Make a real impact in South Kilburn! The OK Club is hiring a CEO to manage and lead the organisation as we continue to develop our presence and impact in our neighbourhood.
Thanks to funding from John Lyon’s Charity, we’re looking for a visionary leader, who is motivated by their Christian faith and who can inspire and equip our team and work with us to develop and deliver our strategic development plan. If you’re someone who loves young people and community, and is passionate about seeing people flourish, we want to hear from you!
Started by students and graduates of Oxford University (hence the OK in our name - Oxford Kilburn) The OK Club has been providing activities for children and young people for the past 60 years and we have exciting plans for our next phase of development.
As well as continuing our programme of youth and children’s activities, over the last couple of years we have also expanded our provision to make the club building available to the wider community. Taking an asset based approach, our Community Animator enabled us to open our doors and connect in a new way with our neighbours.
As CEO you will be responsible for overseeing three key areas -
- our youth & children’s work,
- our community engagement, and
- our building.
Applicants will have proven experience of leadership in a charity or community context. The ability to work positively with young people is essential, and experience of managing a building and budgets is also important.
Our funding from John Lyon is initially for three years but we anticipate that, with a brilliant new CEO our funding will grow to make the post sustainable.
The OK Club is located in South Kilburn, North West London. We currently find ourselves in the middle of a building site (quite literally) and that our neighbourhood is changing drastically. Brent Council are continuing their massive regeneration project - demolishing all existing tower blocks and replacing them with new ones, with a greater number of housing units. While much around us is changing, our desire to support children and young people with play and development opportunities is as strong as ever.
The OK Club currently has:
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A part time Youth Work Development Officer who oversees our youth work programme.
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A part time Building Manager.
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A part time Community Animator.
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A part time Children's Worker.
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Four interns (two full time and two part time, shared with churches), usually from abroad on gap year schemes.
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Christian Holt House which can accommodate up to five further individuals who live as part of the missional community and are required as part of their tenancy to contribute to Club activities.
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A small but important number of volunteers are recruited from among parents and the community generally. We are keen to grow this team, particularly with older young people and other members of the local community.
Our site contains the following facilities:
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A sports hall
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3 x activity spaces
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A kitchen
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Garden
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Two upper floors which are currently rented out to other organisations.
We have been funded by Brent Council to renovate our Sports Hall and have ambitious plans for our whole site development in the coming years.
The work of the OK Club is overseen by a Management Committee (Trustees) who meet every two months, and the post will be Line Managed by one of the Trustees.
Inclusion & Diversity:
The OK Club strives to be a diverse and inclusive place where we can ALL be ourselves. We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background.
Safer Recruitment:
The OK Club is a Safe Recruiter and will require all applicants to undergo a DBS disclosure as well as taking three references. A criminal record is not necessarily a bar to working for us but must be declared on application.
Timetable: (subject to amendment)
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Post advertised - 18th May 2026
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Closing Date - 7th June 2026
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Shortlisting will take place in the following week and interviews will take place, week commencing 15th June.
The successful candidate may start as soon as they are available and appropriate checks have been carried out.
Application Process:
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Applications must be received by the deadline on our approved application form.
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Any expressions of interest received through Indeed, Charity Job or other online platforms will be sent the application form to complete and an application won’t be considered until a fully completed form is received.
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All applications will be acknowledged and considered in our shortlisting.
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Applicants who are shortlisted will be invited for an interview which will likely consist of a presentation, a task, and standard panel interview.
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The recruiting panel reserves the right to request a second interview if they feel this is appropriate.
When you are completing the application form, please pay particular attention to the essay section which is where you can tell us how you fit the criteria listed in the person specification.
Registered Charity 
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The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
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.
