Chief Executive Officer Brightside

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Lead Brightside as our next CEO - drive growth, build profile and champion social mobility through mentoring.

• Location: Remote or Hybrid / London or Manchester

Brightside is the UK's leading online mentoring charity, transforming the futures of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. For over 20 years, we've connected more than 150,000 young people with mentors to help them make confident, informed choices about their education and careers.

We are now seeking a Chief Executive Officer to lead Brightside into its next phase of growth. This is a pivotal opportunity for a strategic and dynamic leader who can raise our profile, drive income growth, and strengthen our role as a national voice in social mobility.

If you are an inspiring leader with strong fundraising experience, a confident public presence and a passion for helping young people reach their potential, this is your chance to shape the future of a proven, mission-led charity.

Who we are Brightside is on a mission to level the playing field for young people. Our safeguarded online mentoring platform removes barriers of geography, cost and access, making high-quality mentoring available to those who need it most.

Since 2003, we've supported over 150,000 young people, with 60% of our mentees coming from areas of multiple deprivation. From healthcare to STEM and beyond, we partner with schools, universities, charities and employers to open doors that young people may not otherwise access.

Our impact is proven: Brightside mentoring gives young people the confidence, knowledge and networks they need to navigate their next steps successfully; whether that's higher education, training or employment.

About the role As CEO, you will be Brightside's figurehead and strategic leader, working with the Board and Senior Leadership Team to deliver ambitious plans for growth.

Key responsibilities include:

• Growing and diversifying income through trusts, foundations, corporates and donors.
• Raising Brightside's profile nationally, representing the charity to funders, partners, policymakers and the media.
• Leading a talented and motivated staff team to deliver high-quality, high-impact programmes.
• Ensuring financial sustainability, operational resilience, and sector-leading safeguarding.
• Building partnerships across higher education, business and philanthropy to scale Brightside's reach.

This is a unique opportunity to combine strategic leadership with hands-on influence, ensuring more young people benefit from Brightside's proven approach.

Who we are looking for We're seeking an ambitious, outward-facing leader who is passionate about social mobility and confident in driving growth.

The ideal candidate will bring:

• A strong track record in fundraising and income generation from major donors, corporates, trusts or foundations.
• A confident public presence with excellent communication and advocacy skills.
• Experience in strategic leadership, delivering organisational growth and change.
• Strong relationship-building skills with funders, partners and policymakers.
• A collaborative, people-centred leadership style that motivates and empowers.
• Commercial acumen and an appetite for decisive, risk-aware leadership.
• Passion for Brightside's mission and understanding of the barriers young people face.

This is a role for a leader who combines strategy with action; someone ready to champion Brightside and unlock opportunities that transform young lives.

For further information about the role or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:

If you would like to know more about this role please contact Clare Chesworth

I am the Chair of the Board of Trustees at Brightside and we are a well-established organisation with over twenty years of experience from connecting over 150,000 young people to mentors to help them make informed decisions about their future.

Our outgoing CEO has built up a strong reputation for high quality programme delivery and a very effective, safe online mentoring platform.

We know that both our mentors and mentees have very positive - sometimes even life changing - experiences participating in our programmes.

Now it is time to spread the word!

To attract more support, mentees and mentors to Brightside while leading a small but ambitious team of staff who care deeply about giving young people in the UK the best support possible for them to lead happy and successful lives.

Oliver Borm
Chair of the Board of Trustees

Who are we? Brightside is the UK's leading online mentoring charity, who, for the past 20 years, have empowered over 150,000 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to make informed education and career choices. With 60% of our beneficiaries from the most disadvantaged areas, we're dedicated to ensuring every young person has equal access to education and career opportunities, no matter their background.

Operating nationwide, we connect young people with inspirational volunteer mentors from diverse sectors like healthcare and STEM, helping them gain the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about their future. Our bespoke, safeguarded app removes barriers by providing free, flexible, and accessible mentoring, without the need to travel.

Our evidence proves that Brightside mentoring transforms lives-giving young people the guidance, networks, and self-belief to navigate their next steps with confidence.

What is our history? Founded in 2003, Brightside has been a pioneer in online mentoring, supporting over 150,000 young people from less advantaged backgrounds to make informed decisions about their education and careers.

Brightside launched its first mentoring project in 2003, supporting students typically underrepresented at university-those who face barriers to higher education due to factors like family income, school performance, or lack of role models in higher education. This first project connected students with the ability and crucially, the aspiration to work in healthcare, with medical undergraduates for guidance and encouragement.

By 2006, we had expanded into STEM mentoring, partnering with prestigious institutions like The Royal Society of Chemistry and The Royal Academy of Engineering to support young people pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and maths.

In 2010, we launched Bright Knowledge, an online resource bank that has since supported over 283,000 young people. We also began working in partnership with Realising Opportunities, helping over 5,000 students access research-intensive universities.

By 2012, Brightside had begun partnering with leading law firms, the NHS, and major universities, creating tailored mentoring and virtual work experience programmes for young people pursuing careers in law, healthcare, and other industries.

In 2015, The Brightside Trust was incorporated as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The CIO became an active charity on 1 April 2015 when all the activities, assets, and liabilities of the former charity, the Brightside Trust (registered charity number ) were transferred to the CIO.

By 2016, we had expanded our work into social mobility cold spots along the south coast.

In 2018, we launched a programme for visually impaired young people.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brightside developed Prepare for Uni, helping universities support students in uncertain times.

In 2022, we won the Children and Young People Now Award for our Bright Carers programme, supporting young carers in partnership with seven universities and The Children's Society.

In 2023, we marked 20 years of transforming lives. Since 2003, we've supported 150,000+ young people through our online mentoring programmes, with over 4 million messages exchanged between mentors and mentees. 60% of our beneficiaries come from areas of multiple deprivation.

With a strong track record of innovation, partnerships, and measurable impact, Brightside continues to be a leader in closing the social mobility gap and empowering young people to reach their full potential.

What is our aim? Brightside's aim is to level the playing field for young people from less advantaged backgrounds in the UK by providing online mentoring to help them make confident and informed decisions about their education and career pathways.

By tackling inequalities in access to information, support, and opportunities, Brightside empowers young people to reach their full potential, increasing their chances of entering and completing higher education and securing meaningful careers.

We understand that different members of the community have different access needs and have made some modifications to the way we do business to accommodate people from diverse communities and abilities.

Our accessibility provisions include:

• 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 interviews.
• Working patterns and locations can be adjusted.
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