Vacancy: Chief Executive Officer

May 12, 2022

Fighting Blindness is a unique organisation founded in 1983, its mission being to find treatments and cures for conditions causing severe sight loss, supporting individuals and families affected through our Insight Counselling Service and empowering the visually impaired community through advocacy and opportunity. Fighting Blindness brings together leading experts who share its pioneering vision for the future and we are looking for a thought leader to join our innovative team to lead it through its next phase of development.

Location: Dublin City Centre

Salary: Competitive

Hours: Full Time

Starting date: Immediate

Holidays: 24 days per annum

Reporting to: Board of Directors

Job context and person specification:

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will provide overall leadership to the organisation and will advance an agenda that is relevant to the organisation’s strategic vision while providing value to its members. They will manage the day to day operational activities and the 12 staff members, building on the strong organisational culture to be a leading light in its community. They will be accountable for the policies, events and campaigns undertaken by the organisation and will ensure continuity through contacts with members and other key stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will have strong leadership and a track record of successfully achieving goals. The Fighting Blindness CEO must be a confident partner to the members, the board, the health research and clinical communities.

A minimum of five years’ experience in a relevant management role is required with the proven ability to lead by example and motivate teams and individuals to attain high performance levels; identify strategically important issues and operationalise strategic plans; engage staff in development of organisational goals and personal goals; engage, promote and enhance supportive relationships with appropriate external groups and agencies. The post holder will be passionate about leading a unique organisation and will share the vision and values underpinning all that Fighting Blindness does.

They will have excellent written and oral communication skills, ideally with experience of dealing with a wide range of stakeholders, good interpersonal and teamwork skills, the ability to communicate persuasively, work well under pressure and coordinate wide-ranging stakeholder perspectives. The candidate will be expected to lead the strategising, planning, organising and prioritising on behalf of Fighting Blindness and its members, and have the ability to be flexible in a changing environment.

Suitable candidates will be able to identify with the needs of the people living with sight loss as well as recognise the crucial role research has to health outcomes. They will be interested in the development of team and individual staff competencies and their own personal and career development.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The Chief Executive Officer, reporting to the Board of Directors (through the Chair) will work with members and stakeholder organisations in order to implement the Fighting Blindness strategy.  The duties include:

  • Serve as the full time senior executive;
  • Lead the execution of the vision, collaborating with a board of directors, and build a strong staff focus on organisational priorities with commitment to reaching strategic goals;
  • Ensure the achievement of fundraising goals. Be proactive in working with Head of Fundraising to develop the organisations network and opportunity for income streams;
  • Build relationships with key decision makers in bodies representing the visually impaired, Government, health, science and pharmaceutical sectors;
  • Develop and manage the implementation of strategic plans, operational plans, budgets and financial planning;
  • Be proactive in spreading the organisations message of collaboration by being a media spokesperson; speaking at conferences and producing commentaries to promote and develop the organisations services;
  • Initiate, develop and evaluate new project opportunities in Ireland and EU, ensuring their viability through sustainable funding sources;
  • Be approachable and flexible, the successful candidate knows how to break down barriers and promote sharing of information. They will seek to create a culture of collaboration and sharing information;
  • Manage the relationship with existing funders;

The following criteria and considered essential:

  • Business / Science qualification at degree or higher level
  • At least 5-years experience in public or private sector, ideally in a health or charity related domain
  • Entrepreneurial attitude and ability to identify, develop and sustain new funding streams
  • Ability to liaise with government agencies, academia, groups representing the visually impaired and industry at the highest levels with credibility
  • Proven excellent managerial competence and leadership
  • Understanding of and commitment to the three strategic pillars: Cure, Support and Empower in serving members and the visually impaired community
  • Fluent in English

Desirable Criteria:

  • Experience in communications and media relations
  • Some experience or knowledge of the voluntary sector
  • Competency in typical computer applications such as MS Office Suite
  • Experience in governance requirements and compliance with the charity regulations.

Application Details:

Interested candidates should submit a copy of their curriculum vitae and cover letter to Anna Moran at anna.moran@fightingblindness.ie by close of business on 30 May 2022.

Fighting Blindness is an equal opportunities employer.