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Role Description

Title of Position: Chief Executive

Organisation: MMHA
Responsible to: Board of Trustees
Reports to: Chair
Responsible for: All permanent and temporary staff
Salary: £70,000 p.a.
Flexible Working: MMHA would consider part-time applicants, minimum 4 days per week, pro-rata of the final salary
Location:
 Home-based with some travel to Central London

ABOUT THE ORGANISATION

The Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) is a UK-wide charity and network of over 100 organisations, dedicated to ensuring women and families affected by perinatal mental problems have access to high-quality comprehensive care and support. The MMHA brings the maternal mental health community together and make change happen by combining the power of real-life experience with clinical and professional expertise.

ABOUT THE ROLE

You will lead the MMHA to draw attention to the silent suffering of women with mental health difficulties in pregnancy and the first year following childbirth. You will drive our ambitious plans to build upon our experience from the past 10 years to ensure all women receive the right support and care, whatever their mental health needs, background and wherever they live in the UK.

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

  • Providing clear strategic and inspirational leadership to the MMHA
  • To be responsible for the management and administration of the charity within the strategic and accountability frameworks laid down by the Board of Trustees
  • Ensuring long term sustainability through effective governance, sound finance and implementation of operational plans
  • Working closely with the Chair and Board of Trustees and staff team to achieve organisation strategy, plans and targets, with specific reference to the charity’s strategic commitments to Comic Relief, Big Lottery and other funders
  • Taking an oversight on fundraising, business development and income generation
  • Expanding the awareness and the reach of the charity at a national level
  • Promoting a culture of commitment, trust, mutual support and professional behaviour

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy, Planning & Governance

  • To provide leadership to the MMHA and to be responsible for the management and administration of the charity, and the delivery of its work and objectives within the strategic, policy and accountability frameworks laid down by the Board of Trustees
  • Work with the Chair in shaping the MMHA’s strategic mission, policies, aims and objectives
  • Ensure Trustees have at their disposal sufficient, high quality regular management and monitoring information and professional advice to fulfil their governance responsibilities
  • To lead the engagement of Member organisations and ensure their ongoing contribution to the work and achieving the goals of the charity
  • Liaise with the Chair as appropriate to undertake regular reviews of performance against the agreed strategy
  • Attend, contribute and participate in Trustee meetings and support the Board of Trustees and other Committees as required

Ensuring High-Quality Governance

  • Draw the Board’s attention to matters that it should consider and decide
  • To ensure that the Board receives all necessary advice, guidance and information on matters relating to current performance, the short- and long-term future of the charity, regulatory and legal compliance, and other appropriate issues; and making sure that such advice, guidance and information are timely, honest, balanced and relevant
  • To ensure that the staff understand and support the governance role of the Board and that there is a positive and constructive working relationship between the Board and the Executive
  • To ensure, with the Chair, that the Board of Trustees reviews regularly the charity’s governing instruments and governance structure, and to assist with the board’s assessment of its own performance
  • In partnership with the Chair, to ensure that the Board’s delegated authority is recorded in writing and understood fully by staff and volunteers, and that all agreed reporting procedures are followed
  • To work closely with the Board to ensure that it has on it the skills it requires to govern the charity well, and that the Board has access to relevant external professional advice and expertise
  • To assist the Chair in ensuring that there is a systematic, open and fair procedure for the recruitment or co-option of Trustees, future Chairs of the Board and future Chief Executives
  • To work with the Chair to ensure that all members of the Board receive appropriate induction, guidance, information and training (both individual and collective), thus getting the best thinking and involvement of each member of the Board

Leadership, Management & Culture

  • To prioritise the leading role of the charity in the provision of the MMHA as an active, dynamic, and forward-thinking membership body
  • Promote diversity and equality of opportunity for all staff
  • Provide strategic leadership and vision that enables the MMHA to grow as an organisation, in terms of associated resources and impact by leading, inspiring and motivating staff, members and all stakeholders
  • To run the charity efficiently and effectively by ensuring that the charity has an appropriate management structure and management systems in order to fulfil its strategic objectives and to carry out its work
  • Ensure that all management policies and decisions support the agreed vision, mission, values, philosophy and strategic priorities of the charity
  • To identify appropriate methods for monitoring the performance of the charity and to report back to the Trustees on the performance of the charity against its strategy, its business, operational and annual plans, and against the annual budget as approved by the Board
  • To assist the Board in agreeing the values, ethos, vision and mission of the charity, and to be accountable to the Board for the proper and effective management of the charity
  • To lead the strategic review and development of a medium- to long-term strategy for the charity within its objects, vision, and mission, and to obtain the approval of the Board
  • To develop the work of the MMHA in order to achieve the agreed strategic plan and its objects, vision and mission and thus to ensure that the charity is focused on achieving the strategic priorities
  • To ensure that business, operational and annual plans that underpin the strategic plan are developed, agreed and implemented
  • To provide strategic direction to the MMHA’s campaigning and messaging across all nations and devolved administrations of the UK
  • To ensure that the charity’s values, ethos and policies are relevant, fair and consistently implemented
  • To build and maintain the active involvement of Member organisations in the work of the MMHA
  • To ensure the Alliance is working effectively across the 4 UK nations and devolved administrations
  • To develop an organisation that is constantly seeking ways to learn and to improve its performance
  • Build a staff culture where everyone is valued and suitably trained to do their job
  • To ensure that the recruitment, management, training and development of staff reflect good employment practice and are directed towards achieving the charity’s objectives
  • To ensure the views of the Members/Champions/Experts by Experience shape the work of the MMHA and its members

Fundraising & Development

  • Ensure efficiency, competitiveness, and financial viability of the MMHA with a view to ensuring income development, long-term sustainability and growth
  • To be the main point of contact with the MMHA’s funders to accomplish specific objectives set out in the funding agreement. To maintain a positive and creative working relationship with Comic Relief, the Big Lottery Fund and other funders
  • Lead the development, implementation and monitoring of fundraising targets, plans and initiatives to meet the income targets
  • Further relationships with stakeholders, in particular those providing donations and legacies or having influence in the health sector

External Relationships, Internal Relations & Communication

  • Act as a visible leader for the charity, representing the MMHA at external events and networking opportunities
  • Oversee the development and delivery of marketing and communications strategies and plans which effectively promote all aspects of the Alliance to relevant stakeholders and opinion formers, and raising brand awareness and profile at all touch points
  • Promote and raise the national profile of the charity through relations with key stakeholders and funders, and help to drive the MMHA’s external profile across social media platforms
  • To foster good communications throughout the charity and externally, and in particular with the MMHA’s members
  • To support and engage the Honorary President in fulfilling the role of supporting the work and goals of the MMHA
  • To develop, as appropriate, the charity’s public profile and foster good relationships with Members, government, statutory, voluntary and other external stakeholders
  • To set up mechanisms for listening to the views of current and future beneficiaries on the performance of the charity, as well as on areas for future development
  • To scan the external environment for changes that may affect the charity, to advise the Trustees proactively and to take necessary action
  • To act as the spokesperson for the MMHA externally, involving members and others when appropriate

 Compliance & Finance, Legal & regulatory compliance

  • To be responsible overall for the financial sustainability of the charity including developing, overseeing and monitoring an effective programme of income generation
  • Ensure appropriate systems are in place around the charity’s compliance with its financial, legal and regulatory commitment
  • To ensure that the major risks to which the charity is exposed are reviewed regularly by the Board and the Executive team, systems have been established to mitigate these risks, and a risk analysis is automatically carried out when taking on new work or proposing new work to the board
  • To ensure that there are effective mechanisms to ensure the robustness of external and internal controls (financial and non-financial)
  • Monitor and control expenditure in line with the annual budget and oversee financial stewardship
  • Ensure timely and complete preparation of management reports, audited accounts and Annual Report
  • Together with the Chair, to enable the Board of Trustees to fulfil its legal, statutory and regulatory duties and responsibilities for the proper governance of the charity and to ensure that the Board receives timely advice and appropriate information on all relevant matters

Board meetings

  • In partnership with the Chair, to ensure that the right and appropriate
  • items reach Board agendas in a timely manner and high-quality papers support each item on the agenda
  • To ensure that the Board is given the information it needs to perform its duties
  • In partnership with the Chair, to develop an annual programme of Board and committee meetings and Board away-days
  • To assist the Chair in ensuring that the Board focuses on its governance role by making sure that the Board agenda and papers do not draw the Board away from governance and into unnecessary detail and management issues
  • To report regularly to the Board of Trustees on the performance of the charity, progress towards the strategic priorities and the achievement of Board policies
  • To submit high-level policy proposals for the approval of the Board or assist the Board in the development of these policies, and to be responsible for the efficient and effective achievement of these policies
  • To implement the Board’s strategic decisions

Relationships with the Chair of Trustees

  • To have regular one-to-one meetings with the Chair at which the Chair and Chief Executive can talk openly, discuss progress and problems, agree expectations of each other, plan the Board’s annual programme together and prepare together for meetings
  • In close consultation with the Chair, to agree respective roles in representing the charity and acting as spokesperson at public functions, public meetings and to the press/media