Hospice Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

At The Hospice of St Francis, every day is about making a profound difference - helping people live well at the end of their lives and supporting families through their most challenging times. We are seeking an exceptional Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead our organisation into an exciting future.

Main duties of the job

This is more than a leadership role. It's an opportunity to shape the vision of a much-loved hospice, ensuring we continue to deliver outstanding care while innovating to meet the evolving needs of our community. You will inspire a dedicated team, work closely with a committed Board of Trustees, and act as a powerful advocate for our mission.

Your Impact

• Set the vision: Drive strategic direction and long-term growth in a changing healthcare landscape.
• Lead with heart and skill: Oversee clinical and commercial operations, ensuring excellence and compassion in everything we do.
• Secure our future: Build financial resilience through innovative income generation and strong governance.
• Champion our values: Be the face of the hospice, forging relationships with donors, partners, our community and other key stakeholders across the healthcare space.

About us

Based in beautiful surroundings just outside Berkhamsted, The Hospice of St Francis is a charity which helps 2,000 local people and their families, in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, to live their precious lives well. Improving symptoms, achieving personal goals and helping them to feel safe. Defined by each person's need, our free care for people managing, or recovering from, serious illness has many forms: care at the Hospice, at Home, or in our Health and Wellbeing Centre which offers courses, workshops, clinics and therapies. We are also here for family, friends and carers. We offer advice for those worried about a loved one which could mean recommending group activities, supporting children through a close relative's illness or providing practical support and advice when someone special is no longer here.

Job responsibilities

Main Responsibilities

• Working with the Board of Trustees the postholder will:

• Initiate and facilitate the development of strategy for approval by the Board including with reference to the threats and opportunities presented by the external environment.
• Ensure appropriate presentation and reporting to the Board on the progress of the organisation against its programme plans, on its financial performance and budgets, on its achievement of performance objectives and on all other matters relevant to the discharge by the Board of its responsibilities.
• Support the Board fully on a day-to-day basis in its collective responsibility to operate with financial regularity and propriety, proposing the budget and spending priorities reflecting the operational needs and circumstances to meet statutory responsibilities and service demands.
• Develop policy proposals for discussion and decision.
• Support the Chair of Trustees in ensuring the continuing engagement and involvement of all members of the Board.
• Advise on the composition of the Board of Trustees and of any sub-committees, and on the process of training and development, ensuring that the Board of Trustees collectively possesses the qualities required properly to discharge its responsibilities.
• Ensure that there is an annual Board Calendar and that all meetings are duly called, held and minuted.

Leading and Managing The Hospice of St Francis

• The postholder will:

• Provide corporate and strategic leadership working effectively with the Board of Trustees and with the Executive Team, promoting good working relationships and effective coordination throughout the organisation.
• Work to develop the capacity, direction and reputation of the Hospice of St Francis and work flexibly with staff, volunteers and other stakeholders to ensure that the aims and objectives of the organisation are delivered.
• Lead the development of the organisation's strategy and business planning both short-term and long-range and provide budgets to support strategic business goals.
• Be responsible to the Board of Trustees for the overall financial health of the Hospice by ensuring financial stability, by developing, supporting and implementing new commercial and fundraising initiatives, and by maintaining an adequate level of reserves.
• Provide leadership to direct reports, inspiring, developing and empowering them to perform to their best and appraise their work through the agreeing and monitoring of annual performance objectives.
• Develop a high personal profile and reputation with external partners and stakeholders, forming effective relationships at the most senior level.
• Enable the Charity to articulate its Vision, Mission and Values and ensure that these are applied consistently across the organisation.
• Ensure that appropriate delegation is in place and that all managers and staff understand the extent of their respective authority.
• Have responsibility for governance, quality assurance and compliance requirements. Ensure compliance with legal and statutory responsibilities and ensure that robust risk management processes are in operation.
• Negotiate, as required, and deliver contracts for resources and services in accordance with the Hospice's plans, aims and values.
• Ensure that the Hospice has the resources necessary (human, material, facilities, equipment, IT and financial) to operate effectively and efficiently and to meet the demands of agreed plans.

Person Specification

• Proven experience in executive leadership. It would be desirable that this includes leadership experience within a complex, CQC-regulated healthcare or nonprofit organisation/company.
• Strong financial acumen; a demonstrable track record of developing commercial operations to successfully grow income.
• Strong financial and strategic planning skills.
• Deep commitment to compassionate care and ethical leadership and a track record of creating and nurturing positive organisational culture.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to navigate change and uncertainty and lead through complexity.
• Demonstrated success in strategic stakeholder engagement and influencing.
• Experience of positively managing the relationship with the board.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Depending on experience Competitive Salary and Benefits.