Executive Director of Asylum Aid Deadline: 8 Jul 2025 (London)

This is an exciting opportunity to steer Asylum Aid at an important time in its 30-year existence. As Executive Director you will be responsible for delivering on our strategy for impact. You will oversee our work to increase access to expert, trauma-informed legal representation to those in the asylum, trafficking and statelessness systems and lead our policy and strategic legal work to achieve systemic change that contributes towards our vision.

You will line manage the Director of Legal Casework to oversee the provision of supportive and enabling leadership to Asylum Aid caseworkers so that they can continue to deliver high quality expert advice in complex cases, while being supported in their professional development and wellbeing. You will also manage and develop the work of our welfare advice team within the Westminster Advice Services Partnership and beyond, and work collaboratively with colleagues in the sector to build capacity and increase our impact.

The ideal candidate, who may be legally qualified, will have experience of leadership in the charity/NGO sector and a sound understanding of the asylum, human rights and trafficking processes in the UK and the legal frameworks which govern the protection of refugees, survivors of trafficking and stateless people, and of the role of law in achieving system change.

We are looking for someone who is strategically minded and passionate about providing supportive and inclusive leadership to our expert team. You will be committed to our objectives and to the role which expert legal representation plays in enabling people in need of protection in the UK to obtain it.

As is the nature of this sector, the role may be exposed to a high volume of traumatic and distressing material and, whilst they will be supported by the Helen Bamber Foundation Group CEO and surrounding team, the candidate should also be able to demonstrate knowledge of good self-care principles in an intense work environment and dissemination of those principles to junior members of the team.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and strategy

• Be responsible, with the support of the Helen Bamber Foundation Group CEO, for the development, implementation and monitoring of Asylum Aid’s organisational strategy
• Provide leadership and strategic direction at Asylum Aid in accordance with its aims and objectives, with the support of the Director of Legal Casework
• Act as external spokesperson for Asylum Aid, maintaining and strengthening Asylum Aid’s position as a leader in the refugee rights, statelessness and legal aid sectors;
• Work collaboratively with others in the sector to promote and strengthen Asylum Aid’s work, identify and establish potential partnerships, with the support of the Director of Legal Casework;
• Work collaboratively with the Helen Bamber Foundation Group CEO and Executive Leadership team to drive the implementation of the Group strategic framework;
• Ensure that all reporting and monitoring requirements are met to support fundraising, contract compliance and monitoring strategic impact;
• Support the cross collaboration of the Asylum Aid team with the Helen Bamber Foundation team and play an active part in the management of the Helen Bamber Foundation Group.

Governance

• Act as the Data Protection Supervisor with responsibility for data protection and cyber security within Asylum Aid
• Together with the Helen Bamber Foundation Group CEO and designated safeguarding leads, be responsible for child and adult safeguarding within Asylum Aid
• In collaboration with the Director of Legal Casework, ensure compliance by Asylum Aid with all legal and regulatory obligations, including the Legal Aid Agency contract, the Immigration Advice Authority and Solicitors Regulation Authority;
• Lead on the preparation and presentation of quarterly reports on Asylum Aid’s activities, strategy and risks to the Asylum Aid Board, the Finance and Fundraising Committee and the People and Governance Committee;
• Lead on the preparation of the Trustees’ annual report and ensure that monitoring and evaluation systems are adequate to enable reporting on Asylum Aid’s activities and impact.

Management and Supervision

• Responsible for line management of the Director of Legal Casework and Welfare Advice service coordinator, and other team supervisors as required;
• Together with the Group Director of People, responsible for Human Resources and implementation of the People Strategy within Asylum Aid, including development and implementation of HR policies and procedures;
• Together with the Director of Legal Casework and team supervisors, drive the effective management and supervision of the Asylum Aid team and ensure that they comply with relevant professional standards and accreditation;
• Foster a supportive and inclusive team culture at Asylum Aid in which each member feels valued and supported to develop professionally and to perform to the best of their ability;
• Ensure the team’s well-being and that self-care practices are established and work in tandem with the Director of Legal Casework and supervisors to ensure trauma-informed ways of working.

Policy & Strategic Legal Work

• Together with the Group Director of Policy, identify policy priorities and coordinate the preparation of evidence and briefings drawing on Asylum Aid’s experience and expertise to influence system change;
• Build and maintain relationships and partnerships with sector colleagues to support joint strategic engagement including policy advocacy and strategic legal work;
• Work closely with the Director of Legal Casework and team supervisors to drive changes in the UK asylum, trafficking and statelessness systems through strategic legal work.
• Work closely with the CEO and the Helen Bamber Foundation Group Finance Team to set and manage budget(s) and general financial matters for Asylum Aid
• Together with the Director of Legal Casework and the Group Finance Team, establish systems for monitoring legal aid Work In Progress and billing, and securing casework income including legal aid, and inter partes income from judicial review cases;
• Work closely with the Helen Bamber Foundation Group Fundraising and Communications Team to secure funding for Asylum Aid from a range of sources including trusts and foundations, corporate philanthropy and major donors;
• Ensure that Legal Aid and other income is maximised, and targets are achieved

Other duties

• Manage the recruitment and supervision of volunteers where necessary in collaboration with the Helen Bamber Foundation Group Volunteers Coordinator;
• Support the Helen Bamber Foundation Group Facilities team to ensure the smooth running of the office and that the facilities meet the needs of Asylum Aid;
• Work outside normal office hours as required and travel in order to carry out the responsibilities of the post.
• To undertake any task that may be requested from time to time that may be consistent with the nature and scope of this post.

Essential Experience, Skills and Knowledge

• Experience of running a small to medium sized charity/legal NGO and/or legal department within the NGO sector (or other equivalent senior management role);
• Demonstrable experience of managing and leading a successful team and the ability to manage a growing team with mixed roles from team supervisors to administrative support staff, working co-operatively with colleagues to maintain transparency and effective working relationships within the team;
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with people from a wide range of backgrounds
• Strong understanding of good governance including legal, regulatory and financial responsibilities;
• Ability to work with a range of stakeholders from trustees to external partners;
• Experience of leading and/or participating in organisational strategic planning;
• Experience of legal policy work within the human rights field and /or of strategic litigation, whether as an NGO claimant or legal representative;
• Experience of managing diverse funding sources and setting and implementing budgets;
• Experience of working in a service delivery partnership with other organisations;
• Experience of fundraising, especially grants from trusts and foundations;
• Sound working knowledge of the law and policy as it relates to immigration, asylum, human rights and modern slavery/trafficking;
• Demonstrable understanding of the asylum and human rights sector in the UK;
• An understanding of the barriers migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers face regarding access to legal advice, reasons why they may become destitute and why this makes it more difficult to access advice and support; and
• The passion for working empathetically and supportively with migrants, refugees, stateless people and asylum seekers.
• Experience of managing the delivery of frontline casework with people in the asylum or trafficking systems
• Experience of tendering for and delivering publicly funded contracts e.g. LAA or local authority funding;
• Working knowledge of Legal Aid Agency contracts, including the delivery of casework and billing under a legal aid contract in the immigration and asylum category and/or the public law category;

How to apply

The first stage is to complete on our online application form on our website by 9am on 23 June 2025.

• Complete an online Equal Opportunities monitoring form – completion of this form will help us ensure that our recruitment pro]]>