Thrive jobs

Chief Executive Officer – The Abbey Centre
Location: The Abbey Centre, Westminster, London (site-based role, flexible working available)
Salary: £90,000 – £95,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent (Full-time, 37.5 hours/week; regular evening attendance for events as required)

Could you lead a much-loved community hub through its next chapter of stability, growth and civic impact?

About The Abbey Centre

Our charity has served the community of south Westminster since 1948 and has occupied The Abbey Centre building, a converted Victorian public bath house a stone’s throw from Westminster Abbey, since 1991. We are a site-based community hub and social enterprise, combining community services, training and outreach with venue hire, an on-site café and catering to generate income that supports our charitable work.

We work across employability, health and wellbeing, volunteering and practical support for vulnerable residents; the Centre welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds, and sees over 1,000 visits each week. Our strong partnerships with Westminster City Council, statutory bodies and corporate donors underpin commissioned activity and solidify our position as a trusted local delivery partner.

This is an opportunity for a visionary but hands-on leader to preserve the Centre’s warm, inclusive culture and outstanding reputation while further professionalising systems, developing our income, and shaping a multi-year strategy that secures the building and grows impact.

As our next Chief Executive Officer, you will:

• Strategy & Impact: lead a collaborative listening phase and then develop and deliver a 3–5 year strategy and rolling business plan that defines the Centre’s core offer and impact targets.

• Governance & Finance: own the annual budget and medium-term financial modelling, deliver full-cost recovery across activity lines and present timely, accurate management information to trustees.

• Operational Leadership: ensure continuity of community services, venue trading and café operations and strengthen operational systems including safeguarding, H&S and business continuity.

• Income Generation: drive commercial performance of venue hire, events and catering, professionalise fundraising (major donors, legacies, corporate partnerships) and lead bids for multi-year statutory contracts.

• Community & Partnerships: sustain and deepen strategic relationships with Westminster City Council, commissioners, local partners and corporate supporters to secure commissioned work and philanthropic income.

• Estate Stewardship: manage day-to-day stewardship of the Centre’s significant ageing building, overseeing maintenance, lease/compliance obligations and contractor relationships.

• People & Culture: build a cohesive senior team, embed clear role accountabilities, performance management and development, and protect the Centre’s welcoming culture while managing change.

• Brand & Profile: act as a visible ambassador locally and with funders to raise the Centre’s profile and champion its social value.

Who you are:

• A seasoned senior leader with proven experience in a small/medium charity, community organisation or social enterprise that combines front-line delivery with significant premises/estate responsibility.

• Demonstrable track record of leading strategic development and delivering organisational growth while balancing hands-on operational leadership.

• Strong commercial and earned-income expertise, with experience of running successful commercial – ideally site-based - operations.

• Confident in winning and managing statutory contracts and multi-year grant programmes; credible with local authorities, commissioners and corporate partners.

• Financially literate with direct budget and cash-flow accountability and experience of full-cost recovery modelling.

• A collaborative, visible and warm ambassador who builds trust quickly, communicates clearly and can present concise management information to trustees.

Why The Abbey Centre?

• A powerful mission: deliver practical services, companionship and opportunity for south Westminster residents in a civic, high-impact setting.

• A prominent, historic central Westminster location and a cherished community building offering scope for strategic estate planning and growth.

• A warm, loyal staff team and an engaged board navigating a positive leadership transition.

• A social enterprise model where successful trading directly funds frontline services and creates a platform for entrepreneurial leadership.

• The opportunity to shape a multi-year strategy that secures the long-term future of the charity and grows its impact in the community.

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.

Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 12th January 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.

Job title:        Employment Advisor

Reports to:    Client Services Manager

Line reports: None

Location:London

Salary:           £29,000 - £32,000 (London)

Hours:           Full-time (37.5 hours per week), with occasional evening or weekend work (TOIL provided). Open to flexible working.

Contract:       Permanent

Overall purpose

The Employment Advisor (EA) plays a key role in supporting refugees and people from refugee backgrounds to progress towards and secure sustainable employment. The EA provides tailored employment advice and guidance, helping clients build the knowledge, confidence, and skills needed to navigate the UK job market. This role will work with clients at various stages of their employment journey, with a particular focus on those in the earlier stages of understanding career options, developing employability skills, and exploring education, training, and volunteering opportunities.

The EA will deliver one-to-one and group-based employability support, collaborate with employers and volunteers to source opportunities for clients, and maintain strong relationships with referral and support partners to ensure a holistic approach to employment support.

Key Responsibilities

We are a fast-paced charity that prides itself on its flexibility and responsiveness so your responsibilities may change, develop and grow according to the needs and development of our programmes. 

1) Client Support

• Provide tailored one-to-one support to clients, helping them understand the UK labour market, define career goals, and develop employability skills. This could be in-person or online depending on client needs.
• Support clients with CV and cover letter writing, job applications, interview preparation, and job searching.
• Guide clients in identifying appropriate employment, education, training, and volunteering opportunities that align with their career aspirations.
• Deliver group sessions to help clients build knowledge and skills in a supportive peer-learning environment.
• Manage a caseload of clients with varying needs, adjusting frequency and intensity of support based on individual requirements.

2) Employer, Volunteer and Referral Partner Engagement

• Engage with employers to build networks and identify job, training, and work experience opportunities for clients.
• Attend job fairs and community events to connect clients with employers and recruitment opportunities.
• Support outreach initiatives by building and maintaining relationships with local referral partners, including Jobcentres, community organisations, and other support services.
• Liaise with volunteers to source additional expertise and mentoring opportunities for clients.
• Establish and maintain relationships with referral partners and support agencies to signpost clients to additional services, including welfare, housing, and mental health support.

3) Service Delivery and Administration

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of client interactions, progress, and outcomes in the CRM system.
• Implement and adhere to monitoring and evaluation processes to track client outcomes and inform service improvements.
• Identify and escalate safeguarding concerns, making appropriate referrals and ensuring clients receive the support they need.
• Support managers with additional projects, such as research, resource development, and service improvements.

To view the full job description and person specification, as well as details on our accessible recruitment process, please view the attached recruitment pack when you click 'Apply'.

Other considerations 

• As part of our safeguarding commitment to our clients, we carry out pre-employment checks to ensure that successful applicants are suitable to work with adults at risk. These include basic DBS checks, obtaining references and verifying a candidate’s identity and right to work in the UK.   
• We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion or belief.

 Breaking Barriers is committed to protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect and for their views, wishes and beliefs to be fully considered when deciding action.  

How to apply 

If you are looking for a role where you can make a real difference, we want to hear from you. To apply, please submit a statement of interest (up to approximately 500 words/1 A4 page) outlining:

• Why you are interested in the role
• What skills you would bring to be successful in this role
• Any experience you would like to highlight
• Any reasonable adjustments you require for the interview process
• Disclosure of disabilities if you wish to do so (as a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role).

Closing date for applications is Tuesday 30 December at 11:30pm.

We belong to the Experts by Experience Employment Network, which advocates and supports organisations to employ more people from a refugee background. With this in mind, we particularly welcome applicants with experience of seeking asylum and /or are from a refugee background. Please feel free to use information and resources found here, which may help in preparing your job application.  

If you are an expert by experience (a refugee or migrant with direct, first-hand experience of issues and challenges of the UK asylum or immigration system), you can ask for independent and confidential support with your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network. Please reach out to HR Manager, Andleeb Khan for further details. You can find contact details on the final page of this recruitment pack.

We are open to flexible working arrangements and alternative working patterns.