Reporting to: The Chair of the Board of SARAC
Salary: £42,000 to £47,000 per annum depending on qualifications and experience
Contract Period: Permanent
Working Hours: Full-time (37.5 hours per week)
SARAC (sexual abuse and rape advice centre) is a Staffordshire based charity that offers a trauma informed specialist support service to those affected by rape and/or sexual abuse. It is delivered by a team of volunteers and a small team of paid staff supported by an active Board of Trustees. Since the beginning in 1994 it has continued to grow and develop its services and covers ages 11 and above. SARAC provides person centred support helping empower those affected to understand and move forward.SARAC is an accredited training centre, with the offering of a variety of training needs to education, community and business.
Purpose of the role
The Chief Executive provides strategic leadership to ensure the long-term sustainability of the charity through effective leadership, income generation and stewardship of its people and resources. The postholder is accountable to the Board for the effective delivery of the Charity’s strategy and for ensuring the Board is aware of all financial, operational and strategic risks. As Chief Executive of a small charity, the postholder will combine this strategic focus with a pragmatic and flexible approach, contributing directly to key operational priorities where their involvement is needed or adds value.
Main Duties & responsibilities
Leading the charity
- Be an effective leader of the charity, exemplifying and demonstrating the values and behaviours of the charity and effectively implementing the policies and procedures.
- Support the Chair and Board to ensure governance arrangements comply with Charity Commission requirements.
- Work with the Board to establish direction of the charity and deliver on the strategic aims.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with partners, key stakeholders and funders.
- Maintain oversight of grant-funded activity, ensuring agreed outcomes are delivered and appropriate monitoring arrangements are in place.
- Create and support a bank of Ambassadors that connect with our communities.
- Implement the Training Strategy, that will diversify funding streams for the charity.
- Lead on development of the annual plan and budgeting processes.
- Ensure the ‘Bigger picture’ is understood by the whole team and major stakeholders.
- Lead and support the Senior Leadership Team, staff and volunteers, promoting clear accountability, collaboration and engagement with diverse and local communities.
- Maintain executive oversight of safeguarding and ensure appropriate operational and clinical safeguarding arrangements are in place.
- Develop and implement a robust funding strategy that will ensure sufficient resources for the charity to deliver on its charitable objects and grow.
- Lead the identification of funding opportunities and contribute to significant or strategic funding applications where appropriate.
- Lead the development of fundraising and engagement activities that increase awareness and generate income.
- Represent the charity externally on relevant groups, forums and organisations.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with key partner agencies and stakeholders.
- Collaborate and develop positive and effective relationships with external stakeholders in order to drive forward the national agenda on rape and sexual abuse.
- Be a proactive spokesperson and presenter for the charity to build our profile externally and represent the service user voice.
Finance and monitoring
- Lead the development of budgets and maintain oversight of financial performance and delivery.
- Work with the Trustee Treasurer and appropriate finance support to ensure management accounts are prepared for the Board and present financial information to the Board.
- Ensure appropriate monitoring of key indicators and spend against funded projects, and that required funder returns are completed in a timely manner.
- Work with accountants and where appropriate auditors to ensure timely completion of the annual returns.
Governance
- Ensure the Board is provided with clear and concise Board reports with which to reflect on the health of the charity.
- Update the board on progress against strategic documents including the Strategic Business Plan, Fundraising Plan, budgets and cash flows.
- Ensure the charity complies with all relevant legislation, regulation and Charity Commission requirements.
- Support the Chair to develop the annual report and appropriate returns.
People leadership
- Lead and promote a positive, inclusive and values-led organisational culture that supports staff, volunteers and service users.
- Ensure effective arrangements are in place for regular support, supervision and appraisal of staff.
- Provide leadership on significant or complex employee relations matters, including attendance, conduct and capability, working with the Head of Service on day-to-day people management and ensuring compliance with employment legislation and charity policy.
- Maintain oversight of staff wellbeing and ensure a trauma-informed approach to supporting the workforce.
Quality
- Champion and maintain a trauma-informed approach that applies to service users, staff and volunteers.
- Ensure the charity pursues and retains relevant quality kite marks and professional standards.
- Ensure periodic internal review of the quality of delivery is undertaken and share key findings with the Board.
- Ensure the complaints policy is robust and followed and service users are encouraged to raise an issue if they have one.
- Act as organisational Data Protection Lead, ensuring appropriate day-to-day processes and responsibilities are in place.
Person Specification
We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate the required experience and expertise for this role. While we recognise that all candidates may have areas for continued development, proven experience is essential. We are seeking someone who shares SARAC’s values and can demonstrate commitment to its mission and long-term success.
Knowledge and experience
- Experience of operating at a strategic level, working in a senior role within charitable support and service delivery environment.
- Strong understanding of training and education.
- Experience of influencing, building external partnerships and high-level relationships to advance strategic goals.
- Knowledge and / or experience of monitoring, evaluation and good impact measurement.
- Experience of budgeting, business planning and financial monitoring.
- Experience of addressing complex and challenging issues.
Skills and abilities
- Understand the complexity of trauma responses to sexual abuse and rape, with a commitment to developing knowledge through in-house training and to becoming an assessor for the current accreditation.
- Think strategically, with broad vision and with an ability to translate strategy into action.
- Balance strategic leadership with a pragmatic, hands-on approach appropriate to a small charity.
- Gather and analyse information, think critically and use evidence to inform decisions.
- Solution focused with sound judgement and clear thinking around risk management.
- Inspire, provide direction and delegate/co-ordinate effectively within teams.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build effective working relationships internally and with external partners.
- Confident in the use of digital systems and technologies to improve organisational effectiveness and service delivery.
Closing Date 6th September
A recruitment pack can be found on our website - Vacancies - Sarac (Sexual Abuse Rape Advice Centre)
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