Role Description
Chief Executive Officer
Salary: £75,000 - £80,000
Location: Hybrid - London-based
Full-time role, open to flexible working and job-shares
Reporting to: Chair of the Board of Trustees
Direct Reports: Head of Policy, Research and Advocacy, Head of Communications, Head of Trusts and Membership
Role Purpose
To be the leading voice for women’s equality on behalf of the Fawcett Society, acting as the lead ambassador and spokesperson.
To ensure the organisation is operating effectively whilst also delivering impact.
Drive collaboration and engagement across the women’s movement and beyond to deliver transformational progress for women’s equality.
Raise the profile of The Fawcett Society and its impact to generate income and to build a financially sustainable organisation.
Support the growth and strength of a thriving and engaged membership.
Work closely with the Board to establish and deliver our ambitious vision and strategy.
Key Responsibilities
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In collaboration with the Board and staff team, set an inspirational, clear, relevant and actionable strategy.
Ensure the board’s skill and expertise are being used to greatest effect.
Provide strong and empathetic leadership and management to the staff team and to volunteers.
Live Fawcett’s organisational values, visibly demonstrated by your actions and behaviours.
Demonstrate the impact of our work to increase our influence.
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Maintain the highest standards of conduct and integrity.
Oversee key financial responsibilities, reporting and monitoring.
Work effectively with the Chair and Board ensuring good governance, as well as high-quality and timely reporting to the Board.
Ensure Fawcett meets all its statutory reporting requirements.
Work with the Treasurer and the board to set the budget. Ensure the financial management records are kept accurately and up to date. Produce regular reports as required.
Ensure effective people and performance management.
Ensure Fawcett operates as an effective organisational entity.
Drive engagement across Fawcett’s membership body and wider volunteer network.
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Maintain and develop strong relationships across the membership.
Enhance external stakeholder relationships to build voice and reputation.
Lead an advocacy and influencing strategy that ensures Fawcett demonstrates its positive impact.
Raise the profile and impact of our work to policy makers, politicians, sector partners and trade bodies including professional advisors, high net worth individuals, businesses, the public and the media.
Build and maintain a network of contacts across charities, local authorities, government bodies, senior civil servants, think tanks and other agencies of shared interest to ensure Fawcett can identify opportunities to influence and maximise collective voices.
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Be the lead spokesperson for Fawcett, becoming a memorable and potent go-to voice of authority on matters of feminist policy and principle, and ensuring maximum exposure for our high-impact campaigns across a wide range of high-profile media outlets.
Provide inspirational thought leadership through Fawcett’s public-facing work.
Immersion in the feminist landscape regularly acting as a ‘voice’ for women’s equality and feminist issues.
Develop the Fawcett brand to ensure it represents a modern, intersectional feminist vision, such that it underpins a fast-growing, diversifying membership base.
Safeguard Fawcett’s reputation for evidence-based campaigning. Interpret the evidence and represent Fawcett’s policy positions confidently and accurately.
Actively engage Fawcett members and supporters in our work, to deepen engagement and commitment from a widening pool of feminist friends and allies.
Build and maintain partnerships and alliances with others, both in the women’s sector and beyond.
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Engage with funders and support the fundraising team in maintaining, developing and building new and diverse funder relationships.
Oversee the implementation of the fundraising pipeline and strategy.
Person Specification
Skills, Knowledge and Experience
Demonstrable senior organisational and leadership and management experience with the ability to oversee the finance, governance and HR functions.
Experience acquiring, building and maintaining strong relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders and funders to drive influence, income and impact.
Able to work effectively with and network across the main political parties and at every level of government and politics, leading on political engagement and relationships.
Able to be a passionate advocate for feminism, gender equality and related social policy issues.
Able to work with a highly influential board to deliver impactful outcomes.
Able to effectively manage and inspire Fawcett’s membership and volunteers.
Attitudes and Behaviours
A passionate, robust and sensitive champion of diversity and inclusion, who can confidently take forward Fawcett’s commitment to modern, intersectional feminism and anti-racism inside the organisation and beyond it.
An empathetic and approachable style with a collaborative approach who is able to bring people with them, building alliances.
An effective people leader and manager who can support and build an accountable, professional team that is engaged and motivated to deliver results, able to work at both a strategic and operational level.
A creative thinker, able to balance the need for innovation, agility and progress with robust risk assessment (especially, for example, with reputation and finances).
Work well under pressure and multitask effectively, managing and communicating evolving priorities to ensure clarity across the organisation.
