Chief Executive Officer

White Lodge; Chertsey; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

White Lodge seeks a seasoned Chief Executive Officer to lead a long-standing charity in Chertsey, guiding strategy, governance and service excellence for disabled people and their families.

You will work with the Board, funders and partners to secure sustainable growth, deliver the Active Plan 2025–30 and champion the voices of customers and the community in a challenging funding environment.

Qualifications

• Seasoned senior leader with significant experience in complex organisations.
• Strong financial, operational and commercial understanding.
• Strategic thinker with track record of organisational change and growth.
• Experienced working with a Board, commissioners, funders and strategic partners.

Responsibilities

• Strategy & Impact: Deliver White Lodge's strategy with measurable outcomes.
• Leadership: Develop a workforce within an inclusive, accountable culture.
• Governance & Finance: Work with the Board to ensure governance and financial sustainability.
• Operations: Ensure high-quality, person-centred services and strong systems.
• Income & Partnerships: Diversify income and build relationships with funders and NHS partners.
• Safeguarding & Compliance: Maintain high safeguarding and ethical standards.

Job description

Could you lead a charity with deep roots and a strong sense of community into its next chapter – creating greater opportunities for people with disabilities and/or neurodiversity to thrive?

Location: White Lodge, Chertsey, KT16 0FA (hybrid, minimum 3 days a week in the office)

Contract: Permanent, full time, 37.5 hours per week

About us

White Lodge is a leading charity supporting children, young people and adults with disabilities and their families. With more than 60 years’ history, we support over 2,500 people across Surrey and beyond through specialist services and facilities in Chertsey.

White Lodge is a community as much as a service provider, built around our values of ENABLE: Equity, Nurture, Advocacy, Belonging, Language and Empathy. Our Active Plan 2025–30 sets four ambitions: Enhance accessibility and social opportunities; Champion customers' voices in health and social care; Transform local attitudes; and Strengthen its resources.

With strong systems, governance and a diversified income base, White Lodge is well placed for its next phase. The new CEO will provide continuity while bringing strategic, operational and entrepreneurial leadership to respond to a changing funding environment and pursue new opportunities, including a children's services tender.

As our next Chief Executive Officer, you will:

• Strategy & Impact: Deliver White Lodge's strategy, translating ambitions into measurable outcomes and impact.
• Leadership: Lead and develop a committed workforce, fostering an inclusive, accountable and values-led culture.
• Governance & Finance: Partner with the Board to ensure strong governance, financial sustainability and effective risk management.
• Operations: Ensure high-quality, person-centred services and effective organisational systems and performance.
• Income & Partnerships: Diversify income and develop relationships with commissioners, funders, NHS partners and the wider community.
• Influence & Advocacy: Champion customers' voices, strengthen White Lodge's profile and help transform attitudes towards disability.
• Safeguarding & Compliance: Ensure high standards of safeguarding, regulatory compliance, equality and ethical leadership.

Who you are

• A seasoned senior leader with significant experience in a complex organisation, ideally within charity, health, care or wider public services.
• Experienced in leading substantial teams and complex services, with strong financial, operational and commercial understanding.
• A strategic thinker with a track record of organisational change, sustainable growth and measurable outcomes.
• Experienced in working effectively with a Board, commissioners, funders and strategic partners.
• An emotionally intelligent, inclusive and entrepreneurial leader who builds trust, creates clarity and brings people with them.
• A compelling communicator and ambassador, committed to equity, inclusion, dignity, safeguarding and ensuring lived experience shapes decisions.
• Experience of disability, social care, children's services or another regulated service environment would be advantageous, as would commissioned services or significant tender experience. Previous CEO experience is desirable but not essential; exceptional Directors or Deputy CEOs ready to step up are encouraged to apply.

Why White Lodge?

• Help create a world that is inclusive to all, regardless of ability.
• Lead an established charity with a committed team, strong systems and strengthened governance.
• Deliver the ambitions of the Active Plan 2025–30 and pursue new opportunities.
• Work alongside customers, families, staff, volunteers and trustees who share White Lodge's values.

Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 5th October 2026

As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.