"We’re here to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in violence. We do this by finding out what works and building a movement to put that knowledge into practice.

Every child should grow up safe from harm. Yet far too many are drawn into violence or live with the fear of it. This robs them of opportunity and damages whole communities. We exist to change that — permanently. The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) is an independent charitable trust with a £200 million endowment and a mission that matters. We exist to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by finding out what works to prevent violence and by building a movement to put this knowledge into practice. We fund, evaluate and spread the most effective ways to protect young people from violence. We build strong partnerships across government, charities and communities. We work with those closest to children’s lives to make sure decisions are based on evidence, not guesswork.

The YEF is the UK’s largest What Works Centre – finding what works and making this change. It has very strong links across government and across the education, youth, youth justice, policing, children’s services sectors."

We are looking for a new CEO who will lead the Youth Endowment Fund to achieve its mission. We have already built a deep understanding of what works to prevent violence, close relationships across government, a growing programme to changing practice of those working to prevent violence and a highly skilled and motivated team. We have gained the opportunity of making a lasting difference for vulnerable children. We are looking for an exceptional Chief Executive to take this opportunity.

This is a demanding role requiring strategic judgement, strong leadership and an ability to bring together the many organisations that we work with to drive change. But it is also an extraordinary opportunity to lead one of the most ambitious and respected organisations working to protect children in the UK.

If you are motivated by the chance to deliver lasting impact for young people, to work with outstanding colleagues across all sectors, and to lead with both heart and discipline, we would be delighted to hear from you.

To read more about this role and how to apply, please visit our microsite here: https://micro.green-park.co.uk/youthendowmentfund/

Closing date: Sunday 15th February 2026

Please submit your application with your personal email address to ensure you receive acknowledgement of receipt.

Please note, to ensure confidentiality, applications submitted under a work email address will not receive acknowledgement of receipt.