Pace is a ground-breaking charity which provides world class and highly specialist education and therapy services for children and young people with neurodisabilities, such as cerebral palsy. We are committed to ensuring that every child with a neurodisability can reach their fullest potential in life. We have been growing and developing our practice and expanding our impact over three decades, and we have an exciting vision for the future. The Trustees are now looking for a high-impact CEO to help the outstanding Pace team to develop and deliver this vision.

About us

Pace delivers a highly specialist school service for children aged 4-16, a sessional therapy provision that focuses on supporting babies and toddlers with complex neurodisabilities and their families, and a growing therapy provision delivered into three local special schools. We support around 500 children and their families from Buckinghamshire and the surrounding counties. But in addition to that hands-on work, we are committed to encouraging the development of best practice nationally – to promote the changes that will enhance the life potential of the thousands of children and young people with neurodisabilities across the UK.

About the Role

The Chief Executive will provide strategic and commercial leadership to the charity, playing a key role in fundraising and ensuring that Pace can articulate its impact to key stakeholders. The Chief Executive will be an inspiring leader, capable of engaging and motivating a dedicated transdisciplinary team. They will, in close partnership with the Leadership Team, have overall responsibility for all operational aspects of Pace, ensuring the provision of high-quality specialist education, therapy and support for our children and families. We expect the role to be full-time, but negotiable to four days for the right candidate.

About You

This is a special charity and we’re looking for a special CEO. Our candidate pack goes into more detail but in summary there are several essential criteria we’re looking for:

Personally impactful: from inspiring an executive team and Board, to passionately advocating for Pace with local authorities and donors, you will be an awesome influencer and communicator and quickly gain stakeholder trust. Supporting our Fundraising Director is a particularly important role for the CEO, and here you will be able to demonstrate a strong track record of creating value with Trusts, donors and other bodies. 

Strategically & commercially sharp: the key to Pace’s recent success has been strategic clarity and long-term planning. You will continue this disciplined approach with a particular skill at balancing risk and return. You will also be alive to more tactical commercial opportunities and excel at working through complex financial challenges with your leadership team to deliver the best outcomes for Pace and the families we serve. 

Natural team-player: you will recognise that success can only be delivered through a fantastic team and therefore prioritise the recruitment, retention and engagement of a diverse, high performing and empowered group of Directors. You will also be adept at working with Charity Trustees to ensure strong governance and be able to prove your abilities at getting the best from a combined Exec and non-Exec team. 

Candidate Briefing Pack
To learn more about this role, please read our candidate briefing pack, here: https://thepacecentre.org/app/uploads/2022/11/Pace-CEO-Candidate-Pack-2022.11.pdf.

To apply: 

Please apply here, attaching your CV and supporting statement (max 2 sides A4) to your application. As part of our safer recruitment process, if you are shortlisted you will be asked to complete an application form. 

For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Helen Shepherd, Chair of Trustees, at ceorecruitment@thepacecentre.org

We actively encourage the widest possible range of candidates and welcome applicants regardless of race, age, disability, faith, gender and sexual orientation or other categories protected by law. 

Pace is a regulated organisation and as such all post-holders must have an enhanced DBS.

 

Closing Date and First Interviews: Applications will be processed, and first interviews conducted, on a rolling basis and we would encourage early application. Applications must be received by December 23rd at the latest and we reserve the right to close the application window early if we have a strong shortlist. 

Second Interviews: w/c January 9th, 2023