Chief Executive Officer Appointment Brief January 2024
Welcome Dear Candidate This is an incredible moment for the Refugee Employment Network (REN) as we seek to find the first Chief Executive to run a dynamic and exciting organisation. We need the CEO to take REN to the next level of activity and reach and to consolidate and build on the work of our Trustees and the amazing volunteers from our corporate partner EY. Together with our network of partners we have established the core activity of REN but we know there is so much more to do! We are a hands-on organisation aiming to change the dial for refugee employment in the UK. I am sure you are aware that Refugee employment is proven to be the biggest factor in the successful integration of refugees into the UK, yet refugee employment has historically been extremely low. Refugees arrive with qualifications, skills and work experience which are not always recognised and valued in the labour market. However there is growing interest from employers and we need to work with them to bring the changes that are needed. Our network of partners are extremely important to us and critical to making the changes we need to see in supporting refugee employment. We want to grow our membership and add value to the fantastic work our members are doing across the UK. REN provides opportunities for discussion across the sector. By bringing refugees, businesses, and employment support organisations together, best practice can be established, with all stakeholders having increased understanding of what it is needed, particularly in terms of employment support, to ensure successful long-term outcomes. We need the CEO to lead these discussions and effect real change. I am delighted that you are considering joining REN at such a critical time for the organisation. Best wishes and good luck, Janice
2
Appointment Brief | 2024
Appointment Brief | 2024
3
About us REN brings together businesses, non-profits and local authorities to ensure refugees in the UK have access to paid work or self-employment opportunities. Founded in 2019, our organisation is the only national membership network in the UK exclusively focused on creating better employment opportunities for all refugees across the whole country. The Refugee Employment Network’s mission is to ensure that UK refugees have fulfilling employment and are able to re-build their lives in the UK. To achieve this, there is a need for a national co-ordinated approach, where organisations working within refugee employment and businesses with opportunities to offer are both given support, have their needs and challenges recognised and addressed, and are brought together to create an ecosystem where refugees can achieve successful employment outcomes.
4
Appointment Brief | 2024
Developed through consultation with both sector organisations and employers, REN’s model ensures refugees have better access to jobs that match their skillset in workplaces better equipped to support them. We do this through:
1
Opportunity matching
Through a national jobs board, mentoring programmes and jobs fairs REN connects refugees to employers and local, regional, and national employment service providers. 82% of our members join REN to connect employment opportunities to refugees.
2
Ecosystem strengthening
This is by connecting refugees, refugee support services and employers through events and providing advice and guidance and sharing examples of good practice through training webinars, regular newsletters, and our annual summit.
3
Research and policy reform
Monitoring the refugee employment environment, drawing data from our jobs board and events, and building relationships with policy and decision-makers.
Having only started in 2019, we already have a growing network of
353 members
of which 184 are employers and 157 are not-for-profit and public sector organisations. Such collective strength ensures we can influence government policy and work towards systemic change.
Appointment Brief | 2024
5
Strategy Driven by our understanding of the sector, REN has developed a network which brings together refugees, refugee employment support services and businesses under one umbrella. The result is the creation of an ecosystem which is efficient and effective, where communication is clear, opportunities are shared widely and equitably, and where all those working towards better employment for refugees have access to support, advice, and knowledge. Programmes and initiatives reach more refugees, are more easily replicated and best practice established through meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders in the room.
Membership
Refugee Jobs Board
We want to grow our membership to include all local authorities who are working with refugees and those who have become dispersal areas for asylum seekers. We want to engage with an even wider group of refugee sector organisations and employers. Our target is to reach 500 members in year 1, 750 in year 2 and 1000 in year 3, so that we can reach into more regions across the UK.
We want to improve and further refine our jobs board. We will create a live dashboard that will track our jobs board data, enabling us to share data not previously available before in the UK on who is recruiting, where they are recruiting, what jobs are being sought, and levels of success for refugee applicants. Our target is to track quality jobs and the outcomes of the refugee jobseekers matched to our partners, to continue to access more suitable job opportunities.
Refugee Employment Events
Employability programmes
We will continue the success of delivering refugee events with support from our members, particularly in areas where events like these have not occurred before. Our target is to run six Employment Events across the UK annually to reach 1500 refugees in year 1, 2000 in year 2 and 2500 in year 3.
We will increase participation of our mentoring programmes, delivered in partnership with Business in the Community, particularly for qualified refugees in law, business services, engineering, and medicine sectors.
6
Appointment Brief | 2024
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all staff and volunteers regardless of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, ethnicity, marriage or civil partnership, religion or belief which are “protected characteristics” under the Equality Act 2010. We are also committed to provide equal opportunities to refugees and asylum seekers.
Appointment Brief | 2024
7
Role description Reporting to: Board of Trustees Direct reports: Currently one Network Coordinator Location: UK based with virtual office and use of a London based office as required. Salary: £70,000 full time equivalent, pro rata (see below) Working pattern: Nine-day fortnight
8
Appointment Brief | 2024
Purpose of the role As Chief Executive Officer you are responsible for leadership, management and administration of the organisation in delivering against the mission and in the execution of the strategy, in agreement with the Board of Trustees. The Chief Executive Officer works with the Chair to ensure that the Board of Trustees formulate and regularly review the organisation’s mission and strategic plan, ensuring it is able to monitor annual plans and targets. The CEO will have as their aim the organisation’s guiding principle; to help refugees in the U.K. to access appropriate, fulfilling, sustainable, paid employment or selfemployment.
Key areas of responsibility Strategy and leadership •
Assume accountability and stewardship of the organisation. Provide visible, ambitious and focussed leadership to build upon the foundation of the organisation and ensure that the strategy and business plan are delivered successfully.
•
Prepare a strategic plan and annual budget for approval by the board of trustees.
•
Be responsible for working with the Chair and Board of Trustees to implement and drive REN’s next strategic plan.
•
Develop strategic partnerships and maintain good relationships with members, businesses and employers.
•
Increase membership and support members.
•
Operate within the annual budget and ensure management and HR policies are up-to-date.
•
Agree and deliver to budget, maintain a reserve level in line with policy, and determine appropriate longer-term investment.
•
Ensure REN deploys resources to deliver maximum value for money.
Promotion of REN •
Act as an ambassador for REN, championing its interests locally and nationally at events with stakeholders and in the media.
•
Engage, convene and influence multiple senior stakeholders and groups across sectors, including charities, corporates and major grant-giving institutions.
•
Develop REN’s approach to partnership working to enhance our work and impact, convene diverse stakeholders and enable REN to act as a catalyst for change and best practice in the refugee charitable sector and the wider sector. Build relationships with politicians, the media and government officials in order to advance the organisation’s aims.
Income generation and finance •
Take overall responsibility for financial management, business development and income growth.
•
•
Help to ensure sustainable income from individual, corporate and trust donations. Work with the government and other stakeholders to acquire income.
Governance
•
Diversify income streams by seeking new opportunities for funding and developing new products.
•
Develop and nurture relationships with potential donors and corporates.
•
Establish and monitor key indicators of the organisation’s impact and financial health.
•
Maintain awareness of risks and changes in the external environment that affect the organisation.
•
Build an effective working relationship with the Chair of the Board of Trustees.
•
Supply regular reports to the trustee board and attend trustee and sub-committee meetings.
•
Ensure the organisation fulfils its legal, statutory and regulatory responsibilities.
•
Establish mechanisms for listening to the views of beneficiaries on the organisation’s performance.
Appointment Brief | 2024
9
People management •
Ensure the organisation’s staff and volunteers are focused on achieving its mission and aims.
•
Recruit and manage team members as appropriate.
•
Maintain a positive internal culture to maximise contributions of all staff.
•
Manage and monitor performance, be accountable for the well-being and development of staff; be a champion of equality, diversity and inclusion.
•
Lead the team to deliver change, drive growth, financial sustainability and maintain highest quality levels.
Working with the Board •
Work with the Chair to ensure the Board of Trustees receives appropriate advice and information on all relevant matters and enable it to fulfil its governance, fiduciary, regulatory and risk management responsibilities.
•
Support the Chair in ensuring the continued engagement and involvement of all members of the Board.
10
Appointment Brief | 2024
Person specification Skills and experience
Personal qualities
•
Experience of developing and delivering organisational wide strategies in a third sector organisation or a business.
•
A passion for supporting refugees and making the provision of help more effective.
•
Experience in developing and implementing successful income generation strategies.
•
A self-starter with an entrepreneurial approach.
•
Ambitious and visionary leader with the ability to lead and inspire a forward-thinking team to deliver excellent outcomes.
•
A dynamic, proactive thinker, strategic in outlook and pragmatic in approach.
•
Strong communication and influencing skills, with the flexibility and credibility to listen to and engage a wide range of stakeholders at all levels, including key players in the charity sector, senior business leaders, major funders and more.
•
A collaborative working style, combined with generosity of spirit; effective at empowering and delivering through teams.
•
An effective ambassador and strong public speaker.
•
Confident with finances and financial forecasting.
•
Excellent spoken and written communication skills.
•
Experience of promoting an organisation through a variety of networks to increase awareness and profile.
•
Experience of building cross-sector relationships and partnerships.
•
Experience of building teams and positive cultures.
•
Commercial and business acumen combined with experience of financial management.
•
Experience of working in organisations with limited resources and ability to oversee operational as well as strategic detail.
•
Experience of working in the refugee sector (desirable).
Applications are particularly welcomed from those with refugee lived experience.
Appointment Brief | 2024
11
12
Appointment Brief | 2024
How to apply To apply to become Chief Executive Officer at the Refugee Employment Network, please upload the following documents to Prospectus’ website: •
Your CV, drawing out relevant experience for the role.
•
A supporting statement of up to 1,000 words that addresses the criteria set out in the person specification.
Please ensure that you have included a telephone number, as well as any dates when you will not be available or might have difficulty with the recruitment timetable. If you wish to apply using an alternative format please contact Prospectus on 020 7691 1920 or email executive.admin@prospect-us.co.uk. Please also notify us if you require a postal application. Applications via the Prospectus website should be made at: https://prospect-us.co.uk/jobs/186790-chief-executive-officer/ At Prospectus we believe passionately that a truly inclusive workplace leads to increased social impact. We are committed to supporting our clients build more inclusive teams. To understand how we are performing, we ask that you kindly complete the brief equal opportunities questionnaire when you submit your application via our website. Please be assured that your responses are kept confidential, separate from your candidate record, are not part of any application you make, and that the consultants never see individual responses to the questionnaire.
Recruitment timetable
Queries
Deadline for applications: Wednesday 21st February 2024 First stage interviews with REN: w/c 4th March 2024
If you wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact our retained advisors Hayley Sheldon and Anna Gardet with a copy of your CV:
Panel interviews with REN: w/c 11th March 2024
hayley.sheldon@prospect-us.co.uk anna.gardet@prospect-us.co.uk
Appointment Brief | 2024
13
Created by the Prospectus Advertising team. Prospectus Ltd 20-22 Stukeley Street London, WC2B 5LR