Chief Executive

For more than 50 years, the Runnymede Trust has worked tirelessly to build a Britain in which we all belong. Our independence means we can speak truth to power on race and racism without fear or favour, never swayed by political agenda, profit or popular opinion. From broadening the curriculum to exposing the Windrush scandal, our work is rooted in challenging structural racism and its impact on our communities. Our authoritative research-based interventions equip decision makers, practitioners and citizens with the knowledge and tools to deliver genuine progress towards racial equality in Britain.

Over the last decade, we’ve consolidated and extended our position right at the heart of the urgent conversations which are shaping a better society and a stronger democracy. The twin catalysts of COVID and the Black Lives Matter movement changed the paradigm in significant ways, and we are proud of the way in which we responded with passion, precision and pace. Our work has moved the Overton window much further towards a progressive and equitable understanding of persistent structural oppression and racism.  

Your role will be to lead us as we refine our operations, maximise our impact, and make the largest possible contribution to the mission of racial justice in the UK. We want to identify where we can have the greatest effect, and ensure that we are structured in a way that allows us to focus our efforts on nurturing sustained racial justice. Working closely with our new Chair and our outstanding board, you’ll shape an ambitious strategy, define what success looks like, and set the direction of travel.

Candidates will combine a lifelong passion for the work that we do with exemplary professional competence. You’ll have the full management repertoire, and an understanding of how knowledge and research businesses thrive would be a distinct advantage. Calm, organised and confident in a range of contexts, you’ll rapidly gain the respect and support of the team and the wider sector, and will play a deft and decisive part in helping us expand our reach. While you don’t need to be an expert in everything, you’ll bring both the curiosity to learn quickly, and the generosity to recognise when someone else is better placed to make change happen.

For more information, please visit www.shape-runnymede.co.uk where you will find information on the organisation and the role. If you have questions that are not answered there, please contact Cadence Partners by email on
runnymede-ceo@cadencepartners.co.uk and we will respond directly.

Closing date: 7 April 2024.

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