Chief Executive
Chief Executive
- Solihull, West Midlands
- £50,000 per annum (plus benefits)
- Two year Fixed Term Contract
- Welcome
The Organisation
Welcome is a registered charity and the access point for drug and alcohol treatment and support services in Solihull.
Established in 2001, Welcome exists to assist drug and alcohol users to make changes in their lives, by providing some of the services needed to support them on their road to recovery.
Welcome is a member of SIAS (Solihull Integrated Addiction Services) and works in partnership with a range of partners to ensure that anyone living or working in the Borough whose drug or alcohol use has become problematic has easy access to the treatment and support services they need. We want to assist people towards recovery and rebuilding their lives.
Welcome also controls Welcome Change, a Community Interest Company (CIC), which is all about making a difference – to individuals, groups and communities. Welcome Change currently operates a charity shop, warehouse, community centre and cafe, all of which provide work experience, volunteer placements and job opportunities for people living in the local area, as well as to individuals who are in recovery from drug or alcohol dependency.
The Role
Welcome is looking for a Chief Executive to provide both the charity and the CIC with a strong sense of direction and lead on the provision of high-quality services for the people we support and their families.
The main duties and responsibilities of this post are:
- Prepare strategic plans and annual budgets for the charity and CIC for approval by their boards of directors.
- Operate within the annual budgets and ensure management and HR policies are up-to-date.
- Recruit and work with the senior management team.
- Build relationships with politicians, the media and government officials in order to advance both the charity’s and CIC’s aims.
- Establish and monitor key indicators of the charity’s and CIC’s impact and financial health.
- Represent the charity and CIC at external events and publicity opportunities.
- Maintain awareness of risks and changes in the external environment that affect the charity and CIC.
- Build an effective working relationship with the chairs of the boards of directors.
- Supply regular reports to the directors of the boards of the charity and CIC, attend board and board sub-committee meetings.
- Ensure the staff and volunteers of the charity and CIC are focused on achieving their missions and aims.
- Ensure the charity and CIC fulfils its legal, statutory and regulatory responsibilities.
- Establish mechanisms for listening to the views of beneficiaries on the performance of the charity and CIC.
- Deliver the charity’s and CIC’s business plans.
- Help the charity to win contracts from public bodies and develop the trading activities of the CIC to generate an annual surplus.
- Help to ensure a sustainable income for the charity and CIC from individual, corporate, legacy and trust donations.
- Represent the charity and CIC to the media and give interviews.
The Person
We are looking for positive, supportive and motivational individuals with excellent communication and networking skills. Being responsible, resilient and practical is key along with the ability to gauge the external landscape and react accordingly. Above all, we are looking for individuals with a commitment to the welfare of drug and alcohol users and their families. You should have a strong sense of empathy and understand the challenges these families face.
Applicants should also evidence strengths in some or all of the following areas:
- The drive, creativity and flexibility to develop and grow Welcome and the CIC, ensuring their sustainability over the long term.
- Experience in senior management or organisational leadership.
- Experience of working with committees or boards.
- The ability to manage and motivate staff and volunteers.
- An understanding and experience of working in partnership with other organisations to achieve desired outcomes for communities.
- The interpersonal skills needed to build relationships with a variety of people, from beneficiaries and staff members to senior corporate executives, local and national opinion-formers.
- The advocacy skills to publicly represent the charity and CIC and promote their aims.
- A high level of verbal and written communication skills, including an ability to write accurate and concise reports and information for the media and promotional purposes.
- Financial acumen – the ability to set and operate a budget, manage cashflow and funding from a variety of sources to generate reserves/a trading surplus.
- Experience of working with the kind of client groups that Welcome and Welcome Change CIC support.
- Experience in fundraising.
No agencies please.
Timetable
Closing date for applications: 31/08/2019
How to Apply
To apply for this position please provide the following:
• An Application Form which can be obtained by emailing
• A supporting statement, explaining how you believe your skills and experience match the requirements of the role, directly addressing the criteria as outlined in the person specification.