CEO

SafeLives

Home-based with regular travel to our office London and across the UK

  • Location Home-based with regular travel to our office London and across the UK
  • Sector Not For Profit
  • Client SafeLives
  • Job Type Permanent
  • Salary/Remuneration c£110,000
  • Reference GSe131097
  • Closing Date Monday 15th June at 9am 2026

We are SafeLives, the UK‑wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone and for good. We work across the whole system, with government, public services, practitioners and the voluntary sector, to transform the national response to domestic abuse. We listen to survivors and put their voices at the heart of everything we do. We look at the whole picture for each individual and family, ensuring people get the right help at the right time so that families everywhere can be safe and well.

Domestic abuse remains one of the most urgent and complex challenges facing our society. Last year, more than two million adults, and many more children, experienced domestic abuse. For over 20 years, SafeLives has driven national change by combining survivor voice, robust evidence, multi‑agency working and a compelling case for system reform. We have helped shape a whole‑family approach, ensuring that adults, children and those who harm are all part of a coordinated, effective response.

We are now entering a pivotal moment. With our 2025–2028 strategy Find what works. Help it happen. underway, we are sharpening our focus, deepening our partnerships and strengthening our role as a national system leader. To take us into this next chapter, we are seeking an exceptional Chief Executive.

Our new CEO will bring bold, visible and intellectually rigorous leadership, refining our strategic direction, accelerating innovation, and consolidating SafeLives’ position as a trusted, authoritative voice in domestic abuse system change. You will lead a talented and committed team, work closely with our Board and Survivor Councils, and represent SafeLives nationally with credibility and influence. You will help shape how the UK understands and responds to domestic abuse for years to come.

We are looking for a leader who can hold complexity, make difficult strategic choices, and inspire confidence across a wide range of partners. You will bring experience of senior leadership in a multi‑stakeholder environment, a strong track record of influencing policy and system reform, and a deep commitment to equity, inclusion and survivor‑centred practice. You will be comfortable navigating ambiguity, driving organisational discipline, and championing innovation, including digital, data and AI‑enabled approaches.

Most importantly, you will share our values: Human, Rigorous and Brave. We are committed to being an inclusive organisation, and we particularly welcome candidates who bring perspectives and experiences that are under‑represented in leadership roles across the sector. We warmly welcome applications from people whose lives have included an experience of domestic abuse, directly or indirectly.

If you are motivated by purpose, driven by evidence, and ready to lead an organisation with a powerful platform for national impact, we would be delighted to hear from you.

To find out more, please click on ‘apply’. If, after reading the person specification, you would like a confidential discussion, please contact our recruitment advisers at GatenbySanderson:

  • Stephanie Crossland, Researcher: stephanie.crossland@gatenbysanderson.com
  • Liz Dean, Principal Consultant: liz.dean@gatenbysanderson.com

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