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Julie’s Bicycle is seeking a visionary, collaborative and values-led Chief Executive to lead the organisation into its next chapter.

About Julie’s Bicycle

Julie’s Bicycle is a pioneering not-for-profit organisation mobilising the arts and culture sectors to take action on the climate crisis. For nearly two decades, we have been at the forefront of the creative climate movement, working to put culture and creativity at the heart of climate action. We believe culture has the power to challenge, inspire and move people; to shape how we think, feel and act; and to help transform our future now.

Our work brings together cultural and environmental expertise to support practical action, build leadership, inform policy and strengthen collective impact. Through our programmes, tools, training, consultancy, campaigns and partnerships, we support artists, creative organisations, policymakers and changemakers to respond to the climate, nature and justice crises with confidence, imagination and purpose. To date, Julie’s Bicycle has worked with thousands of organisations and individuals, in the UK and globally, helping to equip people, places and policies with the knowledge and power to drive sustainable change.

Why this opportunity has arisen

This is a defining moment for Julie’s Bicycle. After 19 years of inspirational founding leadership, our Founder and Chief Executive, Alison Tickell, is stepping down from the role. As we approach our 20th anniversary, Julie’s Bicycle is renewing its strategy and theory of change. The climate, nature and justice crises continue to evolve, and so too must the leadership, partnerships and solutions needed to create meaningful change. This creates a significant opportunity for a new Chief Executive to honour a powerful legacy while shaping a bold, clear and ambitious next chapter for the organisation.

What we are looking for

We are looking for an exceptional Chief Executive who can provide strategic and organisational leadership, strengthen Julie’s Bicycle’s voice and influence, and ensure the organisation continues to deliver impact at the intersection of culture and climate. The successful candidate will work closely with an experienced Board and dedicated staff team to refine and deliver our next phase of strategy, sharpen our priorities, build sustainable income and communicate our distinctive value with clarity and conviction.

This is both an outward-facing and deeply organisational role. Externally, our next Chief Executive will be a visible and credible advocate across culture, climate and environmental networks, able to build partnerships, engage funders and policymakers, convene people around shared purpose, and speak persuasively about the role of arts and culture in responding to the climate crisis. Internally, they will inspire, empower and support a talented and values-led team, strengthening leadership capability, systems, decision-making and accountability while protecting the inclusive, creative and collaborative culture that makes Julie’s Bicycle special.

We are keen to hear from experienced senior leaders with a track record of organisational and people leadership, strategic development, partnership building and income generation. We expect our CEO to demonstrate a strong understanding of the relationship between culture, climate and wider social and environmental change, and to bring a deep knowledge and experience of the UK cultural landscape and key institutions and stakeholders, and/or a deep knowledge and experience of national and international climate policy and advocacy environments. However, we are also keen to hear from you if you are passionate about the intersection of culture and climate/environmental issues, but would benefit from a period of phased support to fully immerse yourself in the breadth of issues, sectors and contexts in which JB operates.  

This is an opportunity to lead a pioneering organisation with purpose and ambition: protecting what makes Julie’s Bicycle distinctive, strengthening the foundations that will help it thrive, and turning the power of culture into meaningful and lasting climate action.

To learn more about the opportunity and how to apply, please download the full appointment brief.

Closing Date:  18 October 2026

People Beyond Profit Conversations:  22 October2026 - 5 November 2026

JB Interviews:

First stage:  12 November 2026

Second stage:  19 November 2026

Board Member

Flexible, with mix of online and in person meetings in Gloucester

£5,000 per annum and relevant training

Time commitment for the role will be up to two days per month, which will vary. This includes preparation for, and attendance at, the following annual meetings:

• Eight Committee meetings (mix of face-to-face and MS Teams)

• Four Board meetings (MS Teams)

• Up to four Strategic Planning and Board Development days (face-to-face, including one overnight stay)

Supporting around 12,500 customers in more than 5,000 homes across Gloucester, everything we do is focused on helping people and communities thrive. We work together to provide safe, secure homes and deliver services that make a positive difference to people’s lives.

Do our values and purpose resonate with you? Could you bring a fresh perspective to our boardroom? We’re looking for two new non-Executive Directors to join us as Board Members and help shape our future and build on our successes.

We’re looking for people with different experiences and viewpoints. One role will be a GCH customer, or someone with recent lived experience of social housing. The other is for someone with strong local knowledge and a real connection to Gloucester. In both roles, you’ll use your insight and experience to support, challenge and influence our decision making.

We’re particularly interested in hearing from people with skills or experience in cyber security, digital and data, property maintenance or asset management.

You may be reading this and thinking you're not a 'typical' Board Member. That's exactly why we'd like to hear from you. You don't need previous Board experience or a corporate background. What matters most is your ability to think strategically, ask the right questions and share your perspective. We'll provide a full induction, training and ongoing support.

We're committed to having a Board that reflects the diverse communities we serve. Different backgrounds, experiences and viewpoints help us make better decisions for our customers and our organisation.

An interest in housing and the challenges facing the sector would be helpful, but it's not essential. What's most important is a commitment to putting customers at the heart of decision-making and sharing our values of Pride, Quality, Integrity and Innovation.

Why GCH?

We're not a typical housing association. We have deep roots in Gloucester and a strong ambition to make a lasting positive impact on our communities. We're committed to building a healthy, inclusive organisation that treats people with respect and creates opportunities for everyone.

We have an ambitious five-year strategy and continue to evolve in response to changing customer needs, new regulations and a rapidly changing environment. Strong governance is vital to our success, helping us achieve our vision of creating homes and communities where people can thrive.

Your Application

Thank you for your interest in joining our Board.

Whether you’re a customer, have recent lived experience of social housing, or bring strong local knowledge and professional skills, we’re excited to hear from you. Whatever your background, you’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to an organisation at the heart of Gloucester’s communities.

The following will give you more information about GCH, our work and our ambitions, helping you decide whether this could be the right opportunity for you and supporting you with your application.

We’d like to learn more about you, including your skills, experience and knowledge, what motivates you to apply and how your values align with ours.

To help us do this, please complete our online application form and where possible, send us a short supporting video. We’d love to hear in your own words why you’re interested in joining the Board and what you’d bring to the role. 

We recognise providing a video might not be possible or comfortable for everyone. If you’re unable to submit one, please contact the recruitment team to discuss an alternative way of sharing this information.

We’re committed to building a Board that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We know there’s more to do, and we’re actively working to ensure a wider range of voices, experiences and perspectives are represented. If you require this pack in an alternative format or need any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

We’ll review applications as they’re received, so we encourage you to apply as early as possible.

Interviews

• Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an informal Microsoft Teams call with a small panel of colleagues and customers during the week before final interviews

• Final interviews will take place in person on Monday 2 November, at our Gloucester Hub

If you’re not available on these dates, please let us know in your application.

Meetings

Successful candidates will formally join our Board in January 2027. Before then, we’d like new Board Members to attend as observers at our Board Performance Meeting - Wednesday 18 November 2026 and Strategic Planning & Development Day - Wednesday 9 December 2026.

We look forward to learning more about you and discussing this opportunity further

We have multiple roles at different levels for an upcoming project.

We're partnering with a well-respected public sector organisation to appoint an experienced HR Change Consultant to support the delivery of a significant organisational change programme. This is an excellent opportunity for a change professional who is comfortable leading complex consultation processes, influencing senior stakeholders, and ensuring organisational change is delivered in a fair, compliant and people-focused way.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support organisational change initiatives including restructures, service redesign and workforce transformation programmes.
• Manage collective and individual consultation processes from planning through to implementation.
• Provide expert advice on employment law, redundancy, redeployment and organisational change matters.
• Build strong relationships with senior leaders, managers and trade union representatives.
• Develop business cases, change documentation, consultation materials and communications.
• Support risk management, governance and decision-making throughout the change lifecycle.
• Ensure all activity is delivered in line with legislation, organisational policy and best practice.

Essential Experience

✅ CIPD qualified

✅ Significant experience leading complex organisational change programmes

✅ Strong consultation management experience, including collective consultation

✅ Previous experience within the Public Sector (Local Government, NHS, Higher Education, Central Government or wider public bodies)

✅ Experience working in unionised environments and engaging with Trade Unions

✅ Sound knowledge of employment law, organisational change, redeployment and redundancies

✅ Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

What's on Offer?

• Opportunity to work on a high-profile transformation programme.
• Influence strategic workforce and organisational design decisions.
• Collaborative and purpose-driven public sector environment.
• Hybrid working arrangement.

🔥 Ideal for experienced HR Change Managers, Senior HR Business Partners, Organisational Development Consultants, or Workforce Transformation specialists looking to make an immediate impact.

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