Chief Executive Officer

EMD UK; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 95,000; Full time

Job summary

EMD UK is seeking a dynamic Chief Executive Officer to lead the organization in enhancing the impact of group exercise across the UK. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in executive leadership within the fitness sector, demonstrating strategic planning and financial acumen. This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of group exercise and drive social impact through inclusivity and partnership building.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in executive leadership within the fitness sector.
• Experience managing a senior team and operating at Executive or Board level.
• Strong commercial understanding and successful track record.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of strategic plans.
• Oversee day-to-day operations and ensure efficient delivery of services.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Planning

Financial Management

Partnership Building

Negotiation

Inclusivity

Job description

EMD UK is looking for an exceptional individual who can lead the organisation to success by building impactful partnerships, national influence and providing inspirational and expert leadership within the sector. Their creative thinking, knowledge and credibility will have the ability to inspire and motivate both the internal team and external stakeholders.

This individual will deliver a step change for group exercise instructors and have a lasting impact on not only the group exercise sector, but broader society, by supporting the growing social impact of group exercise.

What We Are Looking for in Our New CEO

The successful candidate will have authority and credibility in the sector and be able to anchor EMD UK as a trusted partner to the exercise and fitness/physical activity sector. They will be committed to inclusivity and tackling inequalities and demonstrate that in the way they run our organisation and its activities.

They will have demonstrated success as an executive leader in the exercise and fitness/physical activity sector and have a proven track record in leading an organisation or significant body or department, managing a senior team and experience operating at Executive or Board level.

Whilst they may have worked in different types of organisations, they will demonstrate strong commercial understanding and a track record of commercial success.

Our new CEO will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the exercise and fitness/physical activity sector, its workforce and stakeholders and understand the concept of professional recognition and Scope of Practice and their importance to the workforce.

They will be confident in interpreting financial information and possess well-developed strategic planning, problem-solving, decision-making, and implementation skills. They will need confidence and credibility when presenting to both internal and external audiences., within the sector and without. They will have experience and understanding of Human Resource Management, demonstrate strong partnership working skills, particularly in negotiation and influence within complex environments, and bring knowledge of how to build a high-performing team.

The CEO will need to be flexible and adaptable to the changing needs of a growing organisation.

The CEO Role

Job Title: Chief Executive Officer

Location: Flexible within the UK (with travel as required)

Reports to: EMD UK Chair of the Board of Directors

Salary: Circa £95,000

Contract: Full-time, Permanent

Role Profile:

The Chief Executive Officer will lead the development, communication, and implementation of a clear strategic plan aligned with the Board’s vision, driving growth and success across performance, workforce development, participation and governance of the group exercise sector. They will oversee day-to-day operations, ensuring efficient delivery of all business activities and services to stakeholders.

The CEO will ensure that EMD UK meets the highest standards of governance, safeguarding, and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), in line with Sport England’s ‘Code for Sports Governance’. They will also strengthen the group exercise sector by supporting the workforce to gain, develop, and retain professional recognition for their scope of practice and recognition for the work they do.

Financial leadership will be key, with responsibility for planning, budgeting, and reporting, alongside securing funding through grants, sponsorships, commercial partnerships, and other revenue streams. The CEO will lead, build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including other sector leaders, instructors, employers, training organisations, funders, government agencies, international bodies, and commercial partners.

They will identify and pursue opportunities to increase the organisation’s visibility, media profile, and commercial income, while fostering a positive, inclusive, high-performing culture that attracts, retains, and develops an expert and talented team.

PLEASE ACCESS THE FULL CEO CANDIDATE PACK ON OUR CAREERS PAGE BEFORE COMPLETING AN APPLICATION.

The Application Process

We are excited about our next chapter, so if you think you can help shape the next phase for EMD UK and positively impact the world of group exercise and group exercise instructors, we would love to hear from you.

The EMD UK application is an online form which allows you to input an up-to-date Curriculum Vitae and a letter of application highlighting the reason you want to join us as CEO and how your skills and experience match what we want for the role. Your application finishes with our Diversity Monitoring form, which is anonymous.

Process and Timeline:

The closing date for applications is9am on Monday 16th June 2025.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications. We therefore encourage early submission.

Shortlisting will be completed by Wednesday 18th June 2025. We will endeavour to respond to all candidates as quickly as possible via email to inform them of the outcome of their application, whether they have been shortlisted or not.

If invited to afirst interview, it will be held on 24th June in central London. Interviews will be conducted by the Chair of the Board, members of the Board of Directors and the current CEO.

After the first interview round, further shortlisting will take place. If successful, you will be invited to asecond interviewon 3rd July at Bisham Abbey. This stage will involve a presentation and the opportunity to meet members of the current senior team. Full guidance will be provided upon invitation. Second interviews will be with the Chair of the Board, Board members and/or key stakeholders.

We are conscious of the time recruitment can take and the frustrations that protracted timelines can cause, so we endeavour to handle applications, shortlisting and communication as efficiently and quickly as we can. Please notify us at the start of the recruitment process if you have any challenges with the interview dates.

All candidates will be contacted by phone or email following any interview to confirm the outcome. We greatly appreciate the time and effort you dedicate to this process.

How to Apply:

To complete your application, please submit:

1. Youremployment history

2. Acover letteroutlining how your skills and experience meet the criteria for the role

Please note: applications without both elements will not be considered.

If you have any difficulty completing the application process or require submission in a different format, please contact [e-mail].

For more information about EMD UK, please visitwww.emduk.org.

Your pre-application and pre-interview contact is Sarah Partington, People Manager, via email: [e-mail].

We look forward to receiving your application.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

EMD UK is committed to inclusive hiring, actively seeking candidates from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. We strive to ensure a fair, transparent, and bias-free recruitment process where every applicant is evaluated based on their skills, qualifications, and potential.

To be considered under the Disability Confident scheme, please indicate this at the end of your application and ensure your cover letter demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria.

We provide adjustments throughout the recruitment process. If you need support, please contact our People Manager at [e-mail]. Sharing this information is voluntary and will not affect your application.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £95,000.00 per year

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