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- Tasks: Lead a passionate team to promote walking, wheeling, and cycling across the UK.
- Company: Join Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, a pioneer in sustainable travel for nearly 50 years.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, competitive salary, generous leave, and a supportive community.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on public health and the environment while inspiring change.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership experience and a passion for active travel and community engagement.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic team dedicated to creating healthier, happier communities.
The predicted salary is between 136000 - 184000 £ per year.
Location: UK – flexible. Regularly to Bristol and London, and extensively across the UK to teams, projects, events and stakeholders.
Full-time: 37.5 hours per week, flexible working available.
£160,000 per annum.
Closing date: 23:59 on 15th March 2026.
Do you share our passion to make it possible for everyone to walk, wheel and cycle? Could you lead the next part of our journey?
We are stepping confidently into the future as Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, building on nearly 50 years of impact as Sustrans, the charity that helped to pioneer the UK’s sustainable travel movement. Our purpose is beautifully simple: To make it possible for everyone to walk, wheel and cycle, because it changes everything. Our health. Our wellbeing. Our world. And we are more ambitious than ever.
We are now seeking a new CEO to help us shape and deliver the future of movement in the UK. You’ll be part of a dynamic, committed team of 500 staff and 2,000 volunteers across the UK’s four nations.
The successful candidate will have substantial leadership experience as a CEO (or aspiring CEO) and will bring values-driven leadership, energy and drive. You will be comfortable building high-trust relationships with a wide range of stakeholders in active travel, including government ministers, senior civil servants, policy makers and strategic partners. You will be able to inspire and lead our brilliant management team and colleagues. You will have a proven track record of leading change in a complex, purpose-driven, multi-stakeholder organisation. You will have had success growing income through fundraising, grant funding, commercial activity and strategic partnerships.
If ensuring that walking, wheeling and cycling are safe, accessible and joyful for everyone, everywhere excites you, and you have the qualities needed to lead and inspire people-powered movement, we look forward to hearing from you.
About the role:
- Work with the Board to set the charity’s strategic direction, build the conditions for long-term success, and ensure that purpose, performance and culture are consistently aligned to ensure operational and impactful delivery of the strategy.
Key responsibilities:
- Provide visible, values-driven leadership to leaders and colleagues across the organisation, ensuring strong delivery, collaboration, and accountability across walking, wheeling, and cycling programmes.
- Lead the development and execution of the Trust’s long-term strategy to grow active travel, improve public health, and reduce carbon emissions.
- Work in close partnership with the Board of Trustees to ensure high standards of governance, regulatory compliance, and strategic oversight.
- Oversee robust performance management, impact evaluation, and evidence-based learning to strengthen credibility and influence.
- Lead organisational development, workforce planning, and change management to support long-term organisational health and resilience.
- Translate national and regional active-travel policy into effective programmes, partnerships, and local delivery models.
- Ensure sustainable funding through diversified income streams, including government grants, contracts, fundraising, memberships and partnerships.
- Build and maintain influential relationships with central and local government, transport authorities, funders, strategic and sector partners and the media.
- Act as the Trust’s principal public advocate and media spokesperson on walking, wheeling, and cycling.
- Demonstrate the importance of serving diverse communities and embed a strong culture of inclusion, accessibility, and equity across all activities and services.
- Champion volunteering and meaningful engagement with communities.
- Ensure effective risk management, internal controls, and transparent reporting to Trustees, funders, and stakeholders.
About you:
- Demonstrable success in developing and delivering a compelling vision and strategy for an organisation.
- Significant experience as a CEO or aspiring CEO in a large, complex, or multi-stakeholder organisation.
- Proven track record of leading organisations and teams through substantial change, growth and/or transformation.
- Strong experience of influencing, engaging, and aligning diverse internal and external stakeholders around shared objectives.
- Experience of working within, or in close partnership with, the voluntary, community, or social purpose sector.
- Established record of building effective, high-trust relationships with trustee or non-executive Boards.
- Demonstrated success in growing organisational income through fundraising, grant funding, commercial activity and strategic partnerships.
- Experience of leading organisational modernisation, including digital systems, data capability, and operational infrastructure.
Skills & abilities:
- Proven ability to lead and influence complex systems involving multiple public, private, and voluntary sector actors.
- Exceptional people skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate, and mobilise people internally and externally.
- Ability to lead evidence-based strategy, using data, research, and evaluation to strengthen policy influence and funding confidence.
- Capacity to operate confidently and effectively at local, regional, and national levels across the UK.
- Strong political awareness, with the ability to build constructive and credible relationships with elected representatives and public officials.
- Well-developed commercial and entrepreneurial acumen, with the ability to identify and pursue opportunities for sustainable growth.
- Excellent relationship-building, negotiation, and influencing skills with senior external stakeholders.
- Ability to communicate complex issues clearly and persuasively, and to act as a credible public spokesperson for the organisation.
Values & personal commitment:
- Strong alignment with, and commitment to Walk Wheel Cycle Trust’s purpose and values.
- Demonstrated commitment to volunteering, community engagement, and citizen-led action.
- Commitment to creating a healthy, inclusive, and supportive workplace that enables people to perform at their best.
Additional Information:
- To apply for this role, please provide an up-to-date CV and a supporting statement.
- A completed diversity monitoring form on the application link.
Why work for us?
At Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, you'll be part of a movement to make it easier for people to walk and cycle. We believe including everyone is central to who we are and what we want to achieve. We welcome difference and pride ourselves on creating a culture where you can be yourself and where your wellness is supported.
What we offer:
- 28 days leave per annum plus bank holidays for full-time working.
- Ability to buy an extra week of annual leave.
- 24/7 free, impartial and confidential support service.
- Group Personal Pension scheme with a 6% or 7% of basic salary contribution being matched by Walk Wheel Cycle Trust.
- Bike, computer and season ticket loans.
- Death in service benefit – 3 times annual salary.
- Family-friendly enhanced maternity and paternity pay.
- Flexible Working practices.
Chief Executive Officer employer: Sustrans Hub
Contact Detail:
Sustrans Hub Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Chief Executive Officer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the active travel sector. Attend events, join forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to potential stakeholders. Building relationships can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Show your passion! When you get the chance to chat with someone about the role, let your enthusiasm for walking, wheeling, and cycling shine through. Share your vision and ideas on how to make a difference – it’s all about making that personal connection.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching the organisation's recent projects and initiatives. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their mission. We want to see that you’re not just a fit on paper but also genuinely invested in our goals.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team and making a real impact in the community.
We think you need these skills to ace Chief Executive Officer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the role of CEO at Walk Wheel Cycle Trust. Highlight your leadership experience and any relevant achievements that align with our mission to promote walking, wheeling, and cycling.
Craft a Compelling Supporting Statement: Your supporting statement is your chance to shine! Use it to express your passion for active travel and how your values align with ours. Be specific about your vision for the organisation and how you plan to lead us into the future.
Showcase Your Stakeholder Engagement Skills: We want to see how you’ve built relationships with diverse stakeholders in your previous roles. Share examples of how you've influenced policy or engaged with communities to drive change in active travel or related sectors.
Submit Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the easiest way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re following the correct process. Plus, it shows you’re keen to be part of our community from the get-go!
How to prepare for a job interview at Sustrans Hub
✨Know Your Vision
Before stepping into the interview, make sure you have a clear vision for the future of active travel in the UK. Think about how you can align your ideas with the mission of Walk Wheel Cycle Trust. Be ready to discuss specific strategies that could enhance walking, wheeling, and cycling initiatives.
✨Build Relationships
Given the importance of stakeholder engagement, prepare examples of how you've successfully built high-trust relationships in previous roles. Highlight your experience working with government officials, community leaders, and other stakeholders to show you can navigate complex systems effectively.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
As a potential CEO, your leadership style is crucial. Be prepared to discuss how you inspire and motivate teams, especially in a multi-stakeholder environment. Share stories that demonstrate your values-driven approach and how you've led organisations through change.
✨Demonstrate Financial Acumen
Since growing income through diverse funding streams is key, come equipped with examples of how you've successfully secured funding in the past. Discuss your understanding of different funding models and how you plan to innovate revenue opportunities for the Trust.
