Chief Executive Officer 

Salary: £55,000 – £58,000 per annum (dependent upon experience) plus benefits.

Location: Hybrid (Home-based with regular travel to Maidenhead, Slough, and Windsor) so ideally the CEO will be based within 30 minutes of the area.

Contract: Full-time permanent. Flexible, part-time hours may be considered for the right candidate. This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act.

Reports to: Chair of the Board of Trustees.

How to apply:

Request an application pack containing further details by emailing Ginette Gower, Chair of Trustees.

Applications will be reviewed on receipt on a rolling basis – please apply as soon as possible.

First interviews will be conducted via Teams, with shortlisted candidates then invited for a face-to-face meeting.

The position is available from 1 May 2025.

About The Dash Charity:

For almost 50 years, The Dash Charity has been at the forefront of supporting victims of Domestic Abuse across East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire. Highly respected within its field, we are committed to ending Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). We are now seeking an exceptional Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead our organisation into the future, driving impact, sustainability, and innovation.

The role:

As CEO, you will be responsible for providing visionary leadership, strategic direction, and operational excellence. You will work closely with the Board of Trustees to shape the charity’s priorities and ensure financial sustainability, effective service delivery, and long-term growth.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an innovative and dynamic leader to navigate The Dash Charity through a changing third-sector landscape, responding to increasing demand for our services.

Key responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement a robust strategy in line with the charity’s mission and values, ensuring long-term sustainability and impact.
Governance & Compliance: Ensure the charity meets all legal, regulatory, and governance requirements, working closely with the Board of Trustees.
Financial & Fundraising Management: Drive fundraising and income generation, identifying diverse funding streams (grants, corporate partnerships, individual giving, social enterprise models) to secure financial sustainability.
Stakeholder & Partnership Development: Build and maintain strong relationships with local authorities, donors, businesses, funders, and the wider community.
Operational Excellence: Provide strong leadership in service delivery, risk management, and quality assurance to ensure the highest standards of support for victims of domestic abuse.
People & Culture: Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing team culture, supporting and developing our 23 staff and volunteers.

Digital Transformation & Innovation: Leverage technology, social media, and digital tools to enhance service delivery, fundraising, and outreach.
Public Relations & Advocacy: Act as a key spokesperson for The Dash Charity, raising awareness of domestic abuse issues and advocating for policy change where needed.

Person specification:

We are looking for a proactive, resilient, and visionary leader with a passion for driving social change. The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

Essential criteria:

• Proven leadership experience at a senior level in the charity, public, or private sector.
• Strong experience in fundraising, financial management, and income generation, with a track record of securing diverse funding sources.
• Expertise in stakeholder engagement and strategic partnership-building, particularly with government bodies, corporate funders, and grant-makers.
• A deep understanding of domestic abuse and safeguarding issues or experience in a related field (e.g., social justice, housing, mental health, or women’s services).
• Experience leading organisational change, service expansion, or digital transformation.
• Strong business acumen, with the ability to balance strategic vision and operational detail.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and advocacy skills, with confidence in public speaking and media engagement.
• Experience in governance and compliance, ensuring adherence to charity law and regulatory frameworks.

Desirable criteria:

• knowledge of the third sector funding landscape;
• experience in managing a dispersed or hybrid workforce;
• understanding of trauma-informed leadership and service delivery.

Benefits:

• 25 days annual leave per annum (+ bank holidays) plus up to 5 days additional leave for length of service.
• Birthday off + 1 ‘charity day’ day agreed by the trustees for all staff (usually last working day before 25 December)
• Christmas closure days given as additional leave (subject to annual Board agreement)
• Access to benefit platform for a wide range of discounts on everyday spends plus gym discounts.
• Access to private healthcare scheme
• Holiday buyback scheme