Job Title: Chief Executive
Location: Home based and Gateshead, NE11 0AZ
Salary: £55,000 to £65,000
About the Institute of Water
For over 75 years the Institute of Water has been the only professional body in the UK to exclusively support the development of those working in the water industry. Our vision is to be the career partner of choice for the water sector and our mission is to enable our members to reach their full potential to drive the sector forward. We pride ourselves on being inclusive, non-hierarchical, supportive, sociable and sustainable.
About the role
As our current Chief Executive has announced their retirement, we are very excited to be recruiting for a new Chief Executive who will provide leadership and direction for the Institute of Water (IWater). They will work with the Board and other volunteers to ensure IWater achieves its strategic objectives, which are:
• to engage and inspire individuals
• partner with employers on professional development
• collaborate with others to gain an external perspective, which adds values to our Institute
We are particularly looking for an enthusiastic, passionate and inspired individual who can lead and promote our Institute for the benefit of our members. Our aspirations for the future include growing our membership and offerings for our members and this role will be key to enabling us to achieve these goals.
The Chief Executive will:
1) Develop the overall long-term strategy, vision and delivery plan for IWater, establishing and embedding its culture in accordance with the IWater values.
2) Develop and deliver Annual Business Plans for IWater:
• Manage the relationship with members, ensuring they get value for money
• Set performance targets and deliverables for IWater and agree with the Board
• Set an annual operating budget and deliver the Business Plan within budget
3) Promote IWater at National level:
• Seek to maximise the opportunities of membership through promotion of IWater
• Be a figurehead for IWater and speak at relevant conferences and meetings
• Lead the Annual Conference, ensuring it is a showcase event for our Institute
4) Carry out the day to day running of the Institute:
• Ensure that there is an effective overall governance structure for IWater, including the various volunteer sub-groups
• Ensure that IWater complies with all legal requirements (corporate and financial)
• Be accountable for health, safety and wellbeing of staff and management of fixed assets
• Oversee finances and the preparation of Annual Report & Financial Statements, Management Accounts and VAT returns
5) Develop collaborations with other organisations:
• Seek to develop potential opportunities for collaborations and partnerships within the water sector
• Collaborate with stakeholders at a strategic level to ensure that the IWater strategy and annual Business Plans support the delivery of benefits to members.
What are we looking for?
Essential skills – You will have:
• Proven leadership skills including motivating a small team and wider volunteer networks
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Commercial, financial, business and political acumen
• The ability to collaborate effectively at a prominent level
• The ability to optimise resources in a sustainable fashion
Desirable skills – Ideally you will have:
• Experience of the water industry
• Experience of a professional body
Our offer
For the right person, we can offer a salary up to £65,000 plus a pension contribution of up to 8% after probation.
We have a generous holiday allowance of 25 days (not including bank holidays) and we operate an extended office shut down over Christmas and New Year.
As Chief Executive you will manage your time (we operate a 35-hour working week) through home working and time in our office, which is based in Team Valley, Gateshead. Flexible working enables the other staff to work from home up to three days a week. The Chief Executive role will require travel throughout the UK and occasional overnight stays (conferences/exhibitions).
We are a small team but you will also be working extensively with our volunteers, our Board of Directors and the wider water sector, including water industry Chief Executives, Academics and partner organisations.
How to apply
Please send us your cv with a covering letter saying:
• Why you want to be the Chief Executive of IWater
• What skills you can bring to the role
• What you would do in your first 6 months in the role if you were successful
Together with contact details for two people, including your current or most recent employer, who would be prepared to give you a reference, to Catherine Fearon, National Chair – Catherine.fearon@espug.com
Closing Date: 28 January 2022
Interviews will take place in late February 2022
