Welcome from the Chair

Thank you for your interest in becoming our new Chief Executive at Notts County Foundation. The Charity has a strong track record and a proud history of supporting the local community through the delivery of a range of projects and programmes in addition to the management and operation of the Portland Centre.

As our new CEO, you will work closely with the Board of Trustees, the staff, the Club, the local business network, our funders and other stakeholder to enable the best possible outcomes and support to our beneficiaries in our local communities.

You will set the strategy for the future and bring innovative ideas to continue the transformation of the Foundation and integration with Notts County Football Club. On a day to-day basis, you will work closely with the Foundation team to improve internal efficiency, professional skills and embed a supporting culture. You will identify and manage the organisational risks, be proactive with embedding mitigations and develop strategic opportunities.

As CEO you will bring a high degree of emotional intelligence, diplomacy, and soft skills. You must also possess judgement, courage, and resilience. Being able to keep an ear to the ground, whilst acting as wise counsel are all vital characteristics.

This is an extremely important role and there is an opportunity to shape the organisation, key relationships and also influence the lives of the people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. You will therefore have in-depth knowledge of the local communities and have the ability to work in an innovative and creative way.

If you believe that you have the background and pre-requisite skills and experience, then we want to hear from you. If appointed, you would be given training and support to enable you to fulfil all aspects of the CEO role. I am happy to answer any questions that you may have, and we look forward to receiving a compelling application from you.

Dianne Jackson - Independent Chair

Notts County Foundation is the official charity of Notts County Football Club. We serve the local community and we 're passionate about using the power of sport to transform the lives of people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

We are proud to deliver a range of innovative programmes that improve the health and wellbeing of people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, raising aspirations and supporting some of the most disadvantaged, marginalised and talented people across the city and county. We use the power of physical activity and the profile of Notts County FC to provide direction and support.

We are committed to providing high quality, accessible and life-changing, development opportunities that change people’s health, confidence and skills, increase positive behaviours and bring enjoyment to the people we work with. As a charity, we raise our own funding and continue to design innovative projects that target specific groups of local people. We work with a wide range of groups across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire on a daily basis covering all ages, abilities and disabilities.

Our mission statement is: We use the power of physical activity to improve the health and wellbeing of local communities. The mission is underpinned by Notts County Foundation’s FIVE core Values:

• We inspire: Acting as role models, aiming to bring the best out of people
• We are Innovative: Thinking outside the box, making the unachievable happen
• We are community driven: Cohesion throughout our networks: participants, staff, funders and local partners
• We show integrity: Committed to doing what we said we would do
• We are ambitious: striving to grow and achieve.

Our impact on the community will be through the following areas of work:

• Sports and Inclusion
• Health
• Education
• The Portland Centre

Role Summary

The role provides an excellent opportunity for the right individual to provide senior leadership of Notts County Foundation, developing and delivering an ambitious and innovative strategic plan that increases the Foundation’s impact and reputation locally, regionally and nationally, and in so doing significantly increasing charitable funds that can be reinvested in community-based activity for the benefit of Nottinghamshire and its communities.

This role will have a principal focus on business growth, influence, and impact. The Trustees are looking for a high-calibre CEO who can make Notts County Foundation one of the leading club community organisations in the country, growing the business significantly over the next five years, whilst working in partnership with the Football Club, Premier League Charitable Fund, EFL in the Community, and our Local Authorities.

Key Accountabilities

Strategy, Governance and Finance

Act as principal advisor to the Board of Trustees, ensuring all statutory, regulatory, and contractual requirements required by law, regulation, or contract are adhered to.

Be responsible for income generation and diversifying funding streams to enhance the financial resilience of the Foundation.

Prepare an annual budget for the agreement of the Board of Trustees and implement effective financial management and accounting arrangements to deliver the activities of the Foundation within budget.

Act as the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, with full responsibility and accountability for the strategic direction and operational delivery of the Foundation, under the guidance and support of the Board of Trustees.

In conjunction with the Board of Trustees, develop, communicate, and implement a new Strategic Plan for the Foundation that is ambitious and focused on business growth in order establish the charity as one of the leading Foundations in the country, driving growth in income.

Promote the development and implementation of the Charity’s policies and procedures regarding Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities, Financial Regulations, Human Resources, Administration, ICT, Data Protection, Safeguarding and any other key policy area as required.

Ensure the effective operation of the Foundation’s governance structure and support Trustees in fulfilling their leadership and governance responsibilities.

Provide oversight, scrutiny, review, and challenge over the use of Foundation funds to include ensuring funds are appropriately and transparently categorised and used for the intended purpose in line with our strategy.

External Engagement

Raise the profile and impact of the Foundation locally, regionally, and nationally.

Establish strong and effective relationships with key partners by representing the Foundation with external partners and stakeholders including: The Premier League, English Football League, Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and existing and potential funders.

Impact

Establish a process of monitoring and reporting against objectives by providing timely reports to the Board of Trustees.

Evaluate how funds have been used against the established criteria and desired outcomes.

Solicit external reporting (working with colleagues) to ensure the annual report and impact report demonstrate the full breadth and impact of our work.

Leadership and Management

Liaise, collaborate and negotiate with all stakeholders, including commissioners and funders to build and sustain networks and relationships to advance the Foundation’s goals.

Raise the profile and active involvement of the Foundation in both traditional and non-traditional sport and community provision throughout Nottingham and the local area.

Promote the development of programmes and activities for those most in need in the local area e.g. vulnerable groups and those suffering hardships.

Communicate the work of the Foundation to attract partners, donors and other third parties to work towards our common goals

Lead, support, and develop the senior leadership team of the Foundation.

Establish a trusted and effective working relationship with the Club, being part of the Football Club’s senior leadership team, while working effectively in partnership with senior executives of the Club on projects and initiatives that benefit the charitable objectives of the Foundation.

Communicate to senior managers and the wider organisation about the role of the Foundation, the impact on them/their teams, and how to attract funding for future work.

Work with colleagues across the organisation to develop innovative ways to address current and emerging needs to improve outcomes for the population of Nottingham

Develop and maintain strong networks in the football club foundation network and understand best practise in the sector.

Commercial Growth

Develop and maintain investment opportunities and share these with fundraising and other colleagues as a means of enhancing our brand and giving fundraisers information they need to attract donors.

Develop and implement initiatives that significantly increase the Foundation’s charitable funds, with particular focus on unrestricted funding, to help deliver the Strategic Plan and invest in community based activity for the benefit of Nottingham and its communities.

Work closely with the Club to maximise new sponsorship opportunities and develop strong funding relationships for the Foundation.

Oversee, scrutinise, review, and challenge the use of restricted funds, to include ensuring funds are appropriately and transparently categorised and used for the intended purpose.

Work with colleagues across the charity to proactively identify opportunities to invest funds, either internally or with partner organisations (e.g. based on evidence gathered around emerging needs and innovative ideas, to attract matched funding for larger projects).

Review and critically analyse how and where our current voluntary funds are used and assess the true impact on our community.

About You

Knowledge

In-depth understanding of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and the local communities and an appreciation of the broad social, political, and economic trends.

Experience of leisure and community centre facilities management

Experience

Significant and varied experience managing in charitable giving/grant-making organisations at a senior management level with a strong focus on governance.

Experience of successful strategic and operational resource management.

Experience of operating in a senior leadership capacity with strategic responsibility for business strategy and development.

Experience of delivering substantial business growth.

Experience of delivering large scale and complex projects and programmes.

Evidence of success in generating and managing major business and cultural change.

Experience of delivery of business strategy and business growth and development.

Experience of forging successful partnerships with a range of external organisations and stakeholders. communities and an appreciation of the broad social, political, and economic trends influencing this.

A clear desire to learn, evidenced through active continued professional development.

Experience of building successful and credible relationships with key stakeholders (internally and externally) and understanding the issues facing them to provide solutions.

Experience in making difficult resource decisions in a complex environment, whilst negotiating with alternative viewpoints.

Experience in using a variety of tools / frameworks to make decisions and to measure and evaluate the impact of decisions made.

Experience of providing a range of stakeholders with complex information in a clear, simple and straightforward manner which enables and empowers them to act accordingly.

Experience in developing and delivering organisation wide strategic initiatives.

Skills and Abilities

An exceptional communicator, able to create impact and demonstrate proactive relationship awareness.

Culturally aware with strong mentoring skills.

Evidence of leading, shaping, and influencing cutting edge thinking and innovative practice.

Strategic skills and abilities with strong partnership and collaborative credentials.

Highly developed networking, partnership, advocacy, negotiating, and presentation skills.

An ability to deliver results within a tight financial framework.

Willingness to take managed risks.

Highly competent networker and influencer at a regional, national and/or international level.

Highly developed advocacy and communication skills, being able to effectively promote the ambitions of the Foundation to funders and partners.

Commitment to fairness and equality and sensitivity to diverse service users.

Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with people across different cultures, levels, and organisations.

Able to review complex processes and work collaboratively to design new ways of working, including inspiring others to embrace these changes.

Able to break down silos to foster an atmosphere of co-operation and collaboration to upskill, provide learning and knowledge exchange to support the work of the Foundation.

Able to inspire others in a team to bring the best of themselves to work and to embrace their own learning and development.

An excellent standard of written, listening, and oral communication skills, including report writing and presentation skills for a diverse range of situations and settings.

Additional Information

The CEO will report into the Foundation’s Chair of Trustees.

Salary of £60k depending on experience, including, annual salary reviews.

This full-time role will be based at the Notts County Foundation Office at Meadow Lane, Nottingham.

Monday-Friday with typical working hours 9am - 5pm. Some non-typical hours of work required. 25 days annual leave plus 8 bank/public holidays. On completion of probation - gifted day off for birthday, and gifted days between Christmas and New Year.

3% employer pension contribution through The Peoples Pension.

Performance reviews, targets and associated objectives.

Positive, supportive working environment with opportunities for practical training and progression.

Training and development opportunities. Staff social activities.

Equipment such as laptop, mobile phone, and branded clothing.

Free car parking.

Support for health and wellbeing, including access to occupational health support and confidential counselling.

Inclusive and welcoming environment - equality, diversity, and inclusion priorities are embedded throughout the organisation.

You may also be expected to conduct yourself in other ways and undertake different duties which are reasonable in the opinion of the Foundation. Your job profile is not limited and may be reasonably modified as necessary to meet the needs of the business.

How to Apply

Please send your CV and covering letter setting out why you are interested in the role and how your skills and experience meet the person specification to chair@nottscountyfoundation.org.uk by Friday 18th April 2025.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: From £60,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Free parking
• Gym membership
• On-site parking

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 18/04/2025
Reference ID: CEO Notts County Foundation