m. Wednesday 7th January.

Who we are

Hillside Clubhouse is a co-produced mental health charity supporting people with severe mental illness and more common mental health conditions across Islington. With over half of the staff team bringing lived experience, members play an integral role in shaping the organisation. Hillside provides a wide range of recovery, well-being and employment services, including its Clubhouse activities, commercial kitchen and social enterprises, alongside IPS, Employment Advisors in Talking Therapies and IAG support. They are committed to tackling stigma, promoting equity and creating a community where people’s skills, strengths and aspirations are always recognised and valued.

About the role

The Executive Director will be a values-driven leader, able to guide Hillside Clubhouse through its next phase of development and ensure that co-production, equity and lived experience remain fully embedded in their work. The new Executive Director will refresh Hillside’s strategy, identifying new opportunities for development whilst ensuring that member voices are at the heart of all major decisions. This role requires a balance of visionary leadership and an agile, diplomatic mindset that remains responsive to the evolving needs of members.

A central priority for the incoming Executive Director will be business development. They will have the ability to secure and diversify income streams, strengthening existing partnerships and identifying new opportunities. Hillside is looking for an innovative leader who can find areas for growth that align with their value-driven approach. A key focus area for the incoming Executive Director will be developing a fundraising strategy that ensures the long-term viability of the organisation.

The Executive Director will be responsible for amplifying Hillside’s presence externally, developing strong relationships in Islington and across London. As an outward-facing leader, the post-holder will have a deep understanding of the health and social care landscape, with the ability to develop Hillside’s relationships with key commissioners, funders and partners. Remaining receptive to

the experiences of members and frontline staff, the Executive Director will channel the voice of Hillside’s community, allowing them to shape the services that are delivered within Hillside and beyond.

Hillside is looking for a visible, approachable Executive Director with a strong presence in the Clubhouse environment, a relational leader who can forge connections with members and the wider team. The Director will also have a robust understanding of charity governance and the ability to build a strong relationship with the Board.

Please click 'Redirect to recruiter’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the job description and register your interest to apply.

Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Wednesday 7th January.

This role supports Kate Varah, as Executive Assistant to the Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive (EAED), providing proactive, discreet, senior-level support within a busy office and theatre environment.

The EAED will support Kate in delivering their role efficiently and effectively, focusing on significant and complex diary management to ensure smart and strategic prioritisation. They will source and / or draft correspondence, research notes, speeches and briefings as needed; develop, implement, and maintain systems as necessary; arrange local, national and international travel; co-ordinate the sector-wide leadership network that the NT provides administration support to; support a collaborative and values-driven working atmosphere within a dynamic environment.

As an engaged and diplomatic communicator, they would act as first point of contact for all matters relating to the ED, working in partnership with colleagues in the Directors’ Office, Senior Leadership Team, and more widely across the organisation, as well as with artists and external parties. The EAED would be trusted to support or lead on projects as required, and act as an effective bridge for all relevant communications to ensure Executive awareness and involvement as necessary.

The successful candidates will have the following:  

• Experience in an assistant role within an Executive-level environment (corporate or charity sector)
• Exceptional written and administrative skills, with a focus complex and strategic diary management
• Excellent communication (in all mediums), interpersonal, and organisational skills, including building and maintaining key relationships in a senior space
• Proven experience in safeguarding sensitive and confidential information accordingly, with a core understanding of prioritisation
• Experience in minuting and report drafting

If that sounds like you, then we would love to hear from you!

The closing date for the receipt of a completed application is Monday 19th January 2026 at 12 noon

Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) is the UK’s leading celebration of Arab arts and cultures. We are a small team that delivers huge impact - rooted in Liverpool’s communities yet connected to artists and audiences across the world. Our work is grounded in representation, collaboration, and exchange, bringing Arab creativity and perspectives to the heart of the UK’s cultural landscape.

As Chief Executive Officer, you will lead this unique organisation through a pivotal period of transition and renewal. Working closely with the Board, staff team, freelance workers, artists, communities and partners, you will provide strategic, financial, artistic and cultural leadership - ensuring that LAAF continues to thrive in an increasingly complex political, social, and financial climate. This is a deeply rewarding role that calls for someone who is rigorous, transparent, and community-minded; someone who understands both the practical challenges of running an arts organisation and a live festival, year-round events and engagement projects, and the responsibility of representing communities whose stories matter.

The ideal candidate will be ready to immerse themselves in the relationships and networks that keep LAAF alive, and to lead with creativity, care, and conviction.

Could you use your fundraising and leadership skills to support the movement to end homelessness in Greater Manchester?

This is a unique opportunity to lead an organisation that has grown rapidly in terms of brand, visibility and most importantly, impact. Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity exists to ensure homelessness has no place in our city region. Since launching in 2019, they've raised millions to fund emergency responses like A Bed Every Night and are now scaling impact by growing emphasis on prevention and systemic change. Backed by the Mayor of Greater Manchester as Patron, they bring business, civic and community partners together to deliver practical solutions and champion innovation.

Salary: £50k
Location: Hybrid (based in and around Greater Manchester)
Contract: Permanent, full-time (37.5 hours per week)
Benefits: 33 days holiday (including bank) + Christmas closure, statutory employer pension contribution

About the role

There's something extra special about Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity - uniquely positioned as a connector of people and places, with the ability to be agile and move at pace due to their small, but mighty make-up.

You'll report to an engaged and proactive Chair and Board of Trustees and lead a small, committed team, to ensure strong governance, financial sustainability and measurable impact.

First and foremost, this job is about fundraising, so you'll need to get excited by the prospect of rolling your sleeves up, engaging with high-value supporters and 'doing the doing'.As CEO, we'll be looking for you to:

• Shape strategic direction and drive innovation across emergency response and prevention.
• Deliver high-impact income generation as fundraising lead (focused on corporates and philanthropists), building and delivering a sustainable pipeline.
• Champion our inclusive approach to grant-making and growing our portfolio of trants.
• Act as a respected voice in the homelessness sector, convening stakeholders and influencing policy.
• Embed a values-led culture that is Pioneering, Accountable, Collaborative and Effective.

About You

We're looking for a strategic, values-driven leader who can inspire supporters and deliver results. This might be your first CEO role, but we'll be looking for you to demonstrate:

• Proven leadership experience and the ability to build strong external relationships.
• Track-record in fundraising, income generation or partnership development.
• Financial acumen and experience managing budgets and a team.
• Exceptional communication skills and confidence in public speaking.
• Understanding of (or demonstrable commitment to) homelessness, housing and social justice.

Why is this a brilliant opportunity for me?

This is your chance to make a tangible difference in Greater Manchester, leading a high-profile charity that is ambitious and committed to ending homelessness. If you are looking for a supportive and collaborative Board and the opportunity to grow and develop your skills and experience alongside a charity that intends to continue evolving, then this one could absolutely be for you.

Just to be crystal clear, we welcome applications from first-time Chief Execs for this role.

How to Apply

All you need to do is send a copy of your CV or a draft profile over to Amelia Lee as the first step.

We're anticipating a high volume of applications for this role, so from there we'll be in touch with full application details if you meet the minimum skills and experience required.

Deadline: 9am on Monday 22nd December. However, please do get in touch ASAP if interested - we'll never close early, but it would be great to ensure you have enough time to apply around the busy Christmas period.

Interviews will be held mid-January, after the festive season - dates TBC soon.

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.

We are supporting an impactful national charity, helping marginalised young people to make and monetise music.

At a time of reduced public funding, mental health challenges, climate change, and the growth of AI, we believe their mission has never been more urgent. Music builds confidence, creativity and community and it can transform how young people understand themselves and their place in the world.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity for a strategic, inclusive leader who shares this belief to join the UK’s largest and leading young people’s music charity. We are searching for a Chief Executive who will boldly campaign for the charity’s mission, inspire colleagues, and play a key strategic role in shaping their next chapter.

Chief Executive

Salary: £100,000 - £110,000 + benefits

Location: London, Southwark office- Hybrid working

We’re seeking a senior leader with a proven track record in securing major partnerships, grants, or donations, ideally from a charity, foundation, or similar organisation. You’ll have experience across the creative, youth, education, or cultural sectors, with expertise in funding strategy, impact measurement, and working confidently with government. A key priority will be accelerating income growth by building strong, strategic relationships with funders, policymakers, and philanthropists.

Key responsibilities include:

· Lead and evolve the charity’s strategy, ensuring it reflects the organisation’s vision and values.

· Act as principal ambassador, advocating their mission with authority and authenticity.

· Model inclusive, values-driven leadership, promoting equity, wellbeing, creativity, and youth participation.

· Oversee long-term financial planning and budgeting with the COO and board.

· Drive digital transformation through strategic adoption of digital tools and technologies.

As Chief Executive, you’ll be an effective spokesperson, progressive thinker, and committed advocate for grassroots youth music, able to connect with people from all backgrounds. If you bring energy, belief in young people, and a passion for music, we’d love to hear from you.

How to Apply
To apply for the role, please upload your CV together with a supporting statement (of no more than 1000 words) onto the Prospectus website.

Please ensure that you have included a telephone number, as well as any dates when you will not be available or might have difficulty with the recruitment timetable.   

If you would like to have an informal conversation about the role, please contact us for more information. 
 
At Prospectus we believe passionately that a truly inclusive workplace leads to increased social impact. We are committed to supporting our clients build more inclusive teams. To understand how we are performing, we ask that you kindly complete the brief equal opportunities questionnaire when you submit your application via our website. Please be assured that your responses are kept confidential, separate from your candidate record, are not part of any application you make, and that the consultants never see individual responses to the questionnaire.

Recruitment Timetable

Deadline for applications: Sunday 4th January (midnight) 2026

Interviews with Prospectus: 12-23 January

Interviews with the charity: 2-13 February

This is an exciting opportunity to steer Asylum Aid at an important time in its 30-year existence. As Executive Director you will be responsible for delivering on our strategy for impact. You will oversee our work to increase access to expert, trauma-informed legal representation to those in the asylum, trafficking and statelessness systems and lead our policy and strategic legal work to achieve systemic change that contributes towards our vision.

You will line manage the Director of Legal Casework to oversee the provision of supportive and enabling leadership to Asylum Aid caseworkers so that they can continue to deliver high quality expert advice in complex cases, while being supported in their professional development and wellbeing. You will also manage and develop the work of our welfare advice team within the Westminster Advice Services Partnership and beyond, and work collaboratively with colleagues in the sector to build capacity and increase our impact. 

The ideal candidate, who may be legally qualified, will have experience of leadership in the charity/NGO sector and a sound understanding of the asylum, human rights and trafficking processes in the UK and the legal frameworks which govern the protection of refugees, survivors of trafficking and stateless people, and of the role of law in achieving system change.

We are looking for someone who is strategically minded and passionate about providing supportive and inclusive leadership to our expert team. You will be committed to our objectives and to the role which expert legal representation plays in enabling people in need of protection in the UK to obtain it.

As is the nature of this sector, the role may be exposed to a high volume of traumatic and distressing material and, whilst they will be supported by the Helen Bamber Foundation Group CEO and surrounding team, the candidate should also be able to demonstrate knowledge of good self-care principles in an intense work environment and dissemination of those principles to junior members of the team.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and strategy

·Be responsible, with the support of the Helen Bamber Foundation Group CEO, for the development, implementation and monitoring of Asylum Aid’s organisational strategy

·Provide leadership and strategic direction at Asylum Aid in accordance with its aims and objectives, with the support of the Director of Legal Casework

·Act as external spokesperson for Asylum Aid, maintaining and strengthening Asylum Aid’s position as a leader in the refugee rights, statelessness and legal aid sectors;

·Work collaboratively with others in the sector to promote and strengthen Asylum Aid’s work, identify and establish potential partnerships, with the support of the Director of Legal Casework;

·Work collaboratively with the Helen Bamber Foundation Group CEO and Executive Leadership team to drive the implementation of the Group strategic framework;

·Ensure that all reporting and monitoring requirements are met to support fundraising, contract compliance and monitoring strategic impact;

·Support the cross collaboration of the Asylum Aid team with the Helen Bamber Foundation team and play an active part in the management of the Helen Bamber Foundation Group.

Governance  

·Act as the Data Protection Supervisor with responsibility for data protection and cyber security within Asylum Aid

·Together with the Helen Bamber Foundation Group CEO and designated safeguarding leads, be responsible for child and adult safeguarding within Asylum Aid

·In collaboration with the Director of Legal Casework, ensure compliance by Asylum Aid with all legal and regulatory obligations, including the Legal Aid Agency contract, the Immigration Advice Authority and Solicitors Regulation Authority;

·Lead on the preparation and presentation of quarterly reports on Asylum Aid’s activities, strategy and risks to the Asylum Aid Board, the Finance and Fundraising Committee and the People and Governance Committee;

·Lead on the preparation of the Trustees’ annual report and ensure that monitoring and evaluation systems are adequate to enable reporting on Asylum Aid’s activities and impact.

Management and Supervision 

·Responsible for line management of the Director of Legal Casework and Welfare Advice service coordinator, and other team supervisors as required;

·Together with the Group Director of People, responsible for Human Resources and implementation of the People Strategy within Asylum Aid, including development and implementation of HR policies and procedures;

·Together with the Director of Legal Casework and team supervisors, drive the effective management and supervision of the Asylum Aid team and ensure that they comply with relevant professional standards and accreditation;

·Foster a supportive and inclusive team culture at Asylum Aid in which each member feels valued and supported to develop professionally and to perform to the best of their ability;

·Ensure the team’s well-being and that self-care practices are established and work in tandem with the Director of Legal Casework and supervisors to ensure trauma-informed ways of working.

Policy & Strategic Legal Work

·Together with the Group Director of Policy, identify policy priorities and coordinate the preparation of evidence and briefings drawing on Asylum Aid’s experience and expertise to influence system change;

·Build and maintain relationships and partnerships with sector colleagues to support joint strategic engagement including policy advocacy and strategic legal work;

·Work closely with the Director of Legal Casework and team supervisors to drive changes in the UK asylum, trafficking and statelessness systems through strategic legal work.

Finance & Fundraising

·Work closely with the CEO and the Helen Bamber Foundation Group Finance Team to set and manage budget(s) and general financial matters for Asylum Aid

·Together with the Director of Legal Casework and the Group Finance Team, establish systems for monitoring legal aid Work In Progress and billing, and securing casework income including legal aid, and inter partes income from judicial review cases;

·Work closely with the Helen Bamber Foundation Group Fundraising and Communications Team to secure funding for Asylum Aid from a range of sources including trusts and foundations, corporate philanthropy and major donors;

·Ensure that Legal Aid and other income is maximised, and targets are achieved.                                   

Other duties

·Manage the recruitment and supervision of volunteers where necessary in collaboration with the Helen Bamber Foundation Group Volunteers Coordinator;

·Support the Helen Bamber Foundation Group Facilities team to ensure the smooth running of the office and that the facilities meet the needs of Asylum Aid;

·Work outside normal office hours as required and travel in order to carry out the responsibilities of the post.

·To undertake any task that may be requested from time to time that may be consistent with the nature and scope of this post.

Essential Experience, Skills and Knowledge

•Experience of running a small to medium sized charity/legal NGO and/or legal department within the NGO sector (or other equivalent senior management role);

•Demonstrable experience of managing and leading a successful team and the ability to manage a growing team with mixed roles from team supervisors to administrative support staff, working co-operatively with colleagues to maintain transparency and effective working relationships within the team;

•Strong communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with people from a wide range of backgrounds

•Strong understanding of good governance including legal, regulatory and financial responsibilities;

•Ability to work with a range of stakeholders from trustees to external partners;

•Experience of leading and/or participating in organisational strategic planning;

·Experience of legal policy work within the human rights field and /or of strategic litigation, whether as an NGO claimant or legal representative;

•Experience of managing diverse funding sources and setting and implementing budgets;

•Experience of working in a service delivery partnership with other organisations;

•Experience of fundraising, especially grants from trusts and foundations;

•Sound working knowledge of the law and policy as it relates to immigration,  asylum, human rights and modern slavery/trafficking;

•Demonstrable understanding of the asylum and human rights sector in the UK;

•An understanding of the barriers migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers face regarding access to legal advice, reasons why they may become destitute and why this makes it more difficult to access advice and support; and

•The passion for working empathetically and supportively with migrants, refugees, stateless people and asylum seekers.

Desirable Experience

·Experience of managing the delivery of frontline casework with people in the asylum or trafficking systems

·Experience of tendering for and delivering publicly funded contracts e.g. LAA or local authority funding;

·Working knowledge of Legal Aid Agency contracts, including the delivery of casework and billing under a legal aid contract in the immigration and asylum category and/or the public law category;

How to apply 

The first stage is to complete on our online application form on our website by 10am on Monday 26th January 2026.

The website form will ask you to:

1.Upload a short covering letter. Please tell us why the position appeals to you, and how your relevant skills and experience, including any voluntary experience and lived experience, matches the listed responsibilities and person specification. Please also state in your covering letter when you would be available to start the role.

2.Upload your current CV

3.Complete an online Equal Opportunities monitoring form – completion of this form will help us ensure that our recruitment procedures operate in such a way as to provide genuine equality of opportunity. The questions are entirely optional, and this information will not be available to members of the selection panel.

For an informal conversation about the post before applying, please contact Alison Pickup, the current Executive Director.

Selection Process

We will invite candidates to an initial online interview on Tuesday 10th or Wednesday 11th February, followed by shortlisted candidates attending in-person interviews at our office in Old Street on Tuesday 24th or Wednesday 25th February.

We offer a guaranteed initial interview for refugees, stateless people and others with lived experience of forced migration, provided that they provide some evidence of relevant experience or skills in relation to the essential criteria.

We regret that we can only respond to applicants who make it to the interview stage.

Eligibility

Please note that the successful candidate must have the right to work in the UK (as a small charity we do not have the capacity to sponsor work visas).

Successful candidates will also be subject to a basic DBS check. If appointed, you will also be required to give your consent to the charity to receive regular updates on your criminal records status throughout your employment and to disclose any relevant convictions incurred during your time with us.

Adjustments

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always endeavour to be as accommodating as possible. If you require a different format of the application form, such as large print or Word format, or if you would like to discuss any specific requirements, please get in touch with us.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Our commitment to principles of equity, diversity and inclusion is an integral part of our approach to our clients, our volunteers and our staff, and we are an equal opportunities and Living Wage employer.

We are committed to attracting and recruiting diverse candidates because we are keen to make sure that our staff, trustees, volunteers and ambassadors reflect the communities we serve and the wider community we work in.

We genuinely welcome and encourage applications from candidates from a range of backgrounds, especially people of colour, people with disabilities, people from low socio-economic backgrounds, refugees, stateless people and others with lived experience of forced migration or trauma and of the housing and welfare system, who are under-represented in our organisation.

We recognise and value the role of lived experience in meeting the needs of our clients and acknowledge the under-representation of people with lived experience of forced migration and statelessness in the advice sector. We value experience gained overseas as well as in the UK.

We are also proud to be a member of the Experts by Experience Employment Network which aims to increase representation of people with lived experience in the charitable sector.

If you are an expert by experience (a refugee or a migrant with direct, first-hand experience of issues and challenges of the UK asylum or immigration system), you can ask for an independent and confidential support for your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network and access other information and resources which may help in preparing your job application.

Please complete the form on their website to request support and they will confirm if they can match you with a mentor to support your application.

Our client see a Britain where refugees find safety and have a fair chance to rebuild purposeful, happy lives, contributing to our communities. It is a vision rooted in dignity and shaped by the belief that everyone deserves the chance to live in stability and to thrive. Now, the organisation will appoint a new Executive Director of Fundraising & Digital and Prospectus is proud to lead the search.

Executive Director of Fundraising & Digital
£90,000
Permanent
Hybrid from the Stratford, London office, with travel to services as and when needed
Interviews beginning w/c 2nd February

The Executive Director of Fundraising & Digital is a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, responsible for ensuring the organisation's financial growth, supporter engagement, and digital transformation. This role provides strategic leadership across fundraising, digital platforms, brand, and supporter experience, ensuring these functions deliver ambitious income targets, expand public reach, and align with the organisation’s mission and values. The Executive Director builds and leads a high performing Fundraising and Digital directorate, fostering a culture of empowerment, innovation, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The selected candidate will have extensive senior leadership experience in fundraising and income generation, with a proven track record of delivering significant income growth across multiple fundraising streams. You will also have significant experience of brand development and/or guardianship, ensuring consistency and impact across channels. The selected candidate will also need to demonstrate considerable evidence of driving innovation in fundraising and digital campaigns.

At Prospectus we invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you with your application. We welcome candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds. Please let us know if we can help you with the application process in any way. We are more than happy to make any reasonable adjustments to enable all interested candidates to apply. If you have any disability and would like assistance with completing an application then please contact Ryan Burdock at Prospectus.

If you are interested in applying to this Executive Director of Fundraising & Digital position, please submit your CV in the first instance. Should your experience be suitable, we will send you the full job description and will arrange for a call and/or meeting to brief you on the role. You’ll then have all the information you need to formally apply. We are looking forward to connecting with you soon.

Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) is a pioneering, purpose-driven charity at the forefront of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). For over 35 years, we’ve delivered world-class, pre-hospital emergency care across Kent, Surrey and Sussex—responding to over 3,000 incidents last year alone and saving countless lives. Operating 24/7, 365 days a year, our highly skilled, multi-disciplinary team uses cutting-edge technology and medical innovation to reach patients in under 30 minutes, wherever they are in our region.

KSS is a complex and ambitious people centred, and values led charity with a unique culture across clinical, aviation, fundraising, marketing and communications, and corporate services. With a daily operating cost of £57K and 91% of our total income raised through public generosity, we are proud to be one team with one purpose – saving lives and ensuring the best possible patient outcomes. Our headquarters at Rochester Airport and aircraft base at Redhill Aerodrome enable the delivery of the highest standards of pre-hospital emergency care across our communities, helping us reach more patients and save more lives.

We are now seeking a strategic, values-driven Executive Director of Corporate Services to join Team KSS—a highly collaborative, expert team united by our vision of an end of preventable loss of life from medical emergency. This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of one of the world’s leading air ambulance charities.

Executive Director of Corporate Services

Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS)

Across Rochester, Kent and Redhill, Surrey, with flexible working considered

Circa £110,000 full time equivalent, with four day a week working considered

The role

It’s an exciting time for KSS as we refresh our strategy and take bold, collaborative action to reach more patients, improve more outcomes and save more lives. As Executive Director of Corporate Services, you’ll lead a broad portfolio of strategic and operational functions to support the delivery of the strategic plan and our lifesaving service. You’ll work closely with the Chief Executive and Board of Trustees, supported by a talented team and expert advisors, to ensure KSS remains a well-run, ethical, and innovative organisation. No matter the role at KSS, everyone is fearless and tireless in fighting to save even more lives.

About you

We are seeking a highly collaborative, financially competent leader, with:

·Commercial acumen with proven experience at a senior leadership level in treasury and finance management, budgeting and business planning

· A track record of working in innovative and ambitious environments, through a highly supportive and collaborative approach

· Experience of identifying, planning for and delivering new opportunities and efficiencies that maximise organisational-wide effectiveness.

Crucially you will be inspired by our critical work to save the lives of the thousands of people across our communities every year and our vision of an end to preventable loss of life from medical emergency.

Inclusion

KSS is committed to creating an equal, diverse and truly inclusive culture where everyone feels welcome and able to be their authentic selves. We believe that everyone has the right to live without fear or prejudice, and be treated fairly, and with respect and dignity regardless of sex, race, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, background or religion or belief and we welcome applications from those with protected characteristics.

How to Apply

For further information, to access the appointment brief and to apply to this role, please visit the Prospectus website.

If you have any queries or wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact our retained advisors Anna Gardet or Erica Ritchie. 

Recruitment Timetable 

Deadline for applications:  Monday 19th January 2026

Interviews with Prospectus: 26th – 30th January 2026

Engagement meetings with KSS: 4th February 2026

Interviews with KSS: w/c 9th February 2026

Can you help us keep changing lives and breaking the cycle of reoffending for good? With demand for our work continuing to grow, we are excited to be welcoming a Fundraising Manager to join our team.

In this role you’ll work closely with our CEO and operations team to deliver our annual fundraising targets, focusing on trusts and foundations, major donor and corporate giving and the occasional fundraising event/external opportunity.

We are a small staff team with a large cohort of volunteers and we are all passionate and committed to our mission to stop reoffending and ensuring the best outcomes for the men we support.  We don’t have an office and staff are either home based or work in one of the prisons, depending on their role.  We stay connected through regular team meetings (online and in person), 1-1 line management support and ongoing training. This post would be home based but you will need to be able to travel to attend occasional meetings in London, West Midlands and Oxfordshire.

This is new role for Trailblazers, and we are looking for someone whose values align with the charities and believes in the impact of our work. You will be proactive, a good communicator, with a talent for building relationships and full of ideas.  You will be experienced in all aspects of trusts and foundations fundraising which is the main source of income for the charity.  Experience of diversifying income streams, major donor/corporate giving and creative ways of engaging new and existing donors would also be required.  You’ll have the freedom to shape and implement your own systems and processes and lead on developing a fundraising strategy, with full support from the CEO and wider team.