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Interim Chief Executive Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust is looking for an Interim Chief Executive to play an important role in its work to create a more peaceful, just and equitable society.
* Location: Flexible within the UK with regular travel to York and London expected
* Closing date: Rolling applications
Who we are.
The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) is an independent grant-making foundation that was established in 1904. Its work is inspired and informed by the Quaker ethos and values of peace, truth, integrity, simplicity, sustainability, equality and justice. In 2023, JRCT made approximately 120 grants to a value of around £20m across 6 grant-making funding priorities. The Trust’s main office is based in York, though its staff team of 30 includes people working remotely from London and elsewhere.
Alongside its regular grant-making activity, over the past few years, JRCT has been actively reflecting on its role and power as a philanthropic organisation. The Trust has made a commitment to explore and identify forms of reparation as well as strengthen its contribution to racial justice, including through critical engagement with the question of the origins of its own resources. Its public statement was well-received for its openness and ambition.
JRCT continues to explore how to engage with and support wider movements of change, the importance of resourcing lived experience and racial justice work and reflecting on how to contribute meaningfully to transformational change.
About the role.
JRCT is looking for an Interim Chief Executive who will be available for a minimum of 12 months. Ideally, they are looking for someone available to start as soon as possible. At present, the role has two direct reports: Head of People and Operations and Head of Finance and Investment. The key areas of responsibility are:
* Organisational leadership
* Relationship management/communications
* Strategy and organisational change
* Grant-making
* Finance
* Governance, risk and compliance
Who we are looking for.
For this role, JRCT is looking for someone who brings:
* Proven experience in the challenges and opportunities of interim/change management at a senior leadership level.
* Experience in strategy review and identification and implementation of options for change in line with an organisation’s mission, vision and commitments.
* Excellent people management and team building skills, with the ability to inspire and lead an intelligent and diverse team to perform to their best abilities.
* Strong leadership skills that demonstrate the ability to generate trust in others and evidence of being motivated by serving others.
* A demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and an understanding of issues of gender sensitivity, anti-racism and power and privilege, with evidence of previous experience in applying such commitment to making change at an organisational level.
* The ability to communicate the vision and commitments of the Trust both internally and externally.
* Proven ability to demonstrate integrity in approach to leadership.
* Alignment with JRCT’s Quaker values.
* Understanding of the grant-making / philanthropy sector.
* Knowledge of the social and political environment in the constituent parts of the UK, within which the voluntary sector operates, and of the policy issues which may impact the Trust’s work.
* Experience of faith-based organisational governance.
Rights and Justice: Migrants Organise, a Rights and Justice grant holder. Image by Sophie le Roux from the Solidarity Knows No Borders Summit.
Peace and Security: The team from The Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS), a Peace and Security grant holder. Picture courtesy of CEOBS.
Sustainable Future: JRCT funds imaginative and inclusive approaches to tackling the climate crisis and building a just and equitable economy.
Power and Accountability: JRCT funds those working for a world where power is more equally shared and powerful institutions are accountable to wider society.
* Pension: Salary Sacrifice with a minimum contribution rate of 5% by the employee and 12.5% by the Trust.
For further information about the role, or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
If you would like to know more about this role please contact Dr Jenn Allen
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