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Role Description

Reports to: Chair of the Board of Trustees
Hours: Full-time/compressed hours will be considered
Location: Hybrid/London with at least 2 days per week (including Tuesday) on-site or with stakeholders
Salary: £140,000

Main Purpose

At the helm of the country’s largest organisation specialising in domestic abuse, Refuge’s Chief Executive Officer will be an inspiring and dynamic leader. Capable of bringing together survivors, staff, trustees, external partners and wider supporters, you will galvanise those around you to imagine a world free from domestic abuse and steer us closer to that vision. You will be responsible for all aspects of our success, drawing on your deep experience to ensure above all that our services are safe, effective and survivor-led. Although you should harbour no illusions about the challenge you will meet in the current economic climate, your approach will never falter in being collaborative, kind and relentlessly hopeful for the future we can create.

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Strategic Leadership

  • Working with the Board of Trustees and senior leadership team to lead the organisation through Refuge’s next strategic phase, reshaping the strategy and ensuring all aspects of our work are laser-focused on achieving the vision;
  • Developing an organisation with the culture, values, people, strategy, systems and processes needed to succeed both now and in the future;
  • Being a visible, networked leader, identifying emerging trends and creating an innovative, agile organisation which rises to all occasions;
  • Creating and delivering Refuge’s strategy and business plan as true working documents, based on our vision, mission, aims with measurable objectives that drive our success;
  • Ensuring that Refuge has a functioning and efficient Board, including recruitment of Board members; liaising with the Chair and supporting the whole governance community to work effectively and fulfil its functions under charity and company regulations.

Financial and Resource Management

  • Ensuring that Refuge remains solvent and financially sound, fulfils contract and grant requirements, delivers high quality services and is a good practice employer;
  • Agreeing an annual budget in consultation with the Board and being responsible to the Board for the financial health, probity and viability of Refuge;
  • Developing and securing diversified income, and maintaining reserves in consultation with the Board;
  • Ensuring the Board receives accurate and timely information to enable Trustees to monitor progress on financial and organisational objectives;
  • Identifying opportunities to secure income and develop tenders and proposals and promote/negotiate agreements to ensure appropriate financial resources are in place to meet fundraising targets, alerting the Board to any risks;
  • Ensuring that the basis on which budget holders at all levels make sound financially related decisions is based on the timely provision of accurate financial information and financial literacy;
  • Ensuring effective and efficient use of resources within Refuge and safeguard value for money in commissioning and contracting from all suppliers.

Staffing and Service Delivery

  • Being an authentic leader, drawing on the strategic vision, but also your own empathy, passion, drive and kindness to maintain staff morale and cultivate an organisational culture which attracts, retains, motivates and enables diverse and quality staff;
  • Building, managing and supporting a motivated and highly effective senior leadership team which is committed to Refuge’s values and vision;
  • Ensuring the services Refuge delivers are the highest quality, based on contemporary, expert insight and support models such that the highest possible standard of service is provided to survivors of domestic violence and their children;
  • Challenging, enabling, encouraging and supporting all staff, agencies and communities to contribute to Refuge’s vision of a world where domestic violence and violence against women and girls is not tolerated and where women and children can live in safety;
  • Identifying and filling gaps in the field, empowering your teams to find innovative solutions to current and emerging situations to reduce and prevent violence against women and girls;
  • Ensuring appropriate management resources are in place to deliver safe, effective, supportive environments to both staff and survivors in all settings;
  • Ensuring that standards for the delivery of the services are negotiated, set, monitored and evaluated to meet contractual, practice and quality requirements;
  • Promoting service user participation and consultation, ensuring that the results are reflected in the development of services.

Influence and Profile & Community and Public Relations

  • Acting as the primary spokesperson for Refuge, effectively advocating for the organization’s mission and goals to external stakeholders;
  • Promoting and developing Refuge’s position both directly at a high level and through PR and media work to expand and promote awareness of the issues to a wider audience;
  • Maintaining and enhancing Refuge’s position as a leading provider with local expertise and national reach;
  • Promoting improved responses to violence against women based on research and best practice;
  • Working openly and in partnership with other agencies and organisations to ensure that services continue  to meet the needs of women escaping domestic abuse and their children;
  • Developing effective relationships with relevant local organisations to raise the profile of domestic violence and its impact on families and to publicise the support networks;
  • Representing Refuge and the VAWG/domestic abuse sector on local and regional bodies and advocating for effective, adequate and diverse responses to VAWG/domestic abuse;
  • Building and maintaining effective working relationships and actively networking to ensure that Refuge has a positive and productive relationship with government, local/regional strategic agencies and funders;
  • Influencing the dialogue within government and policy making bodies, to implement change based on the needs of survivors;
  • Maintaining and developing Refuge’s public profile, acting as the principal lead in media activity, ensuring an effective communications approach with key stakeholders;
  • Leading on promoting Refuge and the work done by the organisation.

General Duties

  • Ensuring we meet regulatory and good governance requirements, adhering to Refuge’s values and code of conduct;
  • Demonstrating an understanding of and commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of the role;
  • Promoting and ensure the safety and well-being of self and others in line with our Safeguarding Adult and Children Policies and Health & Safety Policy, together with any other requirements aimed at keeping people safe from harm in their interaction with Refuge;
  • Ensuring that the confidentiality and security of information are maintained in accordance with our Confidentiality, Data Protection, IT, and Security policies;
  • Promoting sustainable working practices and reduce the environmental impact of Refuge’s work;
  • Always adhering to Refuge’s Policies and Procedures;
  • Covering for other members of the team and division as necessary;
  • Being proactive in reviewing and evaluating own performance and identifying and acting upon areas for improvement and development.

The above list of duties is indicative only and not exhaustive. The CEO is expected to carry out all such additional duties as are reasonably commensurate with the role.

The successful candidate will be required to undertake a basic DBS check.

Benefits

We offer all our employees a competitive benefits package including:

  • 28 days leave, excluding public holidays, rising to 30 days after three years’ service;
  • Salary sacrifice pension scheme with Aegon with a 5% employer contribution and minimum of 3% employee contribution;
  • Clinical supervision for all staff;
  • Confidential support and advice service via an employee assistance scheme available 24 hours a day, which provides support on a range of work and personal issues;
  • Enhanced sick pay leave which increases with length of service;
  • Excellent sector leading maternity, adoption, parental and paternity pay and leave;
  • Generous life cover scheme valued at three times individuals’ salary and covers death in service subject to insurers approval;
  • Birthday leave on the day of your birthday or the working day before or after if it falls on a nonworking day;
  • Eye care voucher scheme;
  • Cycle to Work Scheme;
  • Access to Perkbox providing discounts to employees on a wide range of activities and online purchases;
  • Opportunity as CEO to sponsor one of our Equality Network Groups;
  • Flexibility – we are committed to supporting flexible working. If you would like to discuss flexible working options, there will be space to do so during the interview process;
  • Interest free loans to purchase season tickets for travel to work and/or to pay deposits to secure rented accommodation.