Executive Director

Alongside the Artistic Director (AD), the Executive Director (ED) provides joint leadership to drive Pan's strategic growth, financial resilience, and social impact. As a dual–leadership team, the AD and ED champion an innovative vision in line with Pan's charitable status.

Operating within a lean, dedicated team of three permanent staff, the ED holds ultimate accountability for the charity's financial sustainability, business development (including venue optimisation and partnerships), governance, compliance, risk, HR and stakeholder engagement ensuring the organisation remains financially sustainable, well–governed and equipped to deliver meaningful community programmes.

As a senior ambassador, the Executive Director builds strong relationships with funders, partners, trustees and stakeholders, while fostering an inclusive, collaborative and values–led culture.

We're looking for someone who has done this role, or similar, already and can help turn our ambition into a sustainable, thriving future – building the relationships and the funding that will carry us forward, and doing it alongside a team that already cares deeply about the organisation.

1. Strategic Leadership & Business Development

• Co–Leadership: Partner with the AD to cultivate an ambitious, inclusive organizational culture for staff, volunteers, and participants.
• Business Planning: Lead the implementation, and evaluation of a robust business plan designed to secure Pan's long–term future.
• Venue Maximisation: Drive business development strategies to commercialise and diversify income streams through hiring out the venue for exhibitions, corporate events, workshops, and creative workspaces.

2. Financial Management & Sustainability

• Strategic Oversight: Set, manage, and monitor the annual organisational budget and cash flow projections, presenting quarterly management accounts to the Board of Trustees.
• Income Generation: Oversee the fundraising strategy, providing clear directives, goals, and management to the freelance fundraiser.
• Financial Control: Authorise high–level expenditure, monitor overall financial health, and collaborate with external accountants to oversee payroll, pensions, and year–end statutory accounts.

3. HR, Governance, Compliance & Risk Management

• Legal Compliance: Act on behalf of the Company Secretary to ensure Pan fulfills all statutory returns (Charity Commission, Companies House, HMRC, VAT, PAYE).
• Lease & Venue Compliance: Oversee the landlord relationship, ensuring all lease obligations, commercial insurances, health & safety mandates, and building compliance are met.
• Board Relations: Manage governance reporting, supporting the Board of Trustees by preparing strategic business and financial reports for quarterly meetings.
• Safeguarding: Act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), ensuring robust policy implementation, tracking DBS compliance, and handling disclosures appropriately.
• HR Infrastructure: Oversee the organisational HR systems, including the staff handbook, recruitment policies, and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) workplace practices.

4. Brand Advocacy & Stakeholder Relations

• Advocacy: Represent and pitch Pan at public events, sector networks, and to high–value external stakeholders or donors.
• Communications Oversight: Oversee the overarching marketing strategy to elevate the charity's profile.

Experience & Track Record

Essential

• Senior Leadership: Proven experience at a senior or strategic management level within a charity, social enterprise, or creative organization.
• Income Generation: A successful track record of securing funding and hitting financial targets through diverse streams.
• Business Development: Demonstrable experience in generating earned income, specifically utilising and optimising a physical asset or building (e.g. venue hire, retail space, workspace leasing, or event hosting).
• Financial Acumen: Strong experience setting multi–project budgets, managing organisational cash flows, and creating management accounts.
• People Management: Experience managing freelance teams with a collaborative, empowering leadership style.

Desirable

• Experience working in a joint–leadership model (e.g., partnering closely with an Artistic Director or Creative Lead).
• Familiarity working within the London arts or community sector , including local authority or regional funding networks.

Knowledge & Sector Awareness

Essential

• Charity Governance: Solid understanding of UK charity law, statutory reporting requirements, and working effectively with a Board of Trustees.
• Venue Operations: Basic knowledge of premises compliance, commercial insurance, landlord/tenant boundaries, and venue Health & Safety standards.
• Safeguarding: Deep understanding of modern safeguarding protocols, risk assessments, and the role of a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).

Desirable

• Sector Awareness: A meaningful understanding of the issues, policy landscapes, and environments surrounding refugees, asylum seekers, and survivors of modern slavery.
• Familiarity with financial workflows involving cloud accounting software (like Xero) to ensure effective oversight of the Operations Manager's data entry.

First round interviews will be held on Wednesday 21st of October in our Pan Centre, Vauxhall, if you are unable to make this date please make it clear in your email.

Including Everyone

We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and positively encourage those with lived experience of migration and/or people from the global majority to apply. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the recruitment process.

Data Protection

Any data about you will be held securely with access restricted to those involved in dealing with your application in the recruitment process. Information provided on the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form is separated from your application, held confidentially and only used to monitor and analyse Pan's policies. It is not used during the shortlisting process. All information in your application is treated in the strictest confidence. Your application will be kept on file for a maximum of 1 year and then destroyed.

Appointments

In line with the Pan's Safeguarding Policy, any relevant appointment will be made subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) disclosure. Disclosure information will be treated in the strictest confidence and shall only be seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process. Only relevant information will be taken into account. Pan will not discriminate unfairly against any convictions or other information revealed.

All appointments are made subject to satisfactory references and proof of eligibility to work in the UK.