Executive director jobs in Islington, surrey

What does it take to lead the national voice for special schools at a time of real change?

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – National Association of Special Schools (NASS)

National – home-based, with regular travel across England and Wales, particularly London

£90,000–£110,000 per annum

Full-time, permanent.

About NASS 

The National Association of Special Schools (NASS) is the membership association for special schools in England and Wales. We bring together independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, special academies, maintained special schools and multi-academy trusts with specialist provision.

We exist to inform, support and represent our members, helping specialist schools improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND and secure the place of specialist provision within the wider education system. NASS is known for being accessible, responsive and personal, combining national influence with practical support that members value as timely, human and trustworthy.

This is a pivotal moment for the organisation. In February this year, the Department for Education published a major white paper on SEND reform which will require NASS to both influence national policy on behalf of our members and children and young people, as well as support them to navigate the changes. Our new CEO will need to review our strategy while building on our strong platform and momentum to further deepen our influence and strengthen our internal capacity.

As our next Chief Executive, you will:

• Strategy & Impact: Lead NASS through a period of policy and structural change, ensuring the organisation remains clear on purpose, responsive to members and influential in the SEND landscape.
• Governance & Finance: Work closely with the Board of Trustees to provide strong governance, prudent financial stewardship, robust risk management and clear strategic oversight.
• Operational Leadership: Provide confident leadership to a small, remote team, strengthening collaboration, accountability, resilience and a positive, high-trust culture.
• Income Generation: Oversee budgeting, planning and reporting while developing thoughtful opportunities to diversify income through membership, partnerships, events and related activity.
• Community & Partnerships: Build and sustain trusted relationships with government, parliament, regulators, sector bodies and member schools, ensuring NASS remains relevant and well connected.
• Member Services: Protect and enhance the practical offer to members, from briefings and special interest groups to conferences, webinars, training and peer-to-peer learning.
• Brand & Profile: Act as a credible public ambassador for NASS, helping to modernise communications and broaden the organisation’s voice beyond a founder-shaped model.
• Future Growth: Shape a distributed leadership profile and support a more varied, accessible and engaging approach to membership, advocacy and communications.
• A seasoned senior leader with experience in a charity, membership body, education or public sector setting, and a clear track record of leading through change.
• A strong strategic thinker, able to absorb complex information quickly and translate it into clear, practical direction.
• A confident communicator with the gravitas to represent NASS with members, staff, trustees, MPs, peers, media and national partners.
• A politically astute relationship-builder, comfortable navigating a complex and fast-moving external environment.
• Experienced in governance, with a sound understanding of working with boards or trustees and supporting effective decision-making.
• Numerate and commercially minded, with experience of budgets, financial planning, income generation or partnership development.
• Credible, approachable and resilient, with the emotional intelligence to lead well in a high-profile, remote and sometimes uncertain context.
• Direct SEND experience would be a significant advantage, alongside understanding of specialist education or similarly complex stakeholder environments.

Why NASS?

• This is a chance to lead a respected, member-led organisation with a strong national reputation and a clear public purpose.
• You will help shape the future of specialist education at a time when SEND reform is high on the agenda.
• NASS has a loyal, experienced and collegiate remote staff team, supported by an active Board of Trustees.
• The organisation offers a genuinely influential platform, with strong connections across the sector and with government.

Application

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 via 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 8th June 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.

Release Counselling and Therapy for Women is entering an exciting new chapter. 

Founded in Brighton and Hove in 2013, Release has grown from a small local charity into a financially robust organisation with a growing national reach. Under the leadership of our outgoing CEO, the charity has been transformed—moving from a challenging financial position to one with strong reserves, clear sustainability, and ambitious plans for growth. 

We now provide affordable 1:1 online counselling to women across the UK, alongside specialist group programmes supporting maternal mental health and key life transitions. One-to-one counselling is a core offer and a vital income stream, enabling us to extend our reach while staying true to our values. 

This period has also seen Release grow to working with over 20 dedicated volunteer counsellors, strengthening our capacity and community impact. 

As our CEO steps down, Release is ready for its next phase—building on strong foundations, amplifying our national impact, and remaining firmly rooted in our purpose: being a charity that supports women’s mental health, run by women, for women.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead one of the most distinctive and high-performing music, culture and arts organisations in England.

Newham Music is seeking an exceptional Chief Executive to lead the organisation through its next phase of development. The CEO will provide overall strategic, operational and cultural leadership, working closely with the Board of Trustees and senior team to ensure that Newham Music continues to deliver excellent work, strong partnerships, sound governance and long-term organisational resilience.

This is a substantial and visible leadership role. The successful candidate will need to lead confidently across strategy, people, finance, governance, safeguarding, partnerships and external representation. They will also need to combine public and cultural leadership with a clear understanding of organisational performance, financial discipline and delivery.

The incoming CEO will inherit an organisation with strong foundations, a respected reputation and significant reach across schools, communities and the wider cultural sector. They will also take on a live strategic brief. Key priorities will include sustaining trust and quality across the organisation, leading Newham Music’s positioning for the next Arts Council England investment cycle, strengthening long-term resilience, and developing a more diversified income base alongside public investment.

A central part of the role will be to lead Newham Music within a multi-income model. The successful candidate will need to show confidence in managing a mixed financial ecology that includes public grant funding, earned income, fundraising, sponsorship and wider partnership investment. They will be expected not only to protect existing income but to grow and diversify it.

This is a role for a leader who can think strategically, act decisively, build strong relationships and lead with credibility across multiple settings. The right candidate will understand how to balance ambition with judgement, public purpose with financial realism, and artistic and educational values with strong organisational performance.

We recognise that relatively few candidates will have direct senior experience of both the Music Hub model and the Arts Council England NPO framework. We do not require it. What we are looking for is the curiosity and capacity to understand both frameworks quickly, the leadership experience to operate confidently within them, and the credibility to represent Newham Music effectively to ACE, DfE, schools, funders and communities.

If you have senior leadership experience in the charity, arts or publicly funded sector, within a mission-led organisation with a mixed income model and strong governance requirements, you have the foundations for this role. We will provide full briefing on both investment frameworks as part of the recruitment process, and transition support is designed to ensure the incoming CEO is fully equipped from day one.

Help shape financial decision-making at one of the UK’s leading universities

King’s is a large, complex and internationally engaged university with ambitious plans for the years ahead. We are looking for an experienced finance leader to join us as Deputy Director of Finance Business Partnering (Operations), playing a key role in strengthening financial performance, decision-making and long-term sustainability across our Professional Services directorates.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to make a real impact. You will be part of our Financial Strategy, Planning and Performance function, helping King’s maintain the sustainable financial foundation needed to support our education, research and wider contribution to society.

The role

Reporting to the Director of Finance Business Partnering (Operations), you will lead high-quality finance business partnering services across a range of Professional Services areas, including Student Services, IT, Philanthropy and Alumni, Executive portfolios and other directorates.

You will directly line manage a team of Finance Business Partners and their Management Accountant teams, with overall responsibility for a team of around eight people, including three direct reports. You will also play a substantial leadership role across the wider Operations Finance Business Partnering team, supporting a team of around 19 colleagues.

This is a hands-on senior leadership role. You will work closely with senior stakeholders, providing expert advice, constructive challenge, analysis and timely decision support. You will help ensure financial plans are robust, risks and opportunities are understood, and resources are aligned with King’s strategic priorities.

What you will be doing

You will model excellent finance business partnering, using high-quality data and insight to support leaders across King’s Professional Services and Operations directorates. You will help stakeholders understand financial performance, make evidence-based decisions and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, value for money and long-term financial resilience.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading the delivery of finance business partnering across multiple Professional Services areas.
• Providing strategic financial advice, scenario modelling and long-term forecasting to support decision-making.
• Leading and supporting annual planning, monthly reporting, quarterly updates and forecasting processes.
• Developing clear, robust reporting and commentary for senior stakeholders, including Executive-level audiences.
• Supporting business cases, complex financial issues and cross-cutting initiatives.
• Ensuring income and expenditure are recorded correctly and that management accounts provide meaningful insight.
• Promoting compliance with financial policies, controls, data protection and secure use of financial information.
• Championing improvements to reporting, tools, dashboards, templates and processes.
• Supporting the Director in leading the Operations Finance Business Partnering team, including culture, priorities, development and ways of working.
• Deputising for the Director when required.

About you

We are looking for a qualified accountant with significant experience of leading financial advice, planning, forecasting and reporting services in a large, complex organisation.

You will bring strong leadership skills, a service-focused approach and the ability to develop high-performing teams. You will be comfortable operating in complex stakeholder environments, managing competing priorities and influencing senior leaders with clarity, confidence and credibility.

You will be someone who can combine technical financial expertise with sound judgement, strong relationship-building skills and a commitment to continuous improvement.

You will need to bring

• A professional accountancy qualification.
• Experience of leading financial support, advice or business partnering services relevant to this role.
• Strong leadership skills, including the ability to manage and develop professional staff.
• Experience of leading short- and long-term planning, forecasting and reporting processes.
• The ability to deliver change and financial improvement across a finance function and wider organisation.
• Resilience and the ability to manage multiple objectives across teams and complex stakeholder groups.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present clearly to senior stakeholders and committees.
• Strong numeracy and IT skills, including Excel and experience using corporate finance and reporting systems.

A degree-level qualification and experience of working in or with the university sector would be advantageous, but are not essential.

Why join King’s?

This role offers the chance to help shape a step change in finance business partnering at King’s. You will be joining at a time when the team is embedding a refreshed business partnering offer, improving reporting and forecasting tools, strengthening stakeholder support and building financial capability across the organisation.

You will have the opportunity to work on high-profile priorities, influence senior decision-making and contribute to financial sustainability across a university with a powerful mission in education, research and service to society.

How to apply

To apply, please send your CV by 25th May 2026. 

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Phil Southern at Ivy Rock Partners. 

The organisation

I am recruiting for a mission-led organisation with an income of c.£8m, operating across the UK as part of a wider international network. The organisation works within a complex, multi-stakeholder environment and is entering an exciting period of transformation. With an ambitious 10-year strategy in place, there is a clear focus on strengthening financial sustainability, evolving funding models and enhancing digital capability. The organisation also operates with a wholly owned commercial subsidiary, supporting a diversified income base and enabling growth through a range of revenue-generating activities.

The Job

This is a senior leadership role, sitting on the Senior Management Team and playing a key part in delivering long-term strategic objectives. You will lead both the Finance and IT functions (total team of 6 with 2 direct reports), ensuring the organisation is financially robust, operationally effective and supported by modern, secure technology.

• Leading the development and delivery of the long-term financial strategy
• Ensuring strong financial control, governance and risk management
• Overseeing budgeting, forecasting, reporting and audit processes
• Managing the relationship with the organisation's wholly owned trading subsidiary
• Supporting the development of new and sustainable funding models
• Leading the IT and digital strategy to improve systems, insight and operational efficiency
• Strengthening cyber security and organisational resilience
• Providing clear and insightful financial reporting to senior leadership and the Board
• Building effective relationships across an international network of stakeholders

The person

We are seeking a commercially minded and values-led finance leader who is comfortable operating in a complex and evolving environment.

• A recognised accounting qualification such as ACA, ACCA or CIMA
• Significant experience operating at a senior level within a finance function
• A track record of developing and delivering financial strategy
• Strong technical knowledge across financial control, reporting and compliance
• Experience of working within organisations with diverse income streams
• Understanding of trading subsidiaries and group structures
• Exposure to overseeing IT or digital functions at a strategic level
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence at Board level
• A collaborative leadership style and clear communication skills

What's in it for you

• Salary of £80,000 with some flexibility for the right candidate
• Matched pension contribution up to 4%, increasing to 5% after 2 years and 7% after 4 years
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• 35 hour working week with flexible working arrangements
• Hybrid working - minimum 1 day per week in the office
• The opportunity to play a key role in shaping strategy and driving change
• A collaborative and purpose driven working environment

Please apply ASAP if you would like to be considered! Interviews are currently being organised.

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Lead a national organisation providing a lifeline at moments of crisis

Every 90 seconds, someone is reported missing in the UK. Behind each disappearance is a moment of crisis, uncertainty and risk, for the individual and for those who love them.

This UK charity is dedicated to supporting missing children and adults, and their families. For over 30 years, the organisation has provided free, confidential support through its helpline, services and advocacy, while working to improve the national response to missing through research, policy and campaigning.

With a strong foundation, a committed Board and a clear strategic direction, the organisation is building its reach and influence. It is now seeking an exceptional Chief Executive to lead it into its next phase.

Chief Executive Officer
£90,000 – £100,000
Hybrid, with regular presence in London and national travel

The Chief Executive will provide strategic and visible leadership to ensure the organisation continues to deliver high-impact support while strengthening its influence and sustainability.

We are looking for a leader who brings:

• A strong track record of strategic leadership, with the ability to shape and deliver organisational direction centred on impact and sustainability
• Proven experience of financial stewardship and income generation, with the ability to build long-term resilience and growth
• Credibility as an external ambassador, with the ability to build and sustain senior partnerships across government, policing, funders and the wider sector, and to influence policy and system-level change
• A collaborative, low-ego and people-centred leadership style, with the emotional intelligence to build trust, develop high-performing teams and foster an inclusive culture
• A deep commitment to centring lived and living experience, ensuring this informs services, decision-making and organisational direction

This is a rare opportunity to lead an organisation that combines frontline support with national influence, at a time when its voice, visibility and impact are more important than ever.

How to Apply
For further information, please view the appointment brief on the Prospectus website.

To apply, please submit your CV along with a supporting statement (maximum 1,000 words), outlining your suitability for the role.

Recruitment Timetable
Deadline for applications: Wednesday 27 May 2026
Interviews with Prospectus: w/c 1 June 2026
Interviews with the charity:
First round: w/c 15 June
Second round: w/c 22 June

Finance Director

London Community Foundation
Salary: c. £80,000 pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time or 28 hours per week (0.8 FTE)
Location: London (hybrid, typically 1 day per week in the office)

London Community Foundation exist to improve the lives of the most disadvantaged people in London by working with donors to invest in small, local charities and community groups.

We are now seeking a Finance Director to play a pivotal role in shaping our future, strengthening our financial sustainability, supporting our governance, and enabling us to deliver greater impact for London’s communities.

The role

As Finance Director, you will sit at the heart of decision-making within a purpose-driven organisation, influencing strategy, supporting the Board, guiding investment decisions and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most.

As a key member of the Senior Management Team, working closely with the CEO, Board, and committees to ensure strong financial leadership, governance, and long-term sustainability.

You will:

· Lead financial strategy, planning, and performance across the organisation

· Provide clear, accessible financial insight to support decision-making at Board and executive level

· Oversee financial control, reporting, audit, and compliance (including SORP)

· Support stewardship of investments and endowment funds

· Lead risk, assurance, and governance processes, including engagement with the Finance, Risk & Resources Committee

· Act as Company Secretary, ensuring robust governance and regulatory compliance

· Oversee contracts, supply chain, and value-for-money across the organisation

· Provide strategic oversight of systems, data, and technology, including line management of the Technology Manager

· Lead and develop a high-performing finance team

This is a broad and influential role, combining strategic leadership with hands-on delivery, well-suited to someone who enjoys working across organisational boundaries and shaping how an organisation operates.

About you

You will be a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) with experience operating at a senior level and advising Boards and executive teams.

You will bring:

· A track record of leading financial strategy, planning, and organisational performance

· Strong experience in governance, risk, and compliance within complex environments

· Confidence working with Boards, committees, and senior stakeholders

· The ability to translate financial information into clear, actionable insight

· Experience leading teams and developing people

· An understanding of systems, data, and organisational infrastructure

· A commitment to inclusive leadership and equity

Experience in grant-making, philanthropy, or endowment management is welcome, but not essential.

Our commitment to inclusion

At London Community Foundation, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the communities we serve.

We actively encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, including those with lived experience of the issues our work seeks to address.

Further Information

For an informal discussion about the opportunity or if you require any additional support with your application, please contact Alex Williams at Giving Back Recruitment

Recruitment timetable 

• Closing date: Wednesday, 20th May 2026
• Interviews with London Community Foundation W/C 15th June

Transport for All has a strong reputation for leading the debate and advocating for change to improve the journeys made by disabled people. This role presents an opportunity for a strong leader with the commitment, enthusiasm and expertise to build on our success.

Our Chief Executive will be responsible for continuing to delivering the remainder of our 5-year strategy, whilst horizon-scanning to work with the team and wider DPO community to engage in the opportunities and changes ahead. We’re a small team and this is a wide-ranging role which includes:

• Representing the voice of the 16 million+ people in the disabled community by influencing policy and infrastructure decision-makers through our campaigns.

• Overseeing a highly regarded policy and public affairs function with associated communications and stakeholder engagement, maintaining our high profile and reputation with national and local governments.

• Ensuring the charity’s funding is robust and sustainable, looking at how we can diversify our income and direct it towards what matters through continuing to deliver our strategy and planning for our future.

• Overall responsibility for our successful training, research and consultancy business, building partnerships and further growth. This includes the National Accessible Transport Survey.

• Championing our award-winning support services for disabled people.

• Leading our expert teams through a period of growth and consolidation, embedding a strong organisational culture and matching our structure and systems to our upcoming challenges and increasing size.

You will report to and be supported by a well-functioning and committed Board of Trustees who are professionals with experience of working in the charity and transport sectors, as well as finance, legal and government backgrounds.

Prospectus is proud to be partnering with our client, a small, specialist health charity dedicated to improving the lives of everyone affected by Dravet Syndrome.

Dravet Syndrome is a rare, life-long and life-limiting form of epilepsy that affects approximately one in every 15,000 people in the UK (around 2-4,000 people in total). It is a complex epilepsy syndrome so as well as severe, difficult-to-control seizures, people with Dravet Syndrome live with intellectual disability and a spectrum of associated difficulties including with speech and language, mobility, behaviours, eating and sleep. It is also common to have a co-diagnosis of autism and/or ADHD.

Founded in 2008 by a group of parents seeking support and information, DSUK has grown significantly over the past 17 years. Today, DSUK supports nearly 600 registered families across the UK and reaches over 2000 people in total, including parents and carers, siblings and bereaved families. As an organisation they deliver a range of impactful services aimed at improving the lives of beneficiaries through family support, professional education and medical research.

At a time of continued growth for the charity, and as medical advancements in the field continue (including clinical trials for the first gene therapies in rare epilepsy), DSUK are now looking to recruit a strategic, collaborative new CEO to help shape the next stage of their journey.

As the organisation’s new CEO, you will provide inspiring, values-driven leadership across the organisation, holding overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations and long-term growth. You will work closely with the Board of Trustees to develop and deliver the organisation’s next five-year strategy, steering organisational priorities, strengthening culture and ensuring the charity continues to grow, both in terms of scale and in impact. You will lead a small, dedicated, cross-functional team across family support, fundraising, communications and research, driving collaboration across all teams. You will also lead on impact and quality, embedding a culture of learning and continuous improvement. A key part of your role will involve developing and building strong relationships with a range of stakeholders, including families, professionals, researchers, pharmaceutical companies as well as other charities and funders. You will also represent DSUK at relevant conferences and sector events, both in the UK and occasionally internationally.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the strategic direction of a small, specialist, growing organisation providing life-changing services. To apply for this role, you will be a confident, collaborative leader with significant senior leadership experience in the charity or not for profit sector (experience of working in a rare disease, health, disability or patient advocacy charity is desirable). You will have demonstrable experience of scaling an organisation, and navigating the complexity that growth brings. You will be a skilled communicator, confident at building relationships across health, care or community sectors. You will be resilient, adaptable and comfortable with the breadth and pace of working as a senior leader within a small charity.

If you are interested in applying for this exciting 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 to fully brief you on the role.

At Prospectus we invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you with your application. We welcome all candidates to apply, regardless of age, sex/gender, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status or pregnancy/maternity. If you have any disability and require reasonable adjustment/s to any part of the process then please contact Victoria Savva at Prospectus.

Please note, this will be home-based with regular travel across the UK (and occasional international travel). Working hours are Monday to Friday, 09:00–17:30 (however some flexibility for evenings and weekends is required).

Recruitment Timetable:
Deadline for initial CV interest – Wednesday 20th May
Deadline for applications – Tuesday 26th May
First stage interviews - Monday 8th, Tuesday 9th or Thursday 11th June
Final stage interviews – Friday 26th June

Youth Realities is a small but mighty charity in North London looking for a new female leader to embed the strategy and support our next phase of growth and development. 

Our vision is a world where young people live free from relationship abuse and violence. We believe strongly in prevention, using creativity and forming trusted relationships to engage and empower young people to form positive change in their own lives and wider communities. 

Everything we do is ‘youth-led’ and ‘survivor-centred’ which means we centre the needs and experiences of young people and survivors, providing regular opportunities for them to feedback, co-produce and lead on the delivery, design and development of the charity. 

Our values, embedded in the heart of our work are: youth-led, survivor-centred, safe, equitable and audacious. 

Youth Realities works with young people aged 11 - 25 who have or are at risk of relationship abuse. We offer independent domestic violence advocacy for young females, provide a safe space with a program of dance and creative activities and go into schools delivering workshops on healthy relationships. 

Key Objectives of the job:

• Provide strategic vision and leadership further developing and embedding the organisations strategy 

• Ensure that the charitable purposes of the organisation are followed and that It delivers the charitable benefit set out in Youth Realities’ vision and governing documents

• To take overall responsibility for Youth Realities’ management and administration within the governance and accountability frameworks established by the Board of Trustees

• To secure funding and drive the organisation forward ensuring it is sustainable and able to grow