Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in Bradford

Bradford District and Craven Mind is a thriving, independent mental health charity with a clear purpose to promote positive mental wellbeing and empower and help people experiencing issues with their mental health to manage and work towards recovery and fulfilment. We do this through:

• Building community and individual resilience for better mental wellbeing
• Providing early intervention advice and support
• Supporting people in crisis
• Empowering and helping people to recover and sustain improved wellbeing

Join us and you'll receive:

• 25 days annual leave per year, rising to 28 days with length of service plus bank holidays
• Up to two additional leave days to use each year to support your wellbeing.
• Simply Health Cash Plan to claim back on personal health costs including dental, optical, prescriptions, physiotherapy and more.
• Employee Assistance Service including 24/7 confidential mental health support and access to structured therapy sessions.
• Generous pension scheme and employer contribution to help you plan for a secure future.
• Discount schemes including Company Shop and Blue Light Card.
• Excellent personal development opportunities including access to Clinical Supervision.
• Enhanced sick pay after your six-month probation.
• Accredited employer with Mindful Employer, Disability Confident and Real Living Wage.

Purpose of the role

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) provides strategic and operational leadership to ensure BDC Mind delivers high-quality mental health services, achieves organisational sustainability, and fosters a culture aligned to the charity's values. The CEO works closely with the Board to set strategic direction, leads the Executive Leadership Team, ensures effective governance and financial stewardship, and represents BDC Mind across local, regional, and national forums.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic and Courageous Leadership

• Lead the development and implementation of the organisational strategy.
• Build trust and confidence with the Board, ELT, staff, and external partners.
• Provide transparent and values-driven leadership aligned to BDC Mind's mission.
• Build strong, productive relationships with commissioners, funders, strategic and corporate partners.
• Engage in media engagement, advocacy, and public speaking responsibilities.

• Foster a culture of innovation, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Develop new or enhanced service models, including pilots and strategic partnerships within Bradford and Craven and across West Yorkshire.
• Position BDC Mind as a leading service provider for current and emerging mental health needs through identifying service gaps and opportunities.

• Ensure services deliver measurable, high-quality outcomes for people and communities.
• Embed Service Member voices at the heart of Service developments.
• Oversee service performance, quality assurance, and impact reporting.

• Drive the delivery of our commitments to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI), Anti-Racism and the Patient Care Race Equality Framework (PCREF).
• Promote a culture of inclusion, psychological safety, and respect across the organisation.
• Strengthen workforce diversity and embed anti-discriminatory practice.
• Ensure services are accessible, inclusive and culturally competent.

• Provide clear, motivating leadership to the ELT and wider workforce.
• Promote staff wellbeing, professional development, and collaborative working.
• Ensure effective line management, appraisals, and succession planning across ELT.
• Communicate consistently, openly, and effectively with all members of the workforce, maintaining visibility and accessibility across teams and services.

• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations.
• Maintain robust safeguarding practices for children and adults at risk.
• Oversee robust health and safety procedures and risk assessments.
• Ensure strong governance, effective decision-making, and accountability across the organisation.
• Maintain robust organisational risk management processes.
• Support the Board's effectiveness through high-quality reporting and engagement.
• Ensure strong financial controls, financial planning, management, and statutory compliance.
• Drive income generation and diversification of funding streams for long-term financial sustainability.

• Foster and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders, facilitating effective communication channels.
• Lead the team ensuring all key people processes are engaged with meaningfully to enable strong performance and transparent communication, addressing issues proactively and sensitively should they arise and in alignment with our aims, policies, core values and Employee Handbook.
• Fully participating in all relevant training to develop and maintain your performance in the role.
• Demonstrating an ongoing commitment to our values: Caring Always, Working Together, Supporting Everyone, Enabling All and Continually Improving.
• Performing other duties as reasonably required within the role.

It is BDC Mind's policy to make reasonable adjustments to enable those with disabilities to undertake the above. We are committed to promoting mental health awareness, reducing stigma, and improving the quality of life for people with mental health challenges. We value diversity, inclusion, and the importance of lived experience as a source of knowledge and expertise.

Person specification

Bradford District and Craven Mind is committed to promoting mental health awareness, reducing stigma, and improving the quality of life for people with mental health challenges. We value diversity, inclusion and lived experiences when recruiting our staff and volunteers.

Qualifications & Knowledge

• Essential

• Senior leadership experience within one or more of health, social care, charity, or related sectors.
• Strong understanding of mental health services and challenges faced by service users.
• Knowledge of charity governance, safeguarding, quality standards and regulation.
• Good financial literacy and experience overseeing budgets and financial strategy.
• Strong understanding of EDI principles and inclusive leadership.
• Engaging with a Board of Trustees.

• Relevant degree or professional qualification (e.g., management, social care, health).
• Knowledge of commissioning, procurement, and tendering processes.

Leadership Skills & Behaviours

• Essential

• Courageous, transparent, values-driven leadership approach.
• Ability to inspire, motivate and develop high-performing teams.
• Strategic thinker capable of turning vision into deliverable plans.
• Skilled communicator and relationship-builder internally and externally.
• Effective decision-maker, particularly in complex and challenging situations.
• Commitment to equity inclusion, diversity, and psychologically safe working environments.
• Collaborative and partnership-oriented working style.
• Person-centred leadership, able to exercise discretion.

Experience

• Essential

• Senior paid role with a charity of turnover of more than £3.5 million.
• Demonstrable experience in strategic planning, organisational development, and change management.
• Delivering organisational strategies and measurable outcomes.
• Managing growth, innovation or service transformation.
• Strong financial acumen including overseeing financial sustainability, compliance, budget management and income generation.
• Excellent communication, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement skills including representing organisations publicly and influencing stakeholders.
• Experience of working within a wider system of charities and infrastructure.

• Experience of working within a federated or charity network.
• Leadership experience within mental health or wellbeing services.
• Demonstrable commitment to Anti-Racism.
• Evidence of public policy influence.

Personal Attributes

• A strong passion for the mission of BDC Mind and alignment with our values, including inclusion for all.
• Resilience and the confidence to challenge constructively.
• Ability to foster trust, credibility and positive relationships.
• Passion for improving mental health outcomes across communities.
• Commitment to learning, improvement and reflective practice.

Additional Information

The CEO may be required to work flexibly, including occasional evenings or weekends. Appointment is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

How to apply:

Please click the ‘Apply for this job’ button and follow the steps to fill out the application form. Upload your CV and a cover letter showing how your experience and skills match the Job Description and Person Specification under. We're unable to provide feedback to applicants who are not shortlisted. We are committed to safeguarding vulnerable children and adults. All successful candidates will need to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and a right to work in the UK check.