Chief Executive Officer

The UK Men’s Sheds Association (UKMSA) is seeking a skilled and inspirational CEO to lead our charity through the next stage of its development and the continued delivery of our core mission of improving the lives and wellbeing of men (and women) through the Men’s Shed movement across the UK.

We are looking for a Chief Executive with the energy, vision and experience to take on the strategic leadership and direction of our well-respected and fast-growing national charity, which brings tangible benefits to men’s health, mental health and suicide prevention across the UK. Our strategy is one of ambitious targets to support the expansion, reach, diversity and sustainability of the Men’s Shed movement, in line with our vision of happier and healthier men by virtue of reduced loneliness, anxiety and depression, improved wellbeing, and saved lives.

Our new CEO will be a proven and exemplary strategic leader, who will head our mission, guide the team, represent our charity with partners, funders and politicians, and support the Shed Movement we exist to serve. Your track record of inspirational leadership and excellent communications skills will be a key part of building and diversifying our funding (including developing sustainable income growth strategies and bringing in commercial sponsorship), broadening and deepening our partnerships and our relationships with government, and driving our future success. Your experience in executive leadership in the nonprofit sectors will ensure the good management and statutory compliance of UKMSA. We recognise that you may not have a background in the Men’s Shed movement, but your strong emotional intelligence will enable you to quickly develop a good understanding of the community we serve.

Key Skills

• Leadership – the ability to motivate, develop, and deliver through a team of staff and volunteers such that the organisation meets its goals.
• Interpersonal & Communication Skills – these will need to be excellent (including written communication) in order to build rapport and effective relationships across a range of people, from our members to the general public, political figures and senior executives in other organisations. As UKMSA’s public face, the CEO must also be adept at showcasing our work, including in the media and to parliamentary and other government bodies.
• Financial Acumen – the CEO will be expected to operate the budget and develop our new strategy for ensuring sustainable income, actively leading the development of corporate sponsorships and other significant income streams.
• Flexibility & Adaptability – the new CEO will be expected to learn about the world of Men’s Sheds quickly, to be able confidently to represent UKMSA and to build strong relationships within the Men’s Shed community (both within the UK and internationally). And as we only have a staff team of 13 (geographically dispersed), it is expected that the CEO will actively engage in some of the more tactical work, including being ‘hands on’ at events.