Chief Executive Officer

The Disability Law Service (DLS) seeks an experienced, strategic charity leader who is passionate about Disabled people’s rights to join as our new part time Chief Executive Officer. You will lead a committed team of lawyers and advisers to ensure Disabled people can access those rights in full.
 
DLS is a pan-Disabled people’s organisation based in London, providing free legal advice, casework, and representation for Disabled people, their families, and carers. As a Deaf & Disabled People’s Organisation (DDPO), the majority of our Trustees and staff are Disabled people. We operate on the social model of disability, aiming to fight injustice and challenge the poverty and inequality faced by Disabled people, ensuring equal access to legal rights and entitlements.
 
We offer free specialist legal advice in areas such as community care, employment, housing, welfare benefits, discrimination, and public law. We connect Disabled individuals, their carers, and families with qualified solicitors and advisers, providing services including the MS Legal Advice Line, MS Welfare Benefits Advice, and Legal Aid Service. DLS also offers bespoke training on disability law and the Equality Act, empowering organisations to support their clients better.
 
Engaging in policy work, we also advocate for legal reforms, such as abolishing non-residential care charges and campaigning for equal care rights for autistic children. Annually, DLS assists around nearly 5,000 people, securing over £3 million in gains for our clients.
 
As our new CEO, you will lead us to grow our organisational capacity, as well as develop our policy influencing work, in order to maximise the impact we make for Disabled people nationally.
 
Key details:
 
Role: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Disability Law Service
Hours: Part time – 21 hours per week (negotiable)
Salary: £65,000 FTE, pro rata
Location: Vauxhall, London, some hybrid working
Contract: permanent
 
As well as a clear commitment to our work and values, you will demonstrate:
 

• Lived experience of disability or Deafness (highly desirable, as DLS is a DDPO)
• Proven experience as a senior manager, capable of managing a team and overseeing all resources at DLS, along with developing and expanding legal and advice services for Disabled people.
• Experience in producing strategic and operational plans in finance, fundraising, and business, with the ability to disseminate these plans within an organisation to maximise results.
• Demonstrable success in generating income/fundraising within a charity/not-for-profit context.
• Familiarity with hybrid working.
• Understanding the nature and impact of legal and welfare benefits advice.
• Ability to lead, support, and inspire staff, involving them in key developments and decision-making.
• Strong financial and business acumen with the ability to devise and implement results-oriented plans.
• Ability to gather and leverage organisational insights to influence policy, ideally at a national level.
• Empathy, confidence and emotional intelligence in interacting with a wide range of people.
• Excellent presentation and negotiation skills for representing DLS in various settings, developing links, and attracting support.
• Proficiency in composing articulate funding proposals, reports, and other documentation.
• Ability to work with a charitable Board of Trustees, including attending evening meetings and trustee events as required.
• Highly desirable: Legal or advice background and/or professional or voluntary experience of legal aid or of advice work.  

 
If you would like to receive an Information Pack for this CEO role with full details, including how to apply, please send an expression of interest and (optional but appreciated) a CV or professional profile in confidence to our consultant, Jenny Hills at Harris Hill, executive at harrishill co uk. For an informal and confidential conversation about this position, please contact Jenny at the above address with suitable times to talk.

If you need any reasonable adjustments to make the application process more accessible, please do not hesitate to contact us at executive at harrishill co uk
 
Closing date for applications: 9am Monday, 2nd September
 
As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp™, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.