Chief Executive Officer

The post holder can be based anywhere within the Four Nations of the UK, but must be able and prepared to travel as required to numerous meetings and conferences, in London and all around the country. Many of the Charity’s staff are home based but we do still maintain offices in Swanley, Kent, and if based elsewhere, the postholder will still need to visit those offices reasonably regularly.

Job Purpose Provide effective and inclusive leadership of thirtyone:eight to support the growth and strategic development of the organisation. Ensure that the charity provides the highest quality safeguarding services to its members and non-members. Provide advocacy and thought leadership to positively promote and influence the improvement of safeguarding standards in the UK, and beyond.

Key Responsibilities Provide quality leadership across the organisation underpinned by Christian values. Develop and lead an effective Senior Leadership Team that promotes talent development, empowerment and accountability. Lead and oversee strategic planning, governance, compliance & regulation and operational service delivery for the benefit of thirtyone:eight’s members. Develop thirtyone:eight’s presence, profile, and reputation through external engagement and networking within the Christian & Faith Communities and also with political or policy groups. Oversee HR, finance, IT development, and marketing activities together with the COO. Foster good collaboration between the Staff and Trustees, ensuring good stakeholder management. Drive business development and fundraising initiatives.

Essential Qualifications Professional safeguarding experience required. Proven leadership and management experience. Track record of delivering strategic transformation and success. Active Christian faith. DBS required. Core Competencies Honesty, Integrity, Openness, Collaborative. Solution-focused, Creative, Committed, Passionate. Political acuity and active networker – able to build and maintain trusted relationships with a wide range of faith communities and political groups. Ability to horizon scan across the safeguarding arena to understand emerging trends and needs. The CEO is a key provider of this input to the Board and the wider organisation. Strong leadership, strong strategic management skills and good level of interpersonal competence. Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement capabilities. Ability to manage complex demands and lead change programs. Ideally, experience of working within a related charity. Genuine Occupational Requirement thirtyone:eight is a Christian organization, as specified in para 8.5 of the Articles (attached). This falls within the section headed “Statement of Faith” which also emphasises the fact that we support people regardless of race, religion, lifestyle, gender, sexuality or any other factor. In practise this means that the CEO needs to be able to preside at gatherings such as staff prayer meetings, and to actively support and promote the Christian ethos of thirtyone:eight, as prescribed in the Articles, both internally and externally. The CEO also needs to represent thirtyone:eight to a wide range of Christian forums where common shared faith is a prerequisite for the organisational relationship. While some of our members and service recipients are not Christian, the vast majority are, and therefore reasonably expect that the CEO of this Christian organisation is themselves a practising Christian. Even those members who are not Christian understand that we are an organisation rooted in and run on Christian principles and foundations.

Benefits Salary: Competitive. Annual Leave: 35 days/annum (calendar year) holiday allowance, including public/bank holidays. Pension: 5% staff contribution matched by 5% employer contribution with Benenden health cover for all employees.

To apply for this role, please provide the following documents:

An up-to-date CV. Please submit a PDF document labelled ‘CV’ with your name and the role title. A supporting statement. Please submit a PDF document (maximum two pages) that outlines your interest in this particular organisation and role, and your fit against the essential experience criteria set out in the person specification and role description. Please label this document ‘Supporting Statement’ with your name and the role title. A completed diversity monitoring form on the application link. If you would like to know more about the role or selection process, please contact Ali Hollingbery from our Executive Search partners, Green Park by emailing [email protected].

Please submit your application by 11:59pm Sunday 22nd February 2026.