April 2026
Executive Director -
Living Wage Foundation
Welcome
Thank you for your interest in becoming the next Executive Director of the Living Wage Foundation.
The Living Wage began 25 years ago as a simple but powerful idea from Citizens UK’s member communities in East London: that work should pay enough to live on. Rooted in that early community organising, the campaign has grown into a world-leading movement - lifting nearly half a million workers out of in work poverty, bringing together over 16,000 accredited employers, and putting more than £4.2 billion into the pockets of families across the UK.
Today, the Living Wage Foundation is a £5m campaign within Citizens UK, with a talented team of around 50 staff and a broad suite of programmes including the real Living Wage, Living Hours, Living Pension, Living Wage Places and our Global Living Wage Affiliate Scheme. As we enter the movement’s 25th anniversary, the Foundation stands at an important moment: strong, respected, and influential - yet operating in a challenging economic and political context that demands strategic clarity, resilience, and powerful public leadership.
We are looking for an Executive Director who can lead the next chapter of this journey. Someone who is energised by working at the intersection of civil
society and business; who can build deep, trusted relationships with employers and policymakers; who can champion the voices of low paid workers; and who can hold together a complex, fast moving organisation with confidence and care. The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker, a credible external ambassador, a collaborative leader, and someone who brings both humility and ambition to this work.
This is not an ordinary leadership role. It is an opportunity to lead a movement - one rooted in community organising, driven by evidence, powered by unusual allies, and united by a belief in dignity for all.
The next Executive Director will play a defining role in shaping the future of good work in the UK, ensuring we continue to grow sustainably while deepening our impact for workers, families and communities.
Thank you again for your interest. I look forward to learning more about what you can bring to this important role and to the next phase of the Living Wage movement.
Matthew Bolton Chief Executive, Citizens UK
About us
Part of Citizens UK, the Living Wage Foundation (LWF) is the UK’s leading movement tackling work poverty by driving up standards of good work, ensuring everyone can enjoy a decent standard of living now and in the future. Transforming employment and transforming lives, LWF sits at the heart of a movement committed to creating work that works for everyone.
The vision of the Living Wage Foundation is that everyone in work should be able to make ends meet - today or in the years ahead – and it brings together employers, people, and communities across the UK to raise standards of good work, giving everyone the security and dignity they need to thrive.
The Living Wage Foundation delivers its mission through four core avenues:
1. Accreditation – Offering a suite of employer accreditations including Living Wage Employer, Living Hours Employer, and Living Pension Employer.
2. Intelligence – Coordinating the annual announcement of the Real Living Wage rates, based on rigorous evidence on living costs in the UK. LWF also supports employers with implementation and produces research demonstrating the impact and benefits of the Living Wage, Living Hours and Living Pension.
3. Influence – Providing a platform for leading employers to publicly join this independent movement of organisations, businesses and people campaigning for fairer, better work.
4. Community Organising – Enabling the diverse communities in membership of Citizens UK to organise and campaign for the Living Wage, bringing the voice of low-paid workers and civil society leaders to make the case to politicians and employers. This ensures the Living Wage remains rooted in the experience of workers and communities and gives power and credibility to the movement.
The real Living Wage remains the only wage rate in the UK calculated according to the actual cost of living. Today, over 16,000 accredited Living Wage Employers have helped lift nearly half a million workers out of in work poverty, putting £4.2 billion back into people’s pockets. One in seven UK workers is now employed by a Living Wage Employer. LWF’s accredited employers span half of the FTSE 100 and include household names such as Nationwide, IKEA, Everton FC and Aviva, alongside thousands of SMEs.
The Living Wage movement began in 2001, when Citizens UK brought together communities in East London to address poverty and low pay. The campaign grew rapidly thanks to the strength and diversity of Citizens UK leaders - including cleaners, teachers, hospital workers, faith leaders and migrant communities - uniting to challenge the injustice of low pay. As momentum increased, a mechanism was needed to recognise employers
wanting to join the movement, leading to the establishment of the Living Wage Foundation in 2011. With more than 4.2 million people paid less than the real Living Wage that meets the cost of living, the job is far from done. For people paid the Living Wage, it means the difference between being able to afford the things for a decent standard of living, and afford basic things like healthy food, and a warm home.
Citizens UK is the UK’s biggest, most diverse and most effective people powered alliance. We bring communities and local organisations together to work on the issues that matter - from securing zebra crossings on dangerous roads, to reforming the immigration system, to driving the Living Wage campaign. We believe that everyday people have the power to shape the world around them, and that by developing local leaders we can drive nationwide change and create community led solutions to both big and small problems.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Citizens UK is committed to running an inclusive, equitable and accessible recruitment process that genuinely reflects the diversity of the communities we organise with. Our work brings together people from different faith traditions, cultural backgrounds, identities, and socioeconomic experiences, and we believe leadership and change is best when it mirrors this breadth.
Finances
The Living Wage Foundation (LWF) operates with an annual income of £5million, within a Citizens UK charity budget of £12million and an overall resilient financial position.
Over recent years, LWF has experienced strong and sustained growth, reflecting both the rising national profile of the Living Wage movement and the continued expansion of its network of accredited Living Wage Employers.
The majority of LWF’s income is generated through accreditation fees, providing a stable and mission aligned revenue base.
We welcome applications from people with lived experience of low pay and from groups historically underrepresented in leadership roles. We recognises the value that comes from people whose perspectives are shaped by real-life experience of the issues at the heart of their mission.
Equity is central to our work, and this extends to recruitment. We work to remove barriers, ensuring fair access to opportunities through transparent processes, reasonable adjustments, and supportive engagement at every stage. We want all candidates to feel able to participate fully, whatever their background or access needs.
Citizens UK and the Living Wage Foundation strive to build a movement - and a workplace - where everyone can belong, contribute, and lead with confidence.
This model has enabled the organisation to scale its impact while maintaining robust financial resilience. In addition to this core income, the Foundation receives smaller - yet strategically valuable- contributions from corporate partners and from trusts and foundations, both of which present opportunities for future growth.
Looking ahead, it will be important for the next Executive Director to preserve the Foundation’s sustainable financial trajectory while continuing to extend its reach, deepen its influence, and diversify income where appropriate.
Role Description
Job title: Executive Director – Living Wage Foundation
Salary: £99,325 (including London Weighting)
Reporting to: Chief Executive, Citizens UK.
Direct reports: Deputy Director, Living Wage Foundation
Assistant Director, Innovation
Purpose
The Executive Director will provide strategic, external and organisational leadership to ensure the Living Wage Foundation continues to deliver powerful, nationwide impact for low paid workers.
Building on a period of significant growth, and rising profile, the Executive Director will lead the next phase of the Foundation’s evolution - sharpening strategic focus, strengthening financial sustainability, and deepening the movement’s influence with employers, policymakers and communities.
They will be a credible public ambassador for the Living Wage, steward key corporate, civic and community partnerships, and empower a high performing team to grow the employer network, protect the integrity of accreditation, and advance the Living Wage mission across the UK and internationally.
Key Responsibilities
Set vision and strategy
• Design and deliver long term vision and strategy that expands the impact of the Living Wage movement, and ensures its sustainability.
• Oversee strategies to drive regional and sector growth in accreditation, retain the existing employer network, leverage opportunities and ensure excellent operations.
• Lead the regional development of the Living Wage Foundation, maximizing the impact of deeper partnerships with Citizens UK community organizing alliances and the expansion of Living Wage Places, Regions and Nations.
• Oversee the expansion of Living Hours, Living Pensions and the Global Living Wage affiliate scheme, and the innovation of new campaigns and programmes to tackle in-work poverty.
• Lead periodic reviews of our strategy and theory of change to maximise alignment with Citizens UK strategic goals and ensure our work remains bold, evidence driven and rooted in DEI principles.
Lead and empower a high performing team
• Provide inspiring, values driven leadership to a talented, mission focused team.
• Build a culture of empowerment, continuous professional development and collaboration across between teams and across the organisation.
• Ensure clear accountability, high performance and strong staff wellbeing, especially in moments of challenge or public scrutiny.
Key Responsibilities
Champion culture and collaboration
• Play a full role in Citizens UK’s Executive Team, shaping organisation wide strategy, culture and governance.
• Model Citizens UK values, ensuring decisions and behaviours reflect our mission and organising principles, and are rooted in our commitment to DEI.
Act as a leading ambassador
• Represent the Living Wage movement with authority, energy and credibility across the media, business, civil society and government.
• Grow and enhance LWF’s brand profile, reach and influence among target audiences.
• Build strategic partnerships that accelerate employer accreditation and deepen our influence.
Drive delivery and operational excellence
• Translate strategy into ambitious, well resourced business plans.
• Ensure robust performance management, ethical standards and effective problem solving across the organisation.
• Lead business planning, resource allocation and value for money decision making.
Ensure strong governance and financial sustainability
• Work closely with the LWF Advisory Council and Citizens UK Board of Trustees.
• Oversee the governance of the real Living Wage calculation through the Living Wage Commission.
• Identify and manage organisational risks, safeguard the integrity of accreditation programmes.
• Lead income generation and fundraising strategies to secure long term financial resilience.
Person Specification
Experience
• Significant track record leading large scale campaigns and programmes, working directly with employers.
• Strong experience of strategic planning, organisational leadership, movement building and cross sector collaboration.
• A proven ability to drive growth, build new initiatives and enhance impact.
• Significant public leadership experience, with confidence engaging C suite executives, media and political stakeholders.
• Experience leading and motivating multiple teams, with strong financial and budget management skills.
• Proven ability to build effective strategic partnerships with corporates
Skills and knowledge
• Ability to raise significant income from trusts, foundations and corporates.
• Strong understanding of corporate environments, including ESG and corporate responsibility agendas.
• Strategic, creative thinking with strong power analysis and advocacy skills.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to build coalitions across difference and unite unusual
allies, positioning the Living Wage Foundation as a positive movement that brings together employers, low paid workers, civil society and politicians.
• Strong organisational skills and comfort navigating complexity.
• Understanding of the labour market, pay trends, HR and corporate responsibility. (Desirable).
Personal qualities
• Deep commitment to social justice, community led change and broadbased organising.
• Relational, inclusive leadership style that builds trust and collaboration.
• Courage, judgement and resilience in moments of conflict or public challenge.
• Integrity and principled decision making under pressure.
• Resilient, adaptable and calm under pressure; able to navigate ambiguity and complexity.
• Curious, reflective and open to challenge - willing to learn and evolve the organisation’s approach.
• High integrity, professionalism and personal accountability.
How to Apply
To apply for the role, please upload your CV together with a supporting statement (of no more than 1000 words) onto the Prospectus website via the link below.
For guidance on formulating your supporting statement, please review our guide here.
Please ensure that you have included a telephone number, as well as any dates when you will not be available or might have difficulty with the recruitment timetable.
If you wish to apply using an alternative format please contact Prospectus on 020 7691 1920 or email executive.admin@prospect-us.co.uk. Please also notify us if you require a postal application.
Applications via the Prospectus website should be made at: https://prospect-us.co.uk/job/194403
At Prospectus we believe passionately that a truly inclusive workplace leads to increased social impact. We are committed to supporting our clients build more inclusive teams. To understand how we are performing, we ask that you kindly complete the brief equal opportunities questionnaire when you submit your application via our website. Please be assured that your responses are kept confidential, separate from your candidate record, are not part of any application you make, and that the consultants never see individual responses to the questionnaire.
Recruitment Timetable
Deadline for applications: 13th May
Interviews with Prospectus: 21 – 25th May
Interviews with LWF: w/c 1st June
Queries
If you wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact our retained advisors Rhys Barber or Harjit Bola at Prospectus on 020 7691 1920, or email:
Rhys.Barber@prospect-us.co.uk
Harjit.Bola@prospect-us.co.uk
