Role Title: Chief Executive Officer

Reports to: Chair of the Board of Trustees

Responsible for: Senior Management Team and all staff/contractors

Time Commitment: Full-time/4 days a week

Location: Flexible with regular travel

Salary: circa £130,000

This is a very exciting time to join our organisation. The Foundation enters this next chapter with a secure income, a respected and influential brand, and a talented, dedicated team. We are now positioned to shape a new long‑term strategy – an opportunity made possible by the recent sale of the City & Guilds commercial training and awarding business to new owners. This has created a substantial financial base that we are committed to deploying for long‑term social impact.

We are seeking an outstanding Chief Executive who brings strategic acumen, a deep commitment to the role that skills play in transforming lives, and the leadership qualities needed to guide the organisation into its 150th anniversary in 2028 and beyond.

The CEO will lead a newly established Foundation committed to enabling disadvantaged people to gain the skills, confidence, and opportunities needed to secure and thrive in good work. With an annual budget of £3–5m, the Foundation will deliver high-impact grant-making, build strategic partnerships, leveraging in new resources and influence policy and practice across the skills and employment ecosystem.

The CEO is responsible for shaping the Foundation’s strategic direction, building an agile and values-led organisation, aligning resources and capabilities and ensuring that its work leads to measurable, sustainable social impact.

For more information please contact our search partners Green Park at rebecca.hopkinson@green-park.co.uk and visit our dedicated microsite: https://micro.green-park.co.uk/city-guilds-foundation/

Role closes 11:59pm Sunday 8th March 2026