Chief Executive Officer

Permanent, full-time 

Closing date: 18th August 

Interviews will be held on 2nd September with successful candidates being invited for a second interview the next day (Tuesday 3rd September). More information will be provided closer to the time. 

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust has gone from strength to strength under the expert hand of our departing CEO, who is retiring after a long and distinguished career with us. He leaves the Trust in an excellent position: financially, professionally, reputationally and culturally. With 40 staff and 500 volunteers, the Trust owns and cares for 1,250 hectares of land while our work with local farmers and landowners means that we offer advice and support for 40,000 hectares, representing a quarter of the county. Through our comprehensive engagement and communications programmes, we are working hard to achieve our aim of having one in four people in Worcestershire taking action for nature by 2030. 

We are looking for a new CEO who will provide the leadership needed to drive our work forward. This is a brilliant opportunity for someone who really wants to make a difference, leading a large team of dedicated staff and volunteers as we seek to conserve and improve the wildlife and wild places of one of the country’s most scenic shires. 

This is a CEO post that really matters and requires a very special person. We will welcome that person, who will benefit from a strong and happy team of industrious staff and the support of our Council of committed and talented Trustees, alongside the goodwill of so many of the people of Worcestershire who value our countryside and its wild spaces. 

What we are looking for 

• Successful senior management experience, preferably within a wildlife, conservation, environmental, or community organisation. 

• Proven ability in strategic planning, translation into operational delivery and monitoring of output. 

• Demonstrable strong financial acumen. 

• Adept at developing and building relationships and partnerships. 

• Skilled at advocating for organisations, with outstanding communications abilities. 

• Awareness of charity law and governance in the not-for-profit sector including charity finances. 

• Strong business management and leadership skills, able to evaluate information logically and thoughtfully and to make rational high-level judgements and decisions. 

If you have the skills and experience to fill this demanding yet exciting post at this important time, we would love to hear from you. 

Benefits we offer 

• The Pension Scheme is a Salary Sacrifice Scheme with Royal London. Employees sacrifice a minimum of 4% and the Trust then contributes an additional 8% plus the Employers NI savings made due to the Salary Sacrifice element. 

• Annual leave is 33 days (inclusive of eight bank holidays with three days required to be used to cover the closure between Christmas and New Year) increasing by one day per three years of service to a maximum of 38 days. 

• Group Life Assurance policy worth three times annual salary. 

• Health Cash Plan and Wellbeing Services provided via HealthShield. 

• Contractual Sick Pay. 

If you require an html version of the recruitment pack that is attached in the documents section, please visit: https://www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/jobs/chief-executive-officer

About us 

We are Worcestershire’s leading nature conservation charity, committed to protecting wildlife and the natural environment. The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts is the umbrella organisation for the country’s 46 Wildlife Trusts, and Worcestershire Wildlife Trust was one of the first to form almost 60 years ago. 

With the support of our volunteers and members we manage almost 3,000 acres of land for wildlife and people across Worcestershire. We also work with other organisations and landowners to protect and connect wildlife sites across the county. 

We’re Wild About Inclusion. To us, this means inspiring, empowering and engaging people from all backgrounds, cultures, identities and abilities, to change the natural world for the better. It also means cultivating inclusive workspaces that are free from discrimination, where differences are valued, everyone can be themselves and flourish, just like nature! 

The natural world is facing many challenges, and the coming decade will be crucial to protect and enhance the wild spaces of the county. We are seeking a very special person to lead our organisation in this exciting time.