Chief Executive Officer

Post Outline

With the ability to drive Caudwell Children to new heights, the CEO will lead from the front and drive us to our next phase of development and beyond through inspirational, ultra-pragmatic and commercially minded leadership.

Caudwell Children’s ambitions are not for the faint-hearted as we aim to change lives, change society and change charity. We aspire to be transformative within the sector and aim to support as many children and families as possible. We recognise that this is only achievable by strong growth driven by clear, positive and compassionate leadership.

A commercial, pragmatic approach is essential in our customer-focused culture; ensuring our stakeholders experience the best customer service and desire to continue to support the Charity long into the future.

This role is pivotal to the success of the Charity, acting as an ambassador to the organisation, being the public face for campaigns and building relationships with stakeholders in politics, the media and business.

It is also a key role in motivating and engaging volunteers, employees, beneficiaries and prospective donors. As head of the organisation, the CEO is responsible for promoting the Charity’s mission, vision and values by working positively as part of a team delivering vital high quality services and creating a working culture where all are valued and encouraged.

About Us

Established in 2000, Caudwell Children is a national charity which works to transform the lives of disabled children and their families, enabling them to challenge the barriers they face throughout childhood by providing practical and emotional support.

The Charity is going through an exciting period of growth in our state-of-the-art facility for multi-disciplinary therapy programmes for childhood disability and research of neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism, within the grounds of Keele University.

It provides a state-of-the-art base for the Charity’s therapies and an environment where ground-breaking research can be undertaken, potentially changing the way some disabilities are treated, affecting millions of people around the world. This is a fantastic and exciting opportunity to join a dynamic and fast moving Charity at a time when it will attract national and international attention.

The services of Caudwell Children enrich the lives of our children and families through the delivery of high quality person centred care and support services that promote independence and achieve valued outcomes. We seek to create a safe, homely and supportive environment that enhances the lives of children with autism and associated conditions.

Duties and responsibilities

Strategic Leadership:

• Preparation of strategic plans and annual budgets for approval by the Board of Trustees.
• Overall responsibility for achieving, monitoring and reporting on performance against targets in all areas of the Charity’s activities, taking appropriate action as required.
• Ensure the Charity fulfils its legal, statutory and regulatory responsibilities.
• An inspirational leader who can galvanise an already strong operational team whilst developing and growing an equally strong Fundraising team.
• Heading up and working closely with the Senior Leadership Team, the CEO will provide visible leadership and play a key role in creating the current and future strategic direction of the Charity.
  

Trustee Collaboration:

• Report to the Board of Trustees on progress against key strategic objectives, providing information and accountability for organisational performance.
• Build an effective working relationship with the Board of Trustees.
• Supply regular reports to the Board of Trustees and attend Trustee meetings.

Other:

• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation, regulations and guidelines.
• Build relationships with politicians, the media and government officials in order to advance the Charity’s aims.
• Represent the Charity at external events and publicity opportunities.
• Represent the Charity to the media and at high profile events.
• Undertake any other duties that may be reasonably required from time to time.

Duties and responsibilities

Knowledge and Experience:

• Demonstrable success in commerce and/or charity senior roles.
• Significant and repeated experience in growing businesses and organisations.
• Experience of success in managing board level relations with working knowledge of charity law, governance and Charity Commission requirements.
• Deep understanding of fundraising, with direct experience of building high value alliances that secure financial and wider support.
• Experience of developing and implementing innovative strategic plans and monitoring performance against agreed objectives.
• Experience of cultivating collaborative relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Experience of innovating, influencing and managing change within a multi-disciplinary environment.
• Experience of building a culture that promotes continuous learning, inclusion, collaboration and accountability.
• Demonstrable experience as a values-led, resilient and people-centred leader.
• Outstanding track record of strategic leadership with experience of leading growth and change across a range of disciplines, teams, projects and responsibilities.
• Strong and successful experience of influencing and developing partnerships with a range of senior external stakeholders.
• Successful track record of leading a positive culture, business management, innovation and sound financial control at a senior level.
• Sound understanding of service delivery, including multi-channel/digital engagement.

Personal Skills and Attributes:

• A truly exceptional strategic yet hands-on leader with an outstanding commercial track record.
• Demonstrable track record of sustained commercial success, growth and innovation.
• A competitive, driven and winning character that has shown exceptional results.
• Pioneering leader with unapparelled levels of tenacity, passion and determination to win.
• Ambitious with an appetite for growth, creativity and innovation.
• Genuine passion for creating a better world for disabled and autistic children.
• An effective networker who has the ability to identify and develop networks to help further the Charity’s objectives.
• Adaptable and flexible with the ability to both work strategically and to ‘roll their sleeves up’ and operate operationally as needed.
• Trustworthy with personal integrity and able to work sensitively with competing agendas.
• Strategic thinker and innovator with integrity, resilience, energy and creativity.
• Collaborative style of working and ability to distil and make decisions.
• Ability to instil confidence and trust in others.
• An excellent collaborator, facilitator and enabler with strong interpersonal skills; able to forge successful working relationships with a variety of stakeholders and sectors.
• Outstanding commercial acumen.

Disclosure and barring service checks

The Charity is committed to safeguarding children and young people and therefore adopts a safer recruitment approach through a robust recruitment and selection process. All posts within the Charity are subject to DBS checks, in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974). This role is not exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and is therefore eligible for a basic DBS check.

Competitive

Permanent, full-time (37.5 hours per week)

Job description and full specification:

Download full job description and specification here.

Equal opportunities

Caudwell Children is a Disability Confident employer committed to offering an interview to all applicants who meet the minimum criteria and declare they have a disability. We are committed to creating a diverse environment and will not discriminate for any reason against any person because of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex or sexual orientation. We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background and other underrepresented groups.