City Year UK - Chief Executive vacancy
We’re looking for a visionary new leader to take City Year UK into its next chapter. As our current CEO prepares to move on after seven incredible years of leadership, this is a thrilling moment — an opportunity to shape the future of a movement that’s changing lives. With strong foundations in place, we’re ready to grow our impact, invigorate and expand the delivery of our programmes, and raise our voice even louder in support of children and young people across the UK, as a flagship programme for the UK Year of Service.
We challenge 18 to 25-year-olds to tackle educational inequality through a year of full-time social action. As mentors, tutors and role models in schools, they support pupils growing up in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the UK
Position: Chief Executive
Location: Hybrid (London, Birmingham or Manchester, with travel to an office typically twice a week)
Hours: Full-time
Salary: £85,000 - £100,000 per annum
Duration: Permanent
Closing Date: 10 am on Monday, 14 July 2025
The Role
As Chief Executive, you will be the driving force behind our next chapter of growth, innovation, and impact. Working closely with the Board of Trustees and a dedicated Senior Leadership Team, you will establish strategic direction, expand our reach, and ensure long-term financial stability. You’ll be a champion for innovation, a builder of innovative partnerships, and a compelling advocate for the power and potential of a UK Year of Service.
This is a rare and exciting opportunity to lead a mission-driven, values-led organisation at a moment of genuine momentum — a chance to elevate youth voice and leadership and be an integral part of the change that our young people are creating every day.
About You
We are looking for an inspiring leader who is passionate about unlocking the potential of young people, championing educational equality, and driving lasting change. You’ll bring a strong track record of strategic leadership and fundraising in the charity sector, along with the vision and energy to lead City Year UK into an ambitious new chapter. Skilled at building powerful partnerships, navigating complex stakeholder environments, and championing an inclusive, purpose-driven culture, you’ll also be a dynamic fundraiser, ready to support the growth and diversification of our income so we can expand our impact even further.
We offer a competitive package that reflects the significance of this role and values the unique skills and experience you will bring to lead our organisation into its next chapter.
If you want to make a real difference and believe that young people can change the world, we want to hear from you!
To apply for this role, please provide the following documents:
- An up-to-date CV
- A supporting statement answering the following questions, max 250 words per question:
1) Why is City Year UK’s mission important to you, and how would your skills and experience help us achieve it?
2) City Year’s work is dependent on partnership funding from schools, corporate supporters and philanthropy. What track record do you have of leading organisations and developing partnerships with similar requirements?
Employee Benefits
As an organisation, particular emphasis is placed on fairness, well-being, and inclusion and offers a range of benefits for staff, including:
- Annual leave: 25 days per annum, rising to 28 days, plus 3 Christmas Grace days
- A matched pension scheme with 4% standard employer contributions and matched up to 5%.
- An organisational culture that values its employees and places particular emphasis on fairness and transparency.
- Sector-leading training, with qualifications up to master's degree level funded under the apprenticeship levy. Day 1 flexible/home/part-time working options 2 Volunteering days per year - pursue a project you’re passionate about 2 Wellbeing days per year
- A comprehensive wellbeing service designed to support the overall wellness of employees Interest-free travel season ticket loans
- Interest-free bike loans under the “Cycle to Work Scheme”
- Interest-free loans to assist employees with welfare or financial hardship
- Enhanced sick pay for up to 6 weeks
- Free eye tests and £20 off glasses with Specsavers
Other areas of experience may include CEO, COO, CFO, Chief Exec, Chief Executive, Managing Director, Director, Head of, Deputy CEO, Deputy Chief Exec, Deputy Chief Executive.
Please note NFP People are advertising this role on behalf of our client.
Do you want to make a difference to the lives of students and equip them to put their faith into action?
SCM is looking for a recent graduate to spend a year working with us to help us to continue to build on the work of our successful Faith in Action project.
Run in partnership with Project Bonhoeffer, a small charitable trust, the project began in 2012 with a vision that Christian students in Britain would have a greater awareness and understanding of Bonhoeffer’s radical approach to faith and discipleship, and its implications for Christian living in the modern world.
The project has helped to run over a dozen campaigns from Food Poverty to Peace, and had an immeasurable impact on thousands of students through blogs, resources, and relationships. All of this is bringing to light many ‘Bonhoeffers’ of today negotiating the implications on Christian living in the world.
In 2021 we developed the Faith in Action project as a graduate scheme by employing two graduates to work on the project; one to lead on theology bringing a depth of learning and theological refection, and the other to be a campaigns lead, taking us always back out into the world to make a difference.
The project has been very successful, and now we are looking to grow it for further. We are looking for a passionate graduate to join the project for the 2025-26 academic year.
In this role, you will be a theologian to make other theologians, and will provide the framework for students to be able to reflect theologically on their life and modern Christian Living. You will be responsible for growing the breadth of SCM’s Faith in Action resources, and discovering new ways of connecting with the current membership via the trends of social media or engaging in face-to-face reflections. An activist to make other activists, you will coordinate social action for SCM, engaging the membership in social justice projects that maximise our impact in society and the world.
You will work to build relationships between SCM communities and members to equip students with the skills they need to become faith-filled agents of social and political change and lead them in theological reflection to discern their involvement in local and national campaigns. You will also work to develop relationships with other Christian social justice and campaigning organisations to create opportunities for students to put their faith into action. In all of this, you will be supported by our small but perfectly-formed team, who will share your values and fully understand your aims in this project.
The role will require some travel within Britain, as well as semi-regular visits to the office in Birmingham, which may also include an overnight stay. All reasonable expenses for travel and accommodation will be reimbursed. Some evening and weekend work may be required for which time off in lieu will be given.
We particularly welcome applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and LGBTQ+ individuals who are currently underrepresented in the organisation. Due to the nature of this role and the responsibilities of the successful post-holder, a genuine occupational requirement to be a committed Christian is in place for this role in accordance with the provisions of the Equality Act 2010.
Please use the forms provided; CVs will not be accepted. Applications should be submitted electronically in Word format by email to the address provided in the application pack.
Student Christian Movement is a registered charity in England and Wales, number 1125640, and in Scotland number SC048506
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.