Chief Executive / CEO

Salary £85,000 - £100,000 depending on experience with development opportunities when joining at the lower end

Location Westminster / Victoria (hybrid)

The Vacancy

Tenure: Permanent, full-time contract

Closing Date: 31st May 2023

We’re looking for a CEO to bring inspirational leadership to London Wildlife Trust, and help us to create a wilder London where everyone can experience and enjoy wildlife.

Around half of London is made up of green spaces, rivers and tranquil wetlands. It’s home to an astonishing abundance of wildlife – from mammals to molluscs, from sparrows to skylarks, from towering trees to the tiniest of bugs and beetles. London Wildlife Trust is the only charity dedicated solely to protecting this wildlife and its vital habitat across the capital and has been doing so since 1981. Today we employ more than 60 staff, 70 casual team members, engage over 500 volunteers, all supported by 15,000 members.

We are open to a variety of backgrounds and experience including an existing CEO or a senior manager or director looking for the next step in their career.

The Role

Reporting to the Chair and Board of Trustees, the CEO will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for London Wildlife Trust’s staff, programmes, external relations and expansion, and the execution of its mission.

Oversee the strategic development of the Trust, contributing to the ongoing development of the Trusts’ vision, translating its vision and mission into operational plans and objectives
Lead and oversee the Trust’s operational activities and be accountable for delivery of our strategy within the approved budget
Ensure rigour and discipline is brought to the Trust’s ways of working, prioritising operational excellence, thorough programme evaluation, and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems
Lead, coach, develop, and retain a high-performing senior management team

Our ideal CEO

Significant experience as a leader and manager, and a track record of inspiring teams to high performance
While experience in a leadership role in nature conservation is not required, an appreciation of, empathy and personal passion for wildlife and conservation management
Excellence in organisational management with commercial acumen and demonstrable financial skills and a track record of successful management of a budget
Strong communication and presentation skills, and evidence of being a persuasive and passionate communicator who has built partnerships with a range of stakeholders internally and externally, including the public

Please see job description for full person specification.

Does this sound like you? We’d love to hear from you!

What’s in it for you?

25 days annual leave pro rata plus statutory holidays
Benefits platform with discounts and nursery, cycle and gym schemes
Access to a free Employee Assistance Scheme to support you inside and outside of work
Supportive and inclusive policies including enhanced family-friendly policy and flexible working policy
‘Staff Day’ once a quarter where you can get involved in conservation work on one of our sites

Our vision is a London alive with nature, where everyone can experience and enjoy wildlife. In order to achieve our goal of engaging everyone in protecting London’s wildlife for the future, we know that our staff team needs to better reflect and represent all of London’s communities. We are committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all. Alongside our inclusive Talent policy which outlines are commitments including giving fair opportunities to ex-offenders, we also offer an enhanced flexible working policy which is available to you from your very first day.

Read more about London Wildlife Trust’s commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: https://www.wildlondon.org.uk/jobs

Who we are

London Wildlife Trust is a driving force for nature conservation across the capital. With our dedicated supporters and volunteers, we work tirelessly to protect wildlife across London.

We take action every day to help wildlife flourish through practical conservation work; we engage, inspire and enable people to connect with nature; and through campaigns and consultancy, we give wildlife a voice.

What we do