Interim Chief Executive

Motorpoint Arena Nottingham & National Ice Centre; Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Motorpoint Arena Nottingham & National Ice Centre is seeking an Interim Chief Executive Officer to steady the organisation through a defined transition period and appoint a permanent successor.

The appointee will set priorities for the Senior Leadership Team, strengthen financial controls, enhance board reporting, and maintain external stakeholder relationships while ensuring safe, effective and commercially sound operations.

Qualifications

• Experience as CEO/MD or senior executive.
• Strong governance, risk management and board reporting.
• Ability to move quickly in a complex organisation.

Responsibilities

• Set clear priorities for the Senior Leadership Team and establish pace and accountability.
• Strengthen financial controls, forecasting, and board reporting to improve clarity and decision-making.
• Turn governance review findings into a practical action plan with ownership and timescales.
• Maintain external stakeholder relationships and ensure confidence during the transition.
• Oversee health and safety, licensing compliance and day-to-day operations.

Skills

Senior leadership

Commercial judgement

Governance & risk

Stakeholder management

Public sector experience

Job description

Starfish Search is partnering with Motorpoint Arena Nottingham & National Ice Centre to appoint an Interim Chief Executive Officer.

This is an organisation with plenty going on: a significant operator in its sector, a busy year-round programme, an established Senior Leadership Team and a local authority shareholder. It is now entering a defined period of transition and needs an experienced interim leader to step in, take the reins and provide visible, confident leadership while a permanent Chief Executive is appointed.

THE ROLE

This is a role about steadying, strengthening and getting things moving. You’ll set clear priorities for the Senior Leadership Team, create pace and accountability, and make sure the organisation continues to deliver safely, effectively and commercially.

You won’t be coming in to write a five-year strategy or redesign the organisation from scratch. Instead, you’ll quickly get under the skin of the business, understand what matters most, tackle the immediate priorities and make sure the right foundations are in place for your permanent successor.

A key part of the role will be bringing a sharp, clear view of the organisation’s financial position - including performance, cash, forecasting, controls and key commercial risks. Working closely with the Finance Director and the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, you’ll strengthen financial and internal controls, improve the quality and timeliness of information reaching the Board, and bring greater clarity around delegated authority, escalation and decision-making.

You’ll also take the findings of a recent independent governance review and turn them into action: a practical, prioritised implementation plan with clear ownership, timescales and reporting. Maintaining external stakeholder relationships and ensuring the organisation continues to operate with confidence throughout the transition is key.

Alongside this, you’ll have ultimate responsibility for health and safety, licensing compliance and the effective day-to-day running of the company.

ABOUT YOU

You’re likely to be an experienced Chief Executive, Managing Director or senior executive who is comfortable walking into a complex organisation and getting up to speed quickly.

You’ll bring substantial senior leadership experience from a commercial, public sector, leisure, venue, sporting or similarly stakeholder-rich environment, together with strong commercial and financial judgement.

You’ll know what good governance looks like in practice, with experience of internal controls, risk management and board assurance. Just as importantly, you’ll understand the distinction between executive management, board governance and shareholder oversight and have the credibility and confidence to operate effectively across all three.

If you’re an experienced senior leader who enjoys making a difference when it matters, this is an opportunity to step into a high-profile organisation, provide stability through an important period of change and make a tangible impact.

On-site physical presence is important for this role, there will be an element of hybrid working but in the early days you will be expected to be on-site.

Closing date for applications: Thursday 24 September.