Chief Executive Officer | Grace Eyre in Hobart

Grace Eyre is looking for an outstanding Chief Executive to build on its remarkable legacy, strengthen the organisation for the future and lead with ambition, commercial confidence and an unwavering commitment to voice, choice and inclusion.

Location: Brighton

Who we are

Grace Eyre is one of the UK's oldest and most innovative charities supporting people with learning disabilities, autistic people and people with mental health needs. At the heart of our work is a simple ambition: to support people to live the lives they want, with greater choice, independence and opportunity.

We provide high-quality, person-centred support at home and in the community, alongside supported living and housing, learning and educational activities, employment and skills support, independent travel training, and transition services for young people moving into adult services. Our supported living services are designed around each individual, working closely with the person, their family and commissioners to create support that reflects their goals and preferences.

Our work goes beyond providing services. We campaign on issues that matter to the people we support and are committed to ensuring their voices are heard and influence the organisation and the wider world. We also work with other charities and businesses through training and consultancy focused on improving the inclusion of people with learning disabilities and autistic people.

Ultimately, Grace Eyre enables people to have greater independence, meaningful opportunities and a stronger voice in shaping the lives they choose to lead.

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to lead Grace Eyre into its next chapter, building on more than 125 years of supporting autistic people and those with a learning disability to live good, fulfilling lives as valued members of their communities. As Chief Executive, you will lead an organisation with a clear, ambitious vision, Life feels good, and turn its 2026–2029 strategy, From Foundations to Feelings, into meaningful, lasting impact.

Working closely with the Board, Executive Team, colleagues and, critically, the people Grace Eyre supports, you will provide strategic leadership while ensuring the organisation remains strong, sustainable and focused on what matters most. You will nurture an inclusive and ambitious culture, strengthen organisational performance and financial resilience, and explore opportunities for partnership, innovation and growth. Externally, you will be an influential ambassador, building relationships across government, commissioners, funders, regulators and the wider sector, and championing the rights, voice and ambitions of people with a learning disability and autistic people. Throughout, you will ensure lived experience genuinely influences the organisation's direction and the decisions that shape its future.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for an outstanding, values-led leader who combines strategic ambition with warmth, humility and sound judgement. You will have experience of providing senior leadership within a complex, regulated and values-led organisation, with a strong track record of shaping strategy, leading through others and creating the conditions for people and organisations to perform, adapt and grow.

You will have led significant organisational change and bring the financial and commercial confidence to assess sustainability and challenge assumptions, without losing sight of quality, people or purpose. You will also understand the importance of strong governance, compliance and quality assurance and be equally comfortable developing culture and identifying opportunities for innovation, partnership and sustainable growth.

Just as importantly, you will be an inclusive and collaborative leader who listens carefully, shares power and understands how to ensure people with lived experience can genuinely influence strategy and decision-making. You will have an understanding of the social care, learning disability, autism and housing landscape and be confident working with Boards and engaging senior stakeholders across commissioning, regulation, funding, policy and the wider sector. Above all, you will share Grace Eyre's belief in voice, choice, rights and inclusion, bringing the authenticity, curiosity and courage to lead an organisation with an important history and an ambitious future.

If you would like to know more about this role please contact Rachel Davies.

Thank you for taking the time to consider becoming the next Chief Executive of the Grace Eyre Foundation. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the people we support, our colleagues, volunteers and partners, we are delighted to welcome you and to share more about this very special organisation and the exciting opportunity ahead.

For more than 125 years, Grace Eyre has worked alongside people with a learning disability and autistic people, supporting individuals to live good, fulfilling lives as valued members of their communities. Today, our vision is simple, positive and ambitious: Life feels good — a society where happiness, rights and inclusion are part of everyday life for the people we support. Our mission, Support feels good, comes to life through good homes, pioneering support, meaningful connections and experiences shaped by voice, choice, growth and happiness.

This is a genuinely exciting time to join Grace Eyre. Our 2026–2029 strategy, From Foundations to Feelings, reflects our ambition to put happiness at the heart of support, remain financially strong, keep learning and improving, and lead with every voice. We are proud of all that has been achieved and of the strong foundations in place, while remaining open, curious and ambitious about what we can achieve together next.

Our next Chief Executive will have the opportunity to build on this proud legacy and help shape Grace Eyre's next chapter. We hope to meet an inclusive, values-led and collaborative leader who listens with care, acts with integrity and shares our belief that people with lived experience should be at the heart of every important decision. Alongside strategic ambition and sound judgement, you will bring warmth, openness and a genuine desire to work with others to strengthen our culture, partnerships, services and long‐term sustainability.

As Co‐Chairs, we each bring different perspectives and experiences to our shared leadership of the Board. We value this enormously because it reflects something at the heart of Grace Eyre: leadership is better when it is inclusive, power is shared and people are genuinely heard. We look forward to working closely and supportively with our new Chief Executive as, together, we turn our ambitions into lasting, positive change.

Accessibility information

Grace Eyre is committed to being an accessible and inclusive employer. We welcome applications from disabled people, including people with learning disabilities, autistic people and neurodivergent people. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the recruitment process and employment to ensure everyone has equal access to opportunities, development and career progression. If you require any support or adjustments, please let us know, and we will work with you to meet your needs.

We offer the following amenities:

• Step‐free access to the building, all key meeting rooms and bathrooms, and an accessible workstation
• Accessibility dogs are welcome
• Interviews can be held in meeting rooms that support hearing loops
• Papers and materials can be presented in different formats
• A sign language interpreter can be accessed for the interview
• Working patterns and locations can be adjusted
• Flexible working – reducing hours, changing work patterns, increases in breaks
• Hybrid working – Head Office roles are contracted to work 60% of hours in the office. However, we do consider alternatives depending on employee needs
• Workplace adjustments – ergonomic chairs and desks, adapted computer equipment such as larger or curved screens, mouse and wrist rests, working in a quieter area where possible, noise‐cancelling headphones
• Changes to tasks & responsibilities – job carving, providing additional support or time to complete tasks, adjusting training methods, allocating job coaches
• Communication – easy‐read documentation, allowing captions in team meetings, meeting agendas in advance
• Recruitment adjustments – interview questions in advance, extra time for the interview, alternative recruitment activity such as job trial or shadowing, allow a companion to attend the interview with the candidate

Timetable

Closing date: 9 a.m. Monday 30th November

Candidates informed of outcome: Friday 4th December

First stage interviews (online): Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th December

Second stage interviews (in person): Thursday 17th December