At a glance
- Contract: 6-month contract on a consulting/contractor basis, with a view to extending up to 12 months
- Days: approximately 2–3 days per week, with flexibility on how hours are structured
- Day rate: dependent upon experience; payment terms to be discussed and agreed with the successful person
- Location: home-based, with travel required for events, trustee meetings and stakeholder engagement (expenses reimbursed)
- Reports to: Chair of Trustees
- Status: this is a contractor position, not an employee position. The successful candidate will be responsible for their own tax, National Insurance and any other statutory obligations arising from the engagement
- Anticipated start date: January 2027 (or sooner), subject to the selected candidate’s availability
- Closing date: 9 October 2026 at 5pm
Why now
In May 2026, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome was renamed Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome. Verity was the lead patient organisation on the international committee behind that change — a moment decades in the making, which generated over 7,000 media stories reaching 750 million people. We established the UK’s first All Party Parliamentary Group on the condition, co-published a James Lind Alliance Top 10 research priority list, and we sit on the NICE guidelines committee reporting in December 2026.
All of this has been achieved by four unpaid volunteer Trustees, on an income of around £100,000 a year, with one part-time administrator. The model has reached its limit. We are appointing our first ever Interim CEO to change that.
About us
Verity was founded in 1997 by a group of patients, with professionals supporting them as advisers, to promote better information, support and international co-operation to bring about improvements in the lives of those living with PMOS. It is the oldest charity in the world for the condition and is recognised as an expert patient voice worldwide. We are registered with the Charity Commission and Companies House. Around 1 in 8 women, girls and people assigned female at birth in the UK live with PMOS — some 3.1 million people — and around 70% of them don’t know they have it.
The role
This is not a caretaker role. It is a founding one, with two overarching priorities:
- Build an income base that can fund a permanent part-time CEO at the end of the interim period
- Put in place the systems, policies and structures that allow Verity to become an employer for the first time
Alongside these, you will work closely with the Board of Trustees, our administration assistant, volunteers, donors and partners to ensure organisational stability while driving key strategic priorities. You will take on day-to-day operational leadership from the Trustees, freeing them to focus on governance and strategy, and you will protect and build on Verity’s exceptional external position with NHS England, NICE, parliamentary stakeholders and research partners during this critical period.
You will also prepare the ground for a permanent CEO — defining the role, supporting recruitment, and delivering a structured handover at the conclusion of the interim period.
There may also be an expectation that you take on stakeholder management, media and external representation currently carried by the Trustees. How much of this transfers, and how quickly, is open to discussion and will evolve alongside the priority given to infrastructure and fundraising work.
Verity has no employed staff. This role is about building the foundations of a staffed organisation, not managing an existing one.
Who we are looking for
Essential
- CEO-level experience in the charitable sector — as a CEO, interim CEO, or in a senior leadership role carrying equivalent breadth — with a demonstrable track record of organisational development and change
- Experience of leading a charity through a period of transition, including building operational infrastructure, establishing income streams, and shifting from volunteer-led to staffed delivery
- Experience of building operational or financial infrastructure from a low base
- Experience of developing and implementing fundraising strategies, including grant applications, pipeline management and funder relationships
- Financial literacy: experience of managing budgets, financial planning and reporting in a charitable context
- Strategic thinking: the ability to rapidly assess an organisation, identify priorities, and translate them into a clear and actionable plan
- Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust quickly with Trustees, contractors, partners and funders
- Experience of working with or managing volunteers and/or small teams of contractors
Desirable
- Experience specifically as an interim or fractional CEO, or in leading charity start-up or scale-up phases
- Knowledge or lived experience of PMOS, or a background in women’s health, chronic conditions or health advocacy
- Experience of working with All Party Parliamentary Groups, NHS bodies, or government health policy stakeholders
- An understanding of charity governance and legal compliance in the UK
What we offer
- The opportunity to lead an organisation that delivers meaningful social impact, at a genuinely historic moment for the condition
- A committed Board and a passionate community of volunteers and members
- Flexible working arrangements
- The chance to shape the organisation’s future direction and growth, and to leave behind a charity that can keep fighting for the 1 in 8 living with PMOS
How to apply
Please apply per the instructions on the platform where you found this advert (Blume, Charity Jobs or LinkedIn), with a CV and a covering letter of no more than two A4 pages describing how you meet the requirements of the role and the criteria set out in the Person Specification.
In your covering letter, please also tell us your proposed day rate and your availability — the number of days per week you could commit to, and the date from which you could start.
Please see the application pack for the full Job Description and Person Specification – which is available on request at the email below.
Closing date: 9 October 2026 at 5pm.
There are three stages: two interviews held virtually, and a final stage in person in London.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds. If you need any adjustments at any stage of the process, please tell us and we will make them.
If you have any queries, or would like an informal conversation about the role before applying, please contact Fiona on admin@verity-pcos.org.uk.
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