Chief Executive Officer

One in Four is a charity specialising in supporting survivors of sexual violence and abuse, particularly survivors of child sexual abuse and trauma. We understand how such experiences, if unsupported, can have long-term impact and recognise the challenges faced by people who have experienced sexual abuse and who have struggled for their survival. We support survivors to work through the trauma of abuse, helping them to transform and rebuild their lives. We work with people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities, which is reflected in our management committee and counselling team. Many of them have lived experience, which, combined with client feedback and professional standards, defines the service we provide. We provide in-person support to over 200 survivors a week through our two centres in North and South London.

Role Purpose

We are currently looking for a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who will be responsible for leading, growing and ensuring a safe, high quality service provision across the charity. This includes the external engagement of stakeholders and potential funders to grow the income for the charity and ensure long term financial stability; the internal leadership and development of all our employee team and volunteers; maintaining and developing the charity across our key service areas of:

• Counselling
• Training
• Advocacy

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Lead the development and execution of our fundraising strategy (grants and trusts, community, major donors, corporate, individual giving and events fundraising) to meet the annual income targets. Cultivate, solicit and steward relationships with major donors, institutional funders, corporate partners, and philanthropic networks. Ensure robust donor reporting, impact evidence, and compliance with funding agreements. Oversee donor acquisition, retention, and upgrade programmes, ensuring stewardship and donor loyalty.
2. Serve as principal ambassador and spokesperson for the charity, projecting credibility, sensitivity, and authority in public, media, sector and policy settings. Forge strategic partnerships with relevant statutory bodies (health, social services, local authorities), NGOs, professional bodies, academic institutions, and referral agencies. Influence policy, sector debates and public understanding of childhood sexual abuse and trauma recovery, contributing to sector forums and consultations. Negotiate and maintain contracts, MOUs, or service-level agreements with partner organisations, commissioners or external bodies. Represent the charity in senior stakeholder arenas (government, funders, regulators), advocating for survivors and for sustainable funding and policy change.
3. Provide visionary, values-driven leadership to staff, clinicians, volunteers, and management, nurturing a psychologically safe, high-performing, trauma-informed culture. Oversee recruitment, performance management, professional development, and retention strategies—especially for clinical staff, ensuring high morale and low turnover. Foster cross-team collaboration (clinical services, training, advocacy, operations), breaking silos and aligning to strategic objectives. Ensure staff and volunteer well-being, resilience and supervision structures (especially in trauma / counselling environment). Act as a coach, mentor, and role model in ethical leadership, inclusion, diversity, equity, and safeguarding standards. Drive the preparation, oversight and forecasting of annual budgets, and ensure financial sustainability (cost control, reserves, cash flow management). Oversee operational systems, processes, technology (CRM, case management, MIS) to ensure efficiency, data integrity, scalability and compliance. Monitor performance via KPIs / dashboards (service utilisation, waitlists, cost per client, training revenues, growth metrics) and initiate corrective action. Implement risk management frameworks (financial, operational, reputational, clinical) and ensure mitigation strategies are in place. Lead process improvement, cost efficiencies, and scalable operating models to support growth without compromising clinical quality.
4. Maintain ultimate executive accountability for safeguarding across the organisation; ensure policies, procedures, training, and audit are current, robust and rigorously adhered to. Provide oversight of clinical governance: assurance of therapeutic standards, supervision, professional registration compliance, case reviews and complaint handling. Ensure staff and volunteer safeguarding recruitment checks (DBS, references), induction, ongoing training, and monitoring. Lead adverse event / incident reviews, root cause analyses, and ensure learning is embedded and communicated. Oversee data security, confidentiality, privacy (GDPR), information governance and ensure compliance in handling client data (clinician records, case notes, etc.).
5. Lead branding, reputation, and communications strategy in alignment with mission, ensuring sensitive and survivor-centred messaging. Oversee digital presence (website, social media, email campaigns), media engagement, thought leadership content, press relations. Ensure consistent, trauma-informed communications with clients, stakeholders, donors and the public. Monitor and report on communication metrics (reach, conversions, engagement) and optimise campaigns. Oversee content and marketing for training products, advocacy campaigns, and publications to drive both mission and income.
6. Work with the Chair and board of trustees to develop, refine and deliver the strategic plan, ensuring clear alignment between board and executive. Provide timely, accurate and transparent reporting, including regular CEO updates, performance against strategic objectives, risk registers and financials. Support board recruitment, induction, development and evaluation; help shape committee structures (e.g. clinical, finance, safeguarding). Ensure strong oversight, compliance, and clarity of roles: preserve boundaries between governance and executive functions. Advise the board on regulatory, legal, and ethical obligations (charity law, safeguarding, staff duty of care, data protection).
7. Lead development of research, evaluation and impact measurement frameworks (qualitative and quantitative) to evidence clinical outcomes and advocacy success. Oversee preparation of annual reports, accounts, impact reports, regulatory filings (Charity Commission, Companies House, regulator). Ensure policy development and internal policies (clinical, HR, finance, equality & diversity, safeguarding) are current, clear, and well-communicated. Translate evidence into strategic insight, policy proposals, submissions to commissions, consultations, and white papers. Ensure monitoring and compliance with external regulations, funder conditions, accreditation standards, and reporting deadlines.

Personal Specification

Education and Professional Background

• Degree or equivalent professional qualification.
• Evidence of continuous professional development in leadership, management, or governance.
• Knowledge of the UK charity, health, or social care sector — including regulatory frameworks (Charity Commission, Companies House, GDPR, safeguarding).
• Demonstrated experience of leading small to medium charitable or clinical organisations, ideally in trauma, counselling, or mental health settings.
• Proven ability to translate vision into strategic plans, manage delivery, and evaluate impact.
• Inclusive and empowering leadership style that fosters collaboration, well-being, and accountability.
• Experience of leading multi-disciplinary teams and motivating both professional and voluntary staff.
• Strong emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and resilience when working in a trauma-informed environment.
• Experience of leading through organisational change, growth or turnaround.
• Coaching or facilitation experience supporting senior colleagues and practitioners.
• Postgraduate qualification in counselling, psychotherapy, social work, psychology, or related discipline.
• Leadership training (e.g., ILM, CMI, or Clore Social Leadership).
• Clinical registration or experience of managing clinical services (BACP, UKCP, HCPC or equivalent).

Personal Attributes

• Emotionally resilient, self-aware, and calm under pressure.
• Empathic and survivor-centred in all decisions and communications.
• Strategic thinker with operational pragmatism — comfortable shifting between vision and detail.
• Collaborative and relationship-driven; values inclusion and diversity.
• Deep personal commitment to trauma-informed practice, confidentiality, and ethical leadership.

How to Apply

Please send your CV and a cover letter explaining how your skills and experience match this role. We are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and within the role to ensure that everyone can thrive. Please contact us if you have specific accessibility requirements. We are committed to building a workplace where everyone feels seen, respected, and supported - we look forward to hearing from you.