Community Leader (Director)

Job Title: Community Leader (Director)

Location: Bognor Regis

Salary: Up to £44,345

Job type: 37.5 hours. There will be some evening and weekend commitments locally and some events which require travel and overnight stays.

Closing Date: 9am on Monday 6th June

Please Note that we’ve been employed on behalf of a leading international charity (L’Arche UK) for people with learning disabilities to manage recruitment on their behalf.

L’Arche UK is part of a global network of communities where people with and without learning disabilities live and share in life together, working for a world where we all belong.

Are you a leader who can:

• Inspire and lead a community of 80+ people with and without learning disabilities.
• Manage a team responsible for a budget of £1.2m and a range of care and support services.
• Balance rigorous business management with an ability to build strong relationships and attend to the person-centred needs of Community members?

The role:

The Community Leader (Director) is responsible for ensuring that the Community is living fully the Mission of L’Arche in its four dimensions (community life, service, spiritual life and outreach).

The Candidate:

The Leader appointed will be a person who is passionate about the Vision, Values and Mission of

L’Arche and desires to be part of a dynamic, exciting, progressive and nurturing faith community;

• Experience of senior leadership and management within a regulated sector;
• The ability to lead and manage a complex organisation to achieve its mission;
• Evidence the ability to think strategically; · have excellent financial planning and management skills;
• The ability and willingness to work collaboratively with others in L’Arche and in particular with those with learning difficulties, others in leadership, the local committee and the national charity.
• EITHER experience of leadership within the learning disability field OR transferable skills and experience in a related field.

The New Leader will have:

• The ability to negotiate with social service commissioners, other funding bodies, and housing providers; and to forge relationships with external stakeholders;
• Emotional intelligence, including the personal qualities of compassion, courage, integrity and humility; an openness to being mentored and a willingness to ask for help;
• The ability to work with people in ways that enable free speech, encourage creativity and build consensus.
• A desire to build community with people of different ages, abilities, cultures, nationalities, faith perspectives and past experiences.
• A good standard of education to degree level, or professional qualification, or equivalent; excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• To lead a dynamic intentional community of people with and without learning disabilities, faithful to the L’Arche Identity.
• To ensure the Community is financially stable, through robust setting and management of budgets, negotiating fee levels with funding agencies, managing vacancies and co-operating with fundraising initiatives.
• To develop and deliver against a co-created community “Mandate” or strategic plan, to effectively manage the leadership team to deliver against objectives and to nurture existing community bodies including the Community Council.
• To foster an open and inclusive spiritual life in the Community.
• To be a visible representative of L’Arche locally, developing strong relationships in the neighbourhood of the community, as well as with local authorities, professional organisations, faith communities and their leaders and the wider society of West Sussex.
• To work collaboratively with a local committee, and within the structures of L’Arche UK.
• To develop the community’s vision for its activities programme and its future housing needs.

Benefits:

• A relocation package is available if taking up this role requires you to move home.
• 25 days annual leave risking to 30 days on completion of a first year in role.

We actively encourage people with a wide diversity of backgrounds and personal stories to join us. If there are areas in the job description where you feel less experienced, don’t let that put you off.

Please click on the APPLY button to send your CV and Application form for this role.

Candidates with the relevant experience or job titles of: Chief Executive, Director of Operations, Director of Services, Registered Manager, Nominated Individual, Client Director, Social Worker, Senior Practitioner, Corporate Business Development Manager, Business Development Manager, Business Development, Business Development Executive, New Business Development, Business Development Director, Finance Director may also be considered for this role.