Chief Executive Officer
This is a unique opportunity to join an international children’s charity as its Chief Executive Officer, making a real and lasting transformation in the lives of children in Darfur, Sudan.
Position: Chief Executive Officer
Location: Remote (with the role involving occasional travel to Surrey)
Salary: £60,000 - £90,000 (subject to experience)
Hours: Full time (37.5 hours)
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date: Thursday 13th March, the client reserves the right to interview before the closing date so please apply asap.
About the role:
This is a crucial position as it will be your responsibility to ensure the growth of the charity, enabling us to support even more children and their families in Darfur, Sudan. You will be an experienced and highly motivated leader overseeing the overall development of the charity, ensuring its continued success in its next phase of the charity’s growth. You will oversee the charity’s budget to ensure the long-term financial sustainability and be responsible for the charity’s fundraising, grants, individuals and our events. You will lead a passionate and dedicated team including working with our volunteers, both in the UK and in the USA and Australia. You will also play a key role in building relationships with donors, potential donors, corporates and other stakeholders.
You will work closely with the Country Director (currently our Founder) for Darfur and oversee projects and assist recruitment in Sudan as soon as it is safe to do so. At present our Sudan staff are working from outside the country as Darfur faces extreme violence. Projects within Darfur are implemented by the Steering Committee, who are volunteer village leaders working with the charity since 2010.
Your main duties will include:
• Provide vision and leadership for the charity setting the overall vision and strategic direction, ensuring alignment with its mission and values.
• Develop and implement a strategic plan in collaboration with the Board of Trustees.
• Act as the public face of the charity, undertaking a range of speaking opportunities and acting as a media spokesperson.
• Manage day-to-day operations, ensuring the effectiveness and efficient use of charity resources.
• Oversee budgeting and financial planning – manage the charity’s finances, including budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting.
• Build relationships with celebrities, Patrons and key Stakeholders.
• Ensure the charity is compliant with legal, regulatory and financial requirements.
• Regularly report to the Board on all aspects of the charity’s work, ensuring accurate timely updates on funding, operations and emerging needs.
• Be the key point of contact for the charity, providing guidance and support to staff and volunteers.
• Prepare the Annual Report and regular updates for key stakeholders, donors and funders.
About you:
We are looking for a confident leader who wants to work with us to ensure we are a high performing, sustainable organisation. You will need to bring with you the following skills and experience:
• Proven track record in a management and leadership role, preferably within the charitable or not-for-profit sector.
• Strategic thinker with strong financial acumen, excellent communication skills, and the ability to build partnerships and influence at all levels.
• Compassionate and values-driven approach to leadership, with a commitment to sustainable development.
• Understanding of Charity law and regulations, governance requirements, and reporting standards.
• Experience working effectively with a Board of Trustees.
• Proven experience in budget setting and financial management, reporting to funders and Trustees.
• Proven success in identifying and developing new income streams.
• Experienced in building effective relationships with donors, celebrities, patrons and other stakeholders.
• Experience in building and leading a team of staff and volunteers.
• Excellent communicator and presentation skills.
• Highly organised, and excellent attention to detail.
About the Organisation
This is the only charity founded specifically to help children in one of the most challenging regions of the world, Darfur, Sudan. For the past 24 years we have been transforming the lives of children through a unique package of integrated projects, working closely with the communities themselves. Since 2001 we have adopted 110 villages, transforming the lives of over half a million people.
There could not be a more exciting time to take the charity forward. You will be responsible for shaping both the projects in Darfur, and all the exciting opportunities to raise awareness and funds in the rest of the world.
Other roles you may have experience of could include Charity Director, CEO, Chief Executive, Chief Executive Officer, Senior Director, Finance Director, Corporate Services Director, Fundraising Director, Human Resources Director, IT Director, General Manager, Operations Director, Partnerships Director, Managing Director, CFO, etc.
PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Director of Strategy will be responsible for the day to day strategic operational scrutiny and reporting in order to meet the Bikeability Trust’s mission, contractual and legal obligations. This role is critical in the leadership of the Bikeability Trust as deputising for the CEO.
The Bikeability Trust’s purpose is to ensure that all cycle training is delivered to a gold standard, inspiring everyone to cycle with competence and confidence.
We are:
-
Expert: The Trust has successfully administered the Bikeability programme on behalf of government since 2018, delivering high-quality delivery guides and instructor training, and our workforce has thousands of years combined experience teaching people to cycle.
-
Inspiring: Every rider completes our training feeling able, confident and motivated to cycle safely on the roads for short journeys. Transforming the traditional image of cycling to an everyday, everyone activity.
-
Quality focussed: Our instructors deliver high-quality, consistent and standardised cycle training. We aim to ensure that every rider achieves the same outcomes to the same standard, taking into account their individual capabilities, including special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
-
Inclusive: We take action to reduce barriers to participation, support underrepresented groups and ensure that anyone who wishes to access Bikeability cycle training is able to do so, and cycling is seen as an activity for all.
-
Efficient: Our delivery programme offers value for money and is delivered in an economic, proportional and efficient way.
-
Influential: We share our evidence of the impact of cycle training across a variety of sectors (transport, education, environment, health, leisure, etc) and work collaboratively with stakeholders, partners and commercial organisations to achieve our vision and influence behaviour change.
Key accountabilities:
Leadership
-
Maintain a strong relationship and engaging with the CEO to lead the day to day operations of the Bikeability Trust ensuring the CEO can hold more external focus
-
Provide leadership and management to the Operations Team including:
-
Research
-
Communications
Impact and Reporting
-
Develop and lead reporting on progress towards the Bikeability Trust strategy with the Board of Trustees through annual business plans and corporate dashboard, gathering evidence and analysis from across the Bikeability Trust
-
Refine and implement monthly and quarterly impact and KPI reporting to fulfil the ATE, TfL and other funders reporting requirements
-
Deliver high quality information, governance, and business insights to the CEO and Board to inform decision-making
-
Work with the Finance and grants team to ensure compliance with financial policies and reporting requirement
-
Develop annual research plans to generate impactful information to generate support for Bikeability strategy with decision makers, public and media
Active Travel England engagement
-
Lead monthly reporting and scrutiny meetings for Active Travel to reduce reliance on the CEO for input
Walking and Cycling Alliance (WACA)
-
Lead Bikeability input in the External Affairs group meetings and events to foster closer working relationships and promotion of the Bikeability Trust strategic and impact data to influence policy and campaigning activities
-
Prepare briefings for the CEO to attend roundtables, CEO meetings and WACA events
Communications & Research
-
Manage the communications function increasing awareness, understanding and support for Bikeability strategy through an impactful communication strategy, marketing, PR, social media, media and campaigns
-
Develop and maintain internal communications channels and engaging activities for employees, including Mental Health awareness, and regular staff surveys
HR and Governance
-
Maintain internal policies recommending changes to Trustees for approval and annual audit of policies
-
Maintain HR function jointly with the CEO across Bikeability with a focus on developing talent, succession planning, performance and appraisals systems. Seek input from external suppliers as required on HR
-
Develop leadership and management capability across the Trust
-
Develop organisational competence in strategic planning, business development and regulatory issues
General Duties
-
Provide support and leadership insight across the organisation
-
To undertake other related tasks as directed by the CEO or Board of Trustees
-
Ensure all systems and procedures are in line with best practice and relevant legislation including GDPR.
-
Recognise the need to be flexible when working for a small organisation and carry out other duties that may be required
Person specification
The successful applicants will have:
-
A first or higher degree
-
Excellent organisational and customer care skills
-
Strong written and oral communication skills
-
Have a growth and continuous improvement mindset
-
Ability to use Microsoft 365 packages including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams
-
Ability to work effectively as part of a team and independently
It is also essential that the post holder has experience or skills in some of the following:
-
Strategy development
-
Sound strategic planning and a track record of achieving targets
-
Policy and public affairs experience
-
Charity governance
-
Diplomatic Skills to manage complex relationships with a range of stakeholders
-
GDPR
-
Analysis of complex information
-
HR
-
Business / operational data analysis
-
Commununications, Marketing or PR
Skills
-
Exceptional strategic thinking, decision making and problem-solving skills, especially under pressure; ability to set detailed vision and direction across large, complex sets of work
-
Leadership style, which encourages, motivates, inspires and develops staff and volunteers
-
Excellent communicator (both orally and in writing) with effective listening, influencing and negotiation skills
-
Highly effective decision-making skills with excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities
-
Excellent administrative, organisational and IT skills
-
Intellectual rigour, financial acumen and the ability to accurately analyse and explain complex issues
-
Politically astute, with high levels of self-awareness and emotional intelligence, outstanding communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to flex leadership and communication styles to inspire and motivate different audiences
-
Ability to operate in complex governance structures whilst ensuring high standards of probity and transparency are maintained
-
Robust programme and project management skills and a track record of delivering complex projects to deadline and budget
The package
The Bikeability Trust offers the successful candidates a competitive salary and:
-
Bikeability cycle training
-
Generous contributory pension scheme
-
38 days annual leave for full time members of staff (including public holidays)
-
Employee Assistance Programme
We value staff and a range of experience at the Bikeability Trust, so the person specification is a guide to the skills. We encourage diverse applicants and transferable skills.
Equipping more than five million children with the skills and confidence to cycle on today’s roads

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.