Chief Executive Officer

All Opportunities

Gloucestershire Deaf Association

Chief Executive Officer

Gloucester

c£55,000

Ambition

Gloucestershire Deaf Association has big ambitions and seeks an inspirational leader with the credibility and authority to forge new approaches with excellent business skills.

A leader who can direct and help to further develop and transform GDA from a dedicated organisation, which has not been without its challenges, into one of the leading not-for-profits in Gloucestershire to meet the changing and evolving needs of the people and communities they serve.

Intro

Gloucestershire Deaf Association (GDA) is a charity which provides vital practical and emotional support to children, young people and adults living in Gloucestershire who are D/deaf and hard of hearing.

With roots which date back to 1919, when it was formed by the Gloucester Diocesan, they have grown significantly in size and impact to be a charity that is innovative and leading the way for services for the people and communities they serve.

As a user-led organisation, people who are D/deaf and hard of hearing are at the heart of everything that they do at GDA. All their services and support aim to reduce social isolation and enable people to live life to the full.

They reach out to all D/deaf and hard-of-hearing people, including people who use BSL as their first language and people who have hearing loss acquired through illness or injury.

They recognise, embrace, and respect the needs of people from linguistic and cultural minority groups and equally offer support to people who may experience emotional loss when their hearing deteriorates or they become deafened.

Purpose

Their expectations are high. As their new our Chief Executive Officer, you will be expected to:

Work with an engaged trustee Board and a dedicated office team, many of whom are D/deaf or hard-of-hearing themselves;
Hold responsibility for the development of our new three-year strategic plan;
Review, streamline, further develop and deliver our high quality commissioned and grant-funded services; and
Develop new and stronger partnerships to better support our growth ambitions and the wider D/deaf and hard of hearing community based on their needs today and in the future.

Celebrating D/deaf culture and the community is an essential part of what they do. With D/deaf and hard of hearing people and, in collaboration with others, they innovate and deliver services that D/deaf and hard of hearing people want and need, with all colleagues, trustees, staff and volunteers expected to actively demonstrate and share accountability for their organisational values.

Career Level

Leadership

Qualification

Degree (or postgraduate) qualification or equivalent role-based attainment, together with evidence of continuing professional development.

Specialisation

Disability

Responsibilities

Leadership

Hold overall responsibility for the charity, corporate, operations, and infrastructure, all major decision-making and reporting, monitoring the delivery of the strategic and business plans, and achieving the required financial and quality outcomes.

Strategy

With the support of the Board, lead on the strategic business planning process and take key operational decisions to drive impact and extend our reach.
Maintain an awareness of risks and changes in the external environment that affect the organisation, proactively managing this risk across all area of strategy and operations, liaising closely with the Co-Chairs and our Board.
Broaden the membership of the Board of Trustees to maintain a mix of deaf and hearing members whilst seeking better representation from other minority communities to extend our ability to meet the needs of Gloucestershire’s diverse population.

Operations

Champion GDA’s strategic vision and continue to develop services in line with the needs of the people and communities we serve.
Establish mechanisms for listening to the views of all those we serve and support on the organisation’s performance to ensure that their needs are being fully met.

People

Provide leadership, direction and motivation to staff and volunteers, creating a learning culture that enables everyone connected to GDA to develop, feel empowered, and inspired by their work and impact.
Recruit and support the team in developing services and managing operations and performance.

External

Proactively promote GDA and represent and speak on behalf of GDA at events, publicity opportunities and media interviews.
Build new and develop existing relationships to maintain and amplify the profile of GDA.

Financial

Prepare a business plan, annual budget, and monthly management accounts for approval by the Board.
Establish and monitor indicators of the organisation’s impact and financial health.
Ensure and assist the full and timely annual audit of GDA’s financial records and the preparation and filing of statutory annual accounts and returns.

Governance

Provide regular and timely reports to the Board, prepare for, attend, and record regular trustee meetings, and oversee annual general meetings.
Ensure the organisation fulfils its legal, statutory, and regulatory responsibilities and that management and HR policies are regularly reviewed and updated.

Person Specification

As their new Chief Executive Officer, you will need to demonstrate a broad knowledge of the critical issues facing D/deaf and hard of hearing people, empathy for their circumstances and an understanding of the varied ways in which services for D/deaf and hard of hearing people are commissioned and provided.

They would also particularly welcome applications from individuals who are D/deaf or hard of hearing themselves or who have a close connection with someone who is.

Attributes

Evidence a palpable passion, personal commitment, and an interest in the work of GDA and to change things for the better for D/deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.
Possess an understanding of D/deaf culture with a proven track record of working towards improving accessibility at a strategic level – and an ability to engage with D/deaf and hard of hearing people.
Be able to talk authoritatively and show an understanding for inclusivity and barriers, which can lead to discrimination.

Skills

Possess strong organisational, advocacy and people management skills to lead an important local charity working in an increasingly visible and important space.
Evidence excellent communication skills, well-developed interpersonal ambassadorial skills to represent GDA at events and in the media and confidence and experience in delivering talks and presentations to key stakeholders and audiences.
Demonstrate an ability to manage your workload, prioritise tasks and hit deadlines with minimal supervision while motivating, leading, and supporting a small and growing team

Experience

Bring experience in financial and risk management, including budgeting and cost control, with the ability to draft a strategy and annual business plans.
Demonstrate experience in and a successful track record of attracting income from grant funders and individuals, with the ability to think creatively about achieving significant increases in funding to support our valuable work.

Knowledge

Possess a good working knowledge of:

HR policy and practice at a non-specialist level with an understanding of how to promote equality and diversity objectives.
Good governance and how effective and efficient charitable organisations operate, with experience of reporting to Boards and supporting trustees to perform their roles.
Fundraising Regulator, Data Protection / GDPR principles, and other relevant law and best practice guidance.

Organisation Profile

All the services Gloucestershire Deaf Association offers, aim to enable a person to live confidently with their deafness.

No-one deserves to live in a world of isolation and loneliness but with your help, together we can ensure no person living with deafness in our community does. We offer Deaf and Hard of Hearing support in the Gloucestershire area.

Industry Category

Company Size

Apply Now

If you would welcome the opportunity to apply, please forward:

A CV outlining your employment history , voluntary activities, achievements, and academic and professional qualifications.
A supporting statement (maximum 2 x A4 pages) demonstrating what you hope to bring to the role and outlining why you want to become our next Chief Executive Officer.
A completed copy of our equalities and monitoring form.

Please ensure that you have included a telephone number and any dates when you will not be available or might have difficulty with the recruitment timetable.

Applications should be forwarded to philip.nelson@thehiringdept.com.

Recruitment Timetable

Closing Date: Sunday 22 October

Preliminary Interview: Friday 27 October

Final Panel Interviews: Friday 10 November

Queries

For an informal and confidential conversation, please get in touch with our advising consultant, Philip Nelson, on 020 3590 9978 or via email at philip,nelson@thehiringdept.com.