Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – a membership organisation in the SEND education sector
National – home-based, with regular travel across England and Wales, particularly London
£90,000–£110,000 per annum
Full-time, permanent.
What does it take to lead the national voice for special schools at a time of real change?
About the Organisation
This organisation is the membership association for special schools in England and Wales. We bring together independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, special academies, maintained special schools and multi-academy trusts with specialist provision. We exist to inform, support and represent our members, helping specialist schools improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND and secure the place of specialist provision within the wider education system. The organisation is known for being accessible, responsive and personal, combining national influence with practical support that members value as timely, human and trustworthy. This is a pivotal moment for the organisation. In February this year, the Department for Education published a major white paper on SEND reform which will require the organisation to both influence national policy on behalf of our members and children and young people, as well as support them to navigate the changes. Our new CEO will need to review our strategy while building on our strong platform and momentum to further deepen our influence and strengthen our internal capacity.
Responsibilities
* Strategy & Impact: Lead the organisation through a period of policy and structural change, ensuring the organisation remains clear on purpose, responsive to members and influential in the SEND landscape.
* Governance & Finance: Work closely with the Board of Trustees to provide strong governance, prudent financial stewardship, robust risk management and clear strategic oversight.
* Operational Leadership: Provide confident leadership to a small, remote team, strengthening collaboration, accountability, resilience and a positive, high-trust culture.
* Income Generation: Oversee budgeting, planning and reporting while developing thoughtful opportunities to diversify income through membership, partnerships, events and related activity.
* Community & Partnerships: Build and sustain trusted relationships with government, parliament, regulators, sector bodies and member schools, ensuring the organisation remains relevant and well connected.
* Member Services: Protect and enhance the practical offer to members, from briefings and special interest groups to conferences, webinars, training and peer-to-peer learning.
* Brand & Profile: Act as a credible public ambassador for the organisation, helping to modernise communications and broaden the organisation’s voice beyond a founder-shaped model.
* Future Growth: Shape a distributed leadership profile and support a more varied, accessible and engaging approach to membership, advocacy and communications.
Qualifications
* Experience and Leadership: A seasoned senior leader with experience in a charity, membership body, education or public sector setting, and a clear track record of leading through change.
* Strategic Thinking: A strong strategic thinker, able to absorb complex information quickly and translate it into clear, practical direction.
* Communication Skills: A confident communicator with the gravitas to represent the organisation with members, staff, trustees, MPs, peers, media and national partners.
* Relationship Building: A politically astute relationship-builder, comfortable navigating a complex and fast-moving external environment.
* Governance Experience: Experienced in governance, with a sound understanding of working with boards or trustees and supporting effective decision-making.
* Commercial Acumen: Numerate and commercially minded, with experience of budgets, financial planning, income generation or partnership development.
* Resilience and EI: Credible, approachable and resilient, with the emotional intelligence to lead well in a high-profile, remote and sometimes uncertain context.
* SEND Experience: Direct SEND experience would be a significant advantage, alongside understanding of specialist education or similarly complex stakeholder environments.
Why Join Us
* Leadership Opportunity: This is a chance to lead a respected, member-led organisation with a strong national reputation and a clear public purpose.
* Impact on Future of Specialist Education: You will help shape the future of specialist education at a time when SEND reform is high on the agenda.
* Supportive Team: The organisation has a loyal, experienced and collegiate remote staff team, supported by an active Board of Trustees.
* Influential Platform: The organisation offers a genuinely influential platform, with strong connections across the sector and with government.
We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.
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