Director Jobs

Summary

The newly scoped CEO role in our vision-focussed charity is one of many challenges. Despite having doubled its outputs in the last 2 years, the charity acknowledges there is still a great job of work to do to prepare itself for even greater demand in its services - without necessarily a proportionate increase in its budgets. This role is about leading and enabling the incredible team of people on to even greater levels of already-strong performance. So we're looking for an accomplished leader and not just a great manager. We're looking for someone who can lead from both the front - and from within. This will be someone who is as comfortable sitting and engaging with our beneficiaries - primarily homeless people and those with previous convictions, as they are creating and delivering highly polished, compelling public event and funder and stakeholder-focussed presentations. We are looking for someone who understands the balance of external and internal focus required to ensure both good governance and team wellbeing (as they work in often challenging circumstances) and the ambition to keep developing existing and new external partnerships. With a strong start to its ambitious Corporate Partnership programme, commercial and/or business experience is highly desirable as well as a proven track record in creating and optimising new funding channels.

In more detail

About Us

The Upper Room (TUR) works with a wide range of financially and socially disadvantaged groups including homeless people, people with long-term mental health conditions, asylum-seekers, refugees and ex-offenders – helping them to improve their lives and become productive members of society. Central to our offering is our UR4Meals service, providing free, home-cooked food to people who cannot afford to provide for themselves. We are also very proud of our UR4Driving programme, which supports people recently out of prison with free driving lessons in exchange for community volunteering. Gaining a driving licence greatly enhances their future employability prospects and helps break the cycle of re-offending. Additionally, our UR4Jobs project focusses on both client wellbeing and breaking down the many barriers to employment faced by disadvantaged people every day.

The role

Is leading the charity through its next phases of development as it prepares itself for year on year increases in demand with a focus on delivering the charity’s future resilience plan (Project 12/25). The CEO is accountable for overall charity performance (financial, operational, governance, compliance), team (paid and volunteer) support and development. Additionally, there are a wide range of community and external partner relationships to manage and develop. Ultimately this role sets the tone for the charity, one of both compassion and ambition to improve the lives of the people who need us. This is primarily an on-site role, with occasional opportunity to work flexibly.

About You

You have a stable CV that demonstrates you have built and led successful teams and enabled growth and/or transformation for your organisation – ideally in an equivalent charity/non-profit environment. You can evidence strong team leadership and results across a wide range of business functions which will need to include income generation, managing budgets and business operations. You live within - or know well, West/Central London, are passionate about improving the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people and can lead multi-functional teams through a blend of 121 coaching, training and ensuring a ‘we can do this’ culture across the charity. You are an accomplished and visionary public speaker and presenter, able to articulate both the journey we’re undertaking and the support/input we need to get there.

Are you passionate about alleviating poverty and seeing communities transformed? 

Do you have experience in volunteer and project management? 

Aim of the role:

To head up an exciting charity on the Barton estate, leading volunteers and managing projects to meet the needs of the local community. 

About Love Barton 

Love Barton is a faith based charity established in 2022 to tackle systemic issues that keep people and families in poverty and to release them to flourish in all areas of life, focused on the Barton estate on the outskirts of Oxford. 

The charity originally grew from Barton Community Church and continues to operate in close partnership with this Church. 

About the Role

The focus of the role is to lead Love Barton during the Charity Manager’s maternity leave, managing the existing projects detailed below, as well as working with the Trustees on fundraising. 

Projects

Health & Wellbeing: 

Hear4You is a listening service set up to support people in the community who are struggling emotionally. We receive referrals from our local GP surgery and people are matched with a volunteer listener for up to twelve 1-2-1 sessions. 

We also run an emergency foodbank twice a week in partnership with CEF , and are in the process of setting up a pantry in partnership with Mercy in Action to support 25 struggling families with ongoing food poverty support. This will be delivered by volunteers but will need general oversight from you. 

Your job would be to:

• Recruit, train and support volunteers

• Manage these projects to ensure they run smoothly and safely

Youth:

Know Your Worth is an eight week self esteem course for teenage girls run twice a year for local young people followed by 6-12 months of mentoring. We have a small team of volunteer mentors and a trained volunteer leader who runs the course. 

We are also setting up regular opportunities to gather the girls who have completed the Know Your Worth course for ongoing support. 

Your job would be:

• Support the Know Your Worth Leader (volunteer role) in organising and running our Know Your Worth course for teenage girls, overseeing sign ups, communications with families, safeguarding and health & safety.

• Recruit, train and support volunteer mentors to ensure mentoring programme runs effectively and safely. 

• Develop and manage our monthly/termly sessions for those who have attended a Know Your Worth course

Flourishing Families:

In response to local need, we want to provide support for families before they reach crisis points. We do this through 1-2-1 pastoral support and the Kids Matter Parenting courses as well as hosting seasonal family events and a weekly toddler group that’s run in partnership with Barton Community Church. 

Your job would be:

• To provide and coordinate targeted pastoral care to individual families in need. 

• To organise and deliver a termly, seasonal community event ideally in partnership with other local groups and organisations

Other key tasks/responsibilities 

• Enable the work, relationships and partnerships of Love Barton to continue and, expand the reach, visibility and community integration of the charity 

• Network with other key providers and stakeholders in Barton and attend community meetings to represent Love Barton 

• Work with the trustees to identify funding streams to sustain the role and projects

• Lead all recruitment, training and management of volunteers including ensuring safeguarding training and DBS certificates are up to date 

• Line-manage any sessional staff

• Manage the budgets for each project, evaluating outcomes and supporting the reporting to funders and trustees 

• Meet regularly with the BCC leadership team to ensure a close partnership 

• Attend regular supervision and commit to personal development 

Who we’re looking for

The successful applicant will be

• Passionate about alleviating poverty and seeing people thrive

• A leader, able to inspire and motivate others but also a team player

• Compassionate and empathetic - able to understand the needs of the community

• Someone with strong people skills; able to build authentic relationships with community members as well as with funders, church leaders and key service providers

• Able to communicate effectively with people and relate to groups of different ages and backgrounds 

• Experienced in managing people, particularly volunteers 

• Experienced in serving people in disadvantaged communities (experience focussed in one or more of the following areas: family support, community work, pastoral care, youth work) 

• Strong in organisational skills and the ability to self-motivate and manage time effectively 

• Committed to self-care and ongoing personal development 

• Knowledgeable and experienced in safeguarding and DBS policy and practice

Essential

• There is a genuine occupational requirement for the holder of this post to be a practising Christian. 

• Right to work in the UK

• The post requires an enhanced DBS check

Closing date: Friday 4th October 12pm

Interviews: Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th October

Open to a mid December or beginning of January (2025) start.