Refuge manager jobs
Interim Chief Executive Officer – North Surrey Domestic Abuse Service (NSDAS)
Location: Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell and Spelthorne (hybrid; 2 days per week on-site presence
Salary: circa £60,000 FTE (PAYE)
Contract: Fixed term 18-24 months, 4 days per week
Are you a seasoned, compassionate leader ready to stabilise and strengthen a trauma-informed frontline charity supporting survivors across North Surrey?
About North Surrey Domestic Abuse Service (NSDAS)
NSDAS is a specialist, survivor-centred charity formed as an independent Charitable Incorporated Organisation in 2024 following a period hosted by Citizens Advice. We provide confidential practical and emotional support to adults and children affected by domestic abuse across Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell and Spelthorne, delivering helpline and email advice, advocacy, safety planning, refuge and housing pathways, recovery programmes and targeted work for children and young people. Our practice is trauma-informed and feminist in outlook, foregrounding safety, confidentiality and the lived experience of survivors.
We are a small, specialist organisation with an average headcount of around 18 (approximately 15 frontline staff and three support roles), supported by a committed cohort of volunteers. Since independence our trustees have prioritised governance, compliance and capacity building; in our first independently reported year total income was c.£932k and trustees view the near-term financial position as stable while planning prudently for the medium term. This interim appointment offers the chance to lead NSDAS through consolidation and prepare the charity for its next strategic phase.
As our next Interim Chief Executive Officer, you will:
• Strategy & Impact: Develop and deliver a clear 12-month operational plan, with pragmatic milestones and measurable outcomes that align with trustee priorities and service needs.
• Governance & Finance: Strengthen governance and risk reporting to the Board, maintain oversight of day-to-day financial control and cashflow, and support the Treasurer in preparing budgets and regular management reports.
• Operational Leadership: Provide stable, visible leadership and day-to-day operational management, ensuring continuity and quality of frontline services.
• Income Generation: Lead practical income-generation activity alongside trustees and fundraising staff, identify suitable funding opportunities and support bid development to diversify income and build unrestricted reserves.
• Service Quality & Safeguarding: Ensure survivor-centred practice, robust case recording, up-to-date safeguarding and lone-working protocols, and quality assurance across services.
• People & Wellbeing: Prioritise staff and volunteer wellbeing by embedding clinical supervision, promoting psychological safety and improving supervision and development arrangements.
• Community & Partnerships: Maintain and build constructive relationships with statutory partners (local authorities, police), Surrey Domestic Abuse Partnership members and other key stakeholders; represent NSDAS at multi-agency forums.
• Brand & Profile: Advocate for local service needs, raise NSDAS’s profile within the local ecosystem and support trustee work to communicate impact and local value.
Who you are
• A seasoned senior leader with proven executive experience in a small to medium-sized charity or comparable organisation (c.8–20 staff; turnover circa £0.5m+).
• Demonstrable experience of leading organisations through change or transition while maintaining service continuity.
• Strong people leadership skills with experience managing sensitive HR matters, staff wellbeing and clinical/therapeutic supervision arrangements.
• A track record of successful income generation and relationship management with funders, commissioners and statutory partners.
• Financially competent with experience of budgetary control, reading management accounts and reporting to trustees.
• Excellent communicator, credible at both operational detail and strategic discussion, with highly developed stakeholder engagement skills.
• Knowledge of domestic abuse and trauma-informed approaches is essential (practical experience in the VAWG sector strongly preferred).
• Commitment to equality, diversity and survivor-centred practice and the ability to travel across the boroughs and work flexibly.
• Essential occupational requirement: This post is open to female applicants only as this is deemed a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.
• Desirable: experience of working within statutory commissioning environments and experience of accreditation/standards (for example Women’s Aid) or practical organisational transition/partnership development.
Why NSDAS?
• Lead a values-driven, trauma-informed charity delivering critical local services and making a tangible difference to survivors’ lives.
• Join a small, committed team with a clear focus on staff wellbeing, clinical supervision and psychologically safe practice.
• A visible leadership role during an important phase of consolidation and strategic development, with clear 12-month priorities and trustee support.
• Hybrid and flexible working (3–4 days per week), regional travel as required and a meaningful, high-impact interim appointment.
• Opportunity to strengthen governance, diversify income and build unrestricted reserves for longer-term resilience.
Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 30th March 2026
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 the apply button with times to speak and (optional but appreciated) a CV or professional profile which will be treated with the strictest confidence.
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 for this role from women from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.
Thank you!
Are you passionate about global women’s rights and would love to contribute to the cause? Are you organised, efficient and enjoy supporting colleagues in the smooth running of an organisation?
This is an exciting time to join The Circle as we take the organisation to the next level and the Team Co-ordinator will play a pivotal role ensuring smooth daily functioning by managing administration, CRM, IT, and HR support. This role is key in facilitating team collaboration, supporting onboarding, managing office systems, and handling financial tasks like invoices, working collaboratively to boost team efficiency.
We are open to different levels of experience – whether you are a seasoned hand in operations and team support or at the early stage of your career. The successful candidate will bring high levels of organisation, elbow grease, passion and commitment.
Job Description
- Administration & Systems Management
Managing supplies, equipment, and maintaining filing systems, records, and CRM database. Engage with and support running The Circle’s current operational systems, including Beacon CRM, Quickbooks, 1Password, Breathe HR, Microsoft 365 (including Microsoft Teams & SharePoint), FreshPay, Stripe, PayPal, Mailchimp, Wordpress, etc. Continue to develop and update systems.
- HR & Volunteer Support
Assisting with staff onboarding/offboarding, managing recruitment; Lead on health & safety, including having staff undertake regular risk assessments for home working and electronic device safety; ·
- Finance Support
Processing invoices, expenses, donations, and assisting with budget tracking. Management of monthly reconciliation with QuickBooks. Submission of Gift Aid claims and donation tracking using Beacon CRM
- Meeting, Event & Travel Support
Organizing team meetings, Board meetings, away days, overseas travel and coordinating event logistics.
- Communication & Compliance
Assisting with internal communication and ensuring Health & Safety, GDPR, and safeguarding compliance.
- CEO, Board and Governance Support
Support the Chief Executive and Board Secretary with quarterly Board meetings, sub-committee meetings; Manage policy renewal timelines, support on updating existing policy and drafting new policy where necessary, alongside the CEO & Board
Person Specification
Essential
- Excellent organisational skills and ability to juggle multiple priorities.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Some experience of finance systems, including supporting on reconciliation, budgets, and gift aid
- Good data management skills to support monitoring and evaluation work.
- Excellent Microsoft Office suite skills including Excel, SharePoint, and knowledge of other IT solutions to support effective operations.
- Proactivity: Strong "can-do" attitude, willing to take initiative and solve problems.
- Previous experience in administration, operations, or a, supportive, team-focused role
Desirable
- Experience managing a CRM.
- Experience coordinating events, ideally both online and in person.
- A strong understanding of, and passion for, women's and girls' rights.
- Knowledge of specific systems used at The Circle: WordPress CMS systems, Mailchimp, QuickBooks, Beacon CRM, Breathe HR.
- Understanding of use of social media to engage with different audiences.
- Ability to represent The Circle to external audiences.
- Some experience of working with high profile names
- Experience supporting on policy writing
- Experience of providing basic HR support
Personal Characteristics
- Extremely organised and ability to work in a fast-paced environment
- Attention to detail.
- An entrepreneurial and enterprising approach to work.
- Efficient, reliable, flexible and collaborative working style.
- A self-starter with the ability to anticipate requirements and act to provide workable solutions with limited budget.
- Team player who enjoys working collaboratively and flexibly to achieve outcomes.
- Keen to add value to the organisation’s culture and ethos.
- Interest in global women’s rights.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Sheffield Women’s Aid (SWA) is one of the leading domestic abuse charities in Sheffield. SWA believes that every woman and child has the right to live free from all forms of violence and abuse and has been supporting hundreds of women and children every year since 1974.
The Lead Practitioner role is a vital leadership role in our small charity. You will oversee one of our refuges and ensure that both survivor and staff needs are recognised, understood and supported. You will lead a small team to ensure survivors specialist needs are responded to in a trauma informed way, as well as being an compassionate and accountable leader.
What we’re looking for
An experienced, confident and dedicated woman looking to provide stable leadership in a role that makes a real difference. Whether developed within or outside this sector, your leadership skills will be complemented by the ability to demonstrate the following:
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Experience of supporting survivors of domestic abuse, or those who have experienced similar trauma.
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Awareness of managing risk
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An understanding of domestic abuse and it's impact on the lives of women and children.
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Awareness of particular barriers or intersecting needs women and children may have to accessing support (for example: those from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds; those whose first language is not English; those with insecure immigration status; survivors with disabilities or complex needs).
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Confidence in working both as part of a team and alone.
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Excellent awareness of working within safeguarding procedures and processes (both children and adults).
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Experience of working within an multi-agency environment / liaising with external agencies.
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Excellent communication and record keeping skills.
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Ability to use ICT.
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A full driving license and access to a car with business insurance.
SWA seeks to represent the communities we serve and actively welcome applications from Black and minority women, Eastern European women and women with lived experience of domestic abuse; also applicants with community language skills.
(Due to the nature of this role, SWA will only consider females/ women for these positions. This is in accordance with the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 (pursuant to Schedule 9, Part 1) as a genuine occupational requirement).
(Please note we are not currently able to offer visa sponsorship).
Benefits
Generous leave entitlement (28 days + Bank Holidays pro rata, increasing to 29 + BH after qualifying period).
Wellbeing hour.
Excellent induction, training and ongoing support.
6% pension contribution.
Access to national discount schemes.
Contributory healthcare plan.
Monthly Group Reflective Practice
Type of Contract: Full Time
Hours: 37.5 hours ( including shifts from 08:30 - 16:30 and 11:00 - 19:00). (Willing to participate in On Call rota providing out of hours support approx. 1 week in every 8 – additional payment received for On Call).
Contact directly for application pack
Registered Charity
11 - 20
SWA believes that every woman and child has the right to live free from all forms of violence and abuse and has provided safety and support since 1974
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.