RSPCA Little Valley Animal Shelter is seeking an exceptional Chief Executive Officer to guide us through an exciting period of growth, transformation and renewed strategic ambition.
At Little Valley, our purpose is clear: to promote kindness, prevent cruelty, and provide outstanding welfare for the animals who rely on us. Our next Chief Executive Officer will inspire staff and volunteers, strengthen community partnerships, and lead with clarity, compassion and courage.
About the role
Our team is united by our compassion, collaboration, integrity, excellence and deep connection to our community - values that guide every decision we make. We are looking for a Chief Executive Officer who will champion these values in everything they do.
We are in a pivotal moment of investment and cultural renewal, with major developments underway - including improved facilities, modernisation of systems, strategic income growth and strengthened community engagement. This is your opportunity to lead an ambitious and much‑loved charity into its next chapter.
Key Responsibilities
(Full Job Description and Person Specification attached.)
- Lead the organisation’s strategic direction, ensuring alignment with our mission, values and long‑term goals.
- Drive high‑quality, compassionate animal welfare services across all operational areas.
- Provide visible, empathetic leadership that supports a positive culture for staff and volunteers.
- Ensure strong financial stewardship, diversifying income and securing long‑term sustainability.
- Strengthen partnerships, community profile and external relationships across the region.
- Champion innovation, operational excellence and continuous improvement at every level.
About You
You’ll bring proven senior leadership experience, exceptional communication skills, strong financial and governance capability, and the emotional intelligence needed to lead a complex and values‑driven organisation. Above all, you’ll bring a genuine passion for animal welfare and a commitment to ensuring values remain at the heart of everything we do.
Why join us?
As our Chief Executive Officer, you will lead a dedicated team, steward an organisation with strong foundations, and be at the forefront of shaping a more compassionate future for animals across Devon. This is more than a leadership role - it’s a chance to create lasting impact.
How to apply
Please submit your CV and a supporting statement (maximum two pages) outlining how your experience, leadership and values make you the right person to become our next Chief Executive Officer.
Application deadline: Tuesday 7 April, 5pm
We encourage applications from leaders who are motivated by purpose, committed to impact and inspired by the opportunity to shape the future of Little Valley Animal Shelter.
#Chief Executive Officer #Chief Executive #CEO #Chief Executive Officer
Our mission is to offer compassionate care and facilitate the rehabilitation and rehoming of animals across Devon.



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This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
"I can honestly say my three years at Settle have been the best years of my fundraising career." (outgoing Head of Fundraising and Senior Leadership Team member Penny Day).
100% of staff would recommend Settle as a great place to work.
95% of staff would agree that Settle is a welcoming and inclusive organisation.
When young people in care turn 18, all the support they’ve relied on can fall away, literally overnight. Suddenly, they have to navigate adulthood on their own. This would be tough for any teenager, even if they could fall back on their family for help. So it’s not surprising that two out of three care-experienced young people feel unprepared to leave care. Too many still don’t get the support they need to make it safely past this cliff edge.
Care leavers aged 18-21 are nine times more likely to experience homelessness than their peers.
Settle exists to change this. We’re an award-winning charity, supporting care-experienced young people as they move into their first home, so they can confidently transition into independent living, avoid eviction and homelessness, and establish the foundations they need to thrive in adulthood. We are on a mission to end homelessness among care-experienced young people.
With our current Head of Fundraising leaving us to go travelling, we’re seeking someone new to help us achieve this ambition. You’ll have a lot to build on. Over the last three years, we’ve grown our income dramatically, and diversified our funder portfolio. We have strong relationships with our committed and supportive funders, underpinned by an organisation-wide commitment to fundraising.
This is a crucial role for Settle, and you’ll have the support you need to excel. In 2025, we grew our fundraising team from one (this post) to three. You’ll take on the leadership of an engaged and enthusiastic team, increasingly responsible for day-to-day management of trust and foundation fundraising. As well as inspiring the team to great things, you’ll have the opportunity to develop and deepen our relationships with philanthropists and high net worth individuals. You’ll have active support and engagement from me and the Board, with regular opportunities to involve trustees in your work.
As we head into future years, you’ll lead the development and delivery of our next fundraising strategy. We’re proud of our welcoming, inclusive and collaborative culture. We’re committed to staff wellbeing, with regular socials and time away as a team, and four wellbeing days every year on top of generous annual leave. You’ll play a key leadership role in fostering this culture and shaping Settle as we grow.
If this opportunity sounds as exciting to you as it does to us, we’d love to hear from you. We are also happy to share more about our fundraising so do request this when you get in touch.
We’d love to hear from you if:
✷ You are passionate about making a significant contribution to our mission to end homelessness among care-experienced young people, and want to use your skills to help Settle reach more young people
✷ You are an outstanding communicator, with excellent storytelling skills in person and in writing, and the ability to craft and share a compelling vision and case for support
✷ You’re a strategic thinker with excellent analytical skills and the ability to translate strategy into clear decisions and action
✷ You are a values-driven leader, committed to bringing out the best in your team and supporting them to stretch and develop
✷ You are self-motivated and organised, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines, and maintain progress while responding to emerging opportunities
✷ You are financially literate and able to work effectively with numbers and financial information
✷ You are willing and able to support managers in other teams, cover for other members of Settle’s Senior Leadership Team when necessary, and play a wider leadership role in the organisation
✷ You are dedicated to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion into all areas of your work
EXPERIENCE NEEDED FOR THIS ROLE
ESSENTIAL
✷ Significant track record of raising funds from trusts and foundations
✷ Experience of securing major gifts, donations or grants from high net worth individuals or family foundations
✷ Experience of building and maintaining strong relationships with funders or other senior external stakeholders
✷ Substantial experience of preparing funding applications and reports
✷ Experience of line managing and leading high performing teams, with the ability to coach, motivate and develop others
✷ Experience of developing and effectively delivering strategy
DESIRABLE
✷ Knowledge of youth homelessness, the care system or other relevant issues facing young people
✷ Experience of leading a growing team or contributing to organisational growth
BENEFITS
✷ Scope to take real ownership of a key strategic priority in a fast-growing charity
✷ Flexible working arrangements
✷ 40 days paid leave per year: 25 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays, 3 days between Christmas and New Year and 4 personal wellbeing days
✷ Regular 1:1s with the Chief Executive and active support of the Senior Leadership Team and Board for Settle’s fundraising strategy
✷ Strong commitment to professional development with a dedicated individual training budget and a line manager dedicated to supporting your growth
✷ Annual performance and pay progression reviews
✷ Up to 6% pension contribution
✷ Cycle to work scheme
✷ Employee Assistance Programme offering free therapy
✷ Work phone and laptop
✷ A supportive and inclusive culture with regular team social events and annual all staff away day
MORE KEY INFO
Hours: The hours are full-time (35 hours per week) preferred, with attendance at funder events outside core hours as needed from time to time – part-time will be considered for the right candidate but we envisage at least 0.8FTE / 28 hours per week
Location: Hybrid working between our office in London Bridge and working from home – our standard expectation is at least 2 days a week of contact time (in the office, funder meetings or events). We have a monthly in person team meeting on a Wednesday, and hold our monthly SLT meetings in person on a Tuesday.
Flexibility: Settle is committed to flexible working and will work with the successful candidate to agree mutually positive working arrangements
HOW TO APPLY
Charlotte Wilmot at Eardley Wilmot is managing this appointment on our behalf and will be delighted to support you with your application. Please send your CV together with any questions to her directly in the first instance.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and a member of the Care Leaver Covenant. We are actively trying to increase the diversity of our workforce and we encourage applications from people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds. Please see our website for more information on our approach to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
We also guarantee an interview for care-experienced applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role because we want to increase the representation of lived experience in the team.
We aim to make the interview process as accessible as possible so please do not hesitate to let Charlotte know if you require any reasonable adjustments.
The closing date for the role is Friday 17 April with interviews taking place in the week commencing 27 April.
We really look forward to hearing from you!
We are happy to receive your CV in the first instance.
Our vision is a 21st century Britain where no young person is homeless and all young people get a fair chance at doing well.