Chief Executive Officer

Ygam; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Oxford Hospitals Charity seeks an inspirational Chief Executive Officer to guide the charity through its next phase and strengthen its partnership with Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. You will lead the charity with a clear, ambitious strategy and foster a culture of collaboration and accountability across the organisation.

You will oversee the Senior Management Team, drive income growth through fundraising and major gifts, and ensure the charity delivers exceptional impact for

Qualifications

• Experience developing and delivering ambitious strategy and sustainable growth.
• Proven ability to build influential partnerships across complex organisations.
• Track record in multi-stream fundraising including major gifts and partnerships.
• Strong leadership, governance understanding and people management skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and inspirational leadership across the charity and serve as principal ambassador.
• Develop and maintain a strong partnership with Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
• Lead the Senior Management Team and a motivated charity team to translate strategy into action.
• Shape and execute a diverse income strategy including major gifts, legacies, and partnerships.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Partnership development

Fundraising strategy

People leadership

Job description

This is an opportunity to lead a charity with a simple but powerful purpose: to make a real and lasting difference to patients and staff across Oxfordshire's hospitals.

Oxford Hospitals Charity is entering an exciting new chapter. We have ambitious plans to grow our income, increase the impact of charitable funding and strengthen our position as a trusted and valued partner to Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH).

We are looking for an inspirational and ambitious Chief Executive Officer to lead us through that next phase.

This is much more than a leadership role within a charity. As our CEO, you will have the opportunity to influence the future of healthcare across Oxfordshire, working alongside exceptional NHS professionals and connecting the generosity of our supporters with the needs of patients and staff.

Oxford Hospitals Charity is the local charity for Oxford University Hospitals, supporting patients and staff across the John Radcliffe, Churchill, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford Children's Hospital and Horton General Hospital.

We fund the things that can make an extraordinary difference to people's experience of healthcare; from specialist equipment and pioneering research to staff training, improved hospital facilities and projects that transform care.

Our impact can be seen across almost every ward and department. Behind every donation is a person who wants to make a difference to their local community. We turn that generosity into meaningful change by working closely with clinical colleagues to understand where charitable funding can have the greatest impact.

Now, we want to do even more.

Reporting to our Board of Trustees, as CEO you will provide strategic and inspirational leadership across the charity and be its principal ambassador.

A key part of your role will be developing a strong, influential partnership with Oxford University Hospitals. You will build trusted relationships with executive, clinical and non-executive leaders, identifying opportunities where charitable investment, partnerships and commercial ventures can deliver greater benefits for patients and staff.

You will lead an experienced and engaged Senior Management Team and a motivated charity team, turning our strategy into clear priorities and action.

You will also have significant scope to shape our future income generation; working with our fundraising and major gifts teams to develop a diverse, sustainable income strategy, build long-term supporter relationships and prepare for major campaigns.

What we're looking for

We are looking for an experienced, visionary senior leader who combines strategic ambition with sound judgement, operational capability and emotional intelligence.

You will be a natural relationship builder, able to establish credibility and trust quickly with a wide range of people – from NHS leaders and clinicians to Trustees, major donors, charity partners and members of our team.

You will be comfortable operating at Board and executive level while remaining visible, approachable and connected to the people and communities at the heart of our work.

You'll bring experience of:

• Developing and delivering ambitious strategy, turning vision into action and sustainable growth.
• Building influential partnerships across complex organisations and diverse stakeholder groups.
• Developing and growing multi-stream income, including fundraising, major gifts, legacies, investment and commercial opportunities.
• Leading financially sustainable organisations and making confident, well-informed decisions about resources, risk and investment.
• Inspiring, developing and bringing high-performing teams together around a shared purpose.
• Working effectively with a Board of Trustees and understanding charity governance, accountability and compliance.
• Leading organisational change with confidence, resilience and clarity.
• Communicating with authenticity and influence, and inspiring others around a compelling vision.

Experience within the NHS or healthcare would be highly valuable, or you may have gained equivalent experience in another complex and highly regulated environment.

You will be joining a charity with:

A clear purpose.
Everything we do is focused on improving the experience and outcomes of patients and staff.

Real influence.
You will work at the heart of the relationship between charitable giving and one of the UK's leading NHS Trusts.

Ambition.
We have exciting plans to grow our income and increase the impact of our charitable funding.

An engaged team.
You will lead a high-performing Senior Management Team and motivated charity team, supported by an established and supportive Board of Trustees.

The chance to leave a legacy.
This is a pivotal moment for Oxford Hospitals Charity, with the opportunity to shape its future direction and make a lasting difference to healthcare across Oxfordshire.

Interested?

First-round interviews are anticipated to take place week commencing 9 November 2026 at our offices at the Wood Centre for Innovation, Oxford.

Closing date: Friday 30 October 2026 at 5pm.

Join us and help make a difference across Oxfordshire's hospitals.