CEO

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Job description

OVERVIEW

The voluntary youth sector plays a vital role in the lives of young people, but the barriers they face are complex and won't be solved in isolation. Young Camden Foundation (YCF) is a community of organisations working together cross-sector to improve opportunities for all young people in Camden. The Foundation was created in May 2017, with the support of the London Borough of Camden and John Lyon's Charity, to address the growing uncertainty of long-term investment in the local youth sector and the need to build more cross-sector partnerships. Since that time, the organisation has grown into a strong position, both operationally and financially. As such, the team is highly professional and has considerable expertise.

YCF aims to provide an innovative new model of local support to promote:

RESILIENCE | We work to build capacity and better equip the community with resources and funding

COLLABORATION | We connect and work with organisations to develop and new and entrepreneurial approaches to working and income generation that will improve opportunities for young people

ADVOCACY | We champion Camden's youth sector, working to raise the profile of existing youth services and influence decision making

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The current CEO, Keith Morgan, was appointed in 2018 and has been tremendous in his tenure. Three years later, we're saying a fond farewell to Keith as he takes up a fantastic new opportunity in the sector. Whilst we're hoping to appoint an Interim CEO during the search for a permanent replacement, the recruitment process will be fast, and we hope to appoint by 1st March 2022.

We are now looking for a passionate and visionary leader who understands the unique needs of the young people of Camden and how we can change their lives; someone who will shape the Foundation in the next phase of its growth and lead our small enthusiastic team.

For us the role of CEO also means Chief Engagement Officer. You will be nurturing relationships with a wide range of Member organisations in our diverse local community

We would welcome applicants from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their gender, race, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age. While this is a full-time, permanent position, we have embraced the hybrid working model, split across office and remote working, and are committed to offering flexible working arrangements. We are open to discussion regarding how this flexibility might be achieved.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1) Lead the development of the Foundation's strategy

The first step will be to work with the Board to review the Foundation's strategy and develop a new mid to long-term plan that supports and furthers our vision, mission and values.

You will also work with the Board to make sure skills and capabilities represented on the Board are relevant to the needs of the organisation, and work closely with the Trustees on the progress made, collaborating with them, and capitalising on their individual expertise.

2) Provide financial stability

You review and build on existing plans to develop a sustainable funding strategy that has a healthy mix of sources, both trust/foundations and business partners, and then a plan that makes this easy to implement and monitor.

You will be responsible for the financial health of the Foundation, effectively manage the budget and ensure appropriate healthy reserves.

Risk assessments of funding applications will need to be completed with appropriate actions built into contracts to make sure financial and delivery targets are met.

3) Consortium building

You will be responsible for establishing and leading a dynamic and exciting new consortium.

YCF has received training on the development of a consortium and is now ready to consult with Members on the process for establishing a Camden-based consortium. The consortium is expected to leverage more investment in the CYP sector in Camden by convening Members to co-design services, create single point of contracting, and by bidding and tendering competitively for public service contracts and large-scale grants.

The structure and composition of the consortium needs to be informed by Members. However, the consortium is expected to be a not-for-profit subsidiary of YCF that will exist to support collaboration, partnership working and co-designing of services for children and young people.

4) Develop business partnerships

The Foundation has already had great success in building partnerships with businesses based in Camden. These partnerships have enhanced the opportunities we can provide for our young people.

The next stage in YCF's strategic plan is to develop these partnerships further and to seek new ones, and you will lead these relationships and create a plan to develop the opportunities that are available within the borough.

5) Manage performance

Ensure the highest standards from staff and volunteers, to ensure they are engaged in their roles and share the vision of the Foundation, and have personal and professional development planning. Key will be the development of the team into future leadership roles.

Alongside the membership development staff, you will also be responsible for ensuring the interventions provided by Members are regularly evaluated to show they are effective and are delivering the local priorities.

6) Develop Foundation membership

Developing the membership of the Foundation is a core part of its success and will require ongoing relationship building and encouraging Members to learn from and support each other.

You will work closely with membership development staff to support Members in being sustainable, robust and effective. This will involve a capacity building programme to improve policies, procedures, HR protocols, leadership, use of shared resources and quality marks.

You will also ensure that Members understand their obligations under the membership of the Foundation.

Crucial to managing membership will be your ability to bring providers together to work in partnership and submit consortium bids for funding. This will involve careful negotiation and mediation between Members around funding amounts and delivery expectations.

7) Engage stakeholders

Camden is a London borough with a rich mix of public, voluntary, business and creative sectors with whom we want to work collaboratively. You will develop the stakeholder engagement plan to make it clear, how, when and who to engage as key stakeholders. This will include our key funders - Camden Council and John Lyon's Charity, and the network of other Young People's Foundations currently operating in 6 other London boroughs. You will act as the Foundation's spokesperson protecting and enhancing the Foundation's reputation and seeking new opportunities to grow by collaborating with other agencies and foundations.

Working with young people's forums and actively encouraging their participation, you will ensure that services being delivered are relevant to them.

You will actively drive the formulation of marketing strategies and campaigns ensuring all marketing materials and forms of communication clearly and persuasively present the mission and values of the organisation.

8) Support YPF network

YCF is a member of the Young People's Foundations (YPF) network developed in response to the ongoing challenges facing the Children and Young People's sector. The network brings together the public, private and voluntary sectors to implement positive change for young people.

You will be expected to contribute to the strengthening of the network by meeting quarterly, contributing to discussions about the proliferation of the YPF model, and exploring opportunities to form delivery partnerships and joint bids.

9) Governance

Ensure that the Board is kept informed about the progress being made on strategic objectives and develop policy proposals for Board discussion and decision. Work with the clerk to ensure that Board and committee meetings are scheduled, minutes are accurate, and papers are distributed on time.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The Foundation values the differences that a diverse workforce brings and is committed to inclusivity, and to employing and supporting a diverse workforce.

We are looking for someone who is a visionary, with demonstrable leadership experience. Whilst you do not necessarily need to have been a CEO before, you will be comfortable and confident in leading and driving our mission whilst ensuring the organisation is efficiently managed. We are looking for someone who is passionate about the sector and can ensure the Foundation is fulfilling its vision and objectives - candidates will be able to demonstrate their experience in this area during the appointment process. You will ensure that the organisation remains fit for purpose and that everything behind the scenes works smoothly, but will also support the needs of all stakeholders.

You will be leading a small team, which means you will need to provide strong leadership while also offering encouragement at a very personal level and at times working closely together to ensure things get done. Equally we want everyone to be bringing new and innovative ideas, contributing to all aspects of the development of the YCF. You will have an interest in developing the team through shared leadership by providing opportunities, where appropriate, for individuals to demonstrate leadership qualities particularly in their area of work.

You will be responsible for engaging a wide range of people to deliver on the vision of the Foundation. To do this, you will need to have:
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