Chief Executive Officer
Appointment Brief
May 2025
Welcome
Dear candidate,
Lia’s Wings is an incredible charity that has an enormous impact on the UK community.
Growing from a small local air ambulance service, we are now the UK’s international and domestic aeroplane ambulance charity ensuring that children and babies who have a medical incident are safely and swiftly returned to their local hospital
Lia’s Wings has recently expanded internationally, assisting families by repatriating children with medical issues back to the UK - often collaborating closely with British embassies abroad.
We ensure that any British child can get home to NHS care when crisis happens - whether across the UK, or from overseas.
Supporting families is a key part of what differentiates Lia’s Wings from other charities. Assisting families – before, during and after transfers - is a key element in why families consistently advocate for Lia’s Wings. We are always there when families feel they have no one else to turn to.
Our charity is entering a significant growth phase with more demand and opportunity than ever before. We are looking for a passionate CEO that will grow our charity substantially, whilst ensuring that we continue to deliver the outstanding service for families that is so critical at their time of need.
We aim to continue to broaden our overall service proposition with expanded comprehensive pre- and post-transfer support services such as counselling, and reviewing our operating model and services provided to ensure they meet both existing
We invite candidates that can drive our vision, transform our income-generating capability, and oversee a dramatic expansion of the service to allow us to help more families than ever before. We are delighted to invite you to apply for this critical leadership role. On behalf of our board, we thank you in advance for considering this opportunity to make a very real difference to families across the UK and overseas.
About us
Lia’s Wings is a national charity that ensures babies and children can access vital medical treatment and care. We provide an air ambulance service for children within the UK and to/from overseas, using aeroplanes, and a bespoke Family Support Service to help families through difficult times, creating improved outcomes and lasting change. This includes:
Neonatal care
When babies are born prematurely whilst their parents are away from home, we fly them to a neonatal unit closer to home. We are able to fly children born as early as 23 weeks gestation in our own intensive care flight-ready incubator.
Specialist investigations or care
We fly children to specialist children’s hospitals across the UK to receive treatment or care at centres of excellence. We often fly children to Great Ormond Street Hospital, Great North Children’s Hospital and Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Urgent surgery including transplants
Should a child need an urgent transplant, we can mobilise our service rapidly to fly them to a specialist hospital to receive the transplant. These transfers can be life-saving for a child.
Repatriation after specialist care
Our aircraft can provide a clean environment to reduce the risk of infection for children flying post-surgery or treatment. This ensures children can safely be transferred back to a local hospital which is closer to their home and family.
Overseas air transfers
When a child needs an urgent air ambulance transfer whilst overseas, we fly them back to the UK and help integrate them back into NHS care.
We are proud that, as a result of our air transfers, children have been discharged from long hospital stays, overcome diseases like cancer, and received a diagnosis which finally enables their family to gain new support from disease/disability-specific organisations.
We are the only charity in the UK that flies children using aeroplanes. Aeroplanes give us the flexibility to cater for children with a variety of health conditions whilst also providing a reliable service for our families, irrespective of weather conditions or distance, providing certainty when everything else is uncertain.
Using aeroplanes to fly children means we are able to take on a wider variety of long-distance transfers. Our pressurised cabins can support children with breathing difficulties, we can fly at sea level to ensure less pressure on a child’s brain, our aircraft can provide a clean environment for children post-surgery and there is always space for parents to accompany their child, which we know is so important during such a difficult time for families.
Many of the families we work with are experiencing trauma, grief, bereavement, crisis and lifechanging circumstances. We offer a Family Support Service alongside our air transfers to help families through difficult times, creating improved outcomes and lasting change.
As the UK’s international and domestic aeroplane ambulance service, we ensure that any UK citizen can get back NHS care when the unexpected happens – no matter where they are in the world.
Strategy
Lia’s Wings has grown from being a small local air ambulance provider to now being the UK’s international and domestic aeroplane ambulance service.
We now help more families than ever before, and our new international service means that any UK child that experiences an issue overseas can now be flown back to NHS care. Our brand, and the resulting demand, is now stronger than ever.
The charity wants to grow multiplicatively, dramatically increasing our ability to help families through more transfers than ever before, driven by a robust, expanded incomegeneration capability. We will expand our pre- and postflight care services and continue to expand our overseas flight capability. We will expand our media presence to drive awareness and leverage our relationships with families to assist with fundraising.
Once the existing operations are enhanced, we will consider setting up local Lia’s Wings charities in overseas locations to allow us to assist families in those countries to have access to repatriation back home.
We are seeking a CEO who can oversee this strategy holistically and provide credible growth strategies to the board. Given our transfer capacity is often governed by the amount of income that can be raised, a part of our strategy is expanding income generation across multiple channels. Our fundraising strategy relies on the virtuous circle of more charitable activity/flights driving fundraising, and vice versa – but there is an opportunity to build a scaledup fundraising capability to take the charity to the next level.
Finances
Lia’s Wings raises every pound ourselves – we do not receive any government support. Lia’s Wings has been on a strong growth trajectory and now helps more families than ever before. However, there is more work to be done and we are looking for a CEO that can transform, and dramatically expand, our fundraising capability to allow us to fly an increased number of international missions.
Our charity currently operates on an annual budget of around £1 million, but we have ambitions to significantly increase this, with targets to be agreed with the incoming CEO.
Organisation chart
The proposed organisational structure is as follows, though a key function of the new CEO will be to evaluate the structure and propose the best approach to enable the charity to grow.
Role description
Chief Executive Officer
Location:
Flexible within the UK, with an expectation of travel to London/Biggin Hill to meet with the team once a week, as well as meetings with donors and key stakeholders. Longer term working patterns to be reviewed by the CEO.
Reporting to: Board of Trustees
Direct Reports:
Four, expected to increase with organisational growth driven by candidate.
Salary:
£78,000 - £90,000 per annum, full time equivalent.
Role overview
The Chief Executive Officer will play a pivotal role in leading Lia’s Wings through its next ambitious growth phase. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing and executing strategic growth initiatives, significantly increasing our fundraising capability and ensuring we have the structures in place to sustain this growth.
We are looking for a visionary leader with proven fundraising expertise, exceptional strategic thinking, and outstanding stakeholder management capabilities. They must be passionate about the amazing difference that Lia’s Wings makes for families. The CEO will ensure Lia’s Wings continues to expand its lifesaving services domestically and internationally.
Benefits
Flexible work from home policy, with an expectation that the CEO is regularly meeting with the direct reports at least weekly face to face.
Pension: 5% employee contribution is matched by 3% employer contribution; as this is a relief at source scheme, the employee actually contributes 4%, with the remaining 1% claimed back from HMRC by the pension company (The People’s Pension).
Annual leave: 26 days plus 8 bank holidays. After your first year of employment, staff receive 1 extra day of annual leave for every consecutive year they have worked at Lia’s Wings, up to a maximum of 30 days (plus 8 bank holidays).
Key responsibilities
Strategic leadership
• Dramatically expand the number of families that we can help as the UK’s domestic and international aeromedical transfer charity.
• Develop and present comprehensive, ambitious growth plans to the Board and international service enhancement.
• Work closely with the Board and senior leadership team to develop and implement our next strategy, ensuring Lia’s Wings continued relevance, increased impact and financial sustainability.
• Define clear strategic KPIs and rigorously track organisational performance to meet growth objectives.
• Expand Lia’s Wings funding base and develop new donor relationships.
• Build and maintain strong relationships within the air ambulance community.
• Ensure Lia’s Wings governance remains transparent, accountable, and responsive.
Team leadership & development
• Build, mentor, and manage a highly motivated, high-performing team, expanding as required to achieve our strategic goals.
• Review organisational structure to optimally align team resources with strategic priorities.
• Promote a culture of accountability, professional development, and excellence within the team.
Fundraising & partnerships
• Lead and strategically oversee fundraising initiatives, including diversifying and expanding income.
• Act as key lead with all relational donors, building new and existing relationships, including with corporate, trust and HNWI donors that result in increased, sustainable income.
• Develop targeted, impactful fundraising campaigns highlighting compelling family narratives and leveraging digital and social media strategies with measurable returns on investment.
• Serve as the charity’s principal representative at fundraising events and public engagements, enhancing visibility and generating substantial financial support.
Stakeholder & partnership management
• Foster and deepen relationships with critical strategic partnerships, including with the NHS, the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, British embassies overseas, corporate donors, and aviation service providers.
• Build and nurture strategic partnerships domestically and internationally to support organisational growth and operational effectiveness.
Operational management
• Oversee and direct all organisational operations, through the Chief Service Officer, to ensure we maintain the highest standards of service quality, efficiency, and reliability.
• Ensure financial, HR and administrative policies and procedures are in place for the organisation now and for future growth.
• Ensure full compliance with clinical governance, safety regulations, and legal standards.
Financial management & governance
• Oversee robust financial management systems, including budgeting, forecasting, and transparent reporting to the Board.
• Implement stringent financial controls and effective risk management practices throughout the organisation.
• Provide detailed and timely financial and operational reports to the Board, ensuring accountability and transparency.
Person specification
Essential experience
• Proven senior leadership experience, as a CEO or senior director, within a charity or a comparable organisation.
• Demonstrable track record of success in developing and implementing fundraising strategies that achieved income growth.
• Proven experience of personally cultivating and securing income from major donors.
• Experience managing high-level partnerships with key stakeholders.
• Demonstrable capability in operational leadership, financial oversight, governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance..
Key skills & attributes
• Passion for the Lia’s Wings story, with the ability to lead and ensure the charity’s purpose is well communicated.
• Visionary strategic thinker with pragmatic implementation skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, including strong negotiation and relationship-building abilities.
• Confident and impactful public speaker and media spokesperson.
• Proven ability to inspire, develop, and lead diverse teams effectively.
Equity, diversity and inclusion statement
Lia’s Wings is deeply committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment that celebrates and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion across every level of our organisation. We firmly believe that diversity strengthens our charity, enriches our community, and significantly enhances our ability to deliver the highest standards of care and support to the children and families we serve.
We actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, recognising that embracing diversity and fostering inclusion directly contributes to innovation, creativity, and organisational excellence. Lia’s Wings is committed to equity and fairness in recruitment and employment, ensuring equal opportunities for all candidates regardless of ethnicity, race, gender,
sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, socio-economic background, or any other characteristic.
We strive to build a workplace culture where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. We encourage open dialogue and proactive engagement on diversity issues, ensuring our policies, practices, and leadership behaviours embody our commitment to these core values.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration without discrimination, and we warmly welcome interest from all individuals who align with our values and vision to positively impact the lives of children and families.
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.
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/191574
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.
Queries
If you wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact our retained partner Anna Gardet: Anna.Gardet@prospect-us.co.uk
Recruitment timetable
Deadline for applications: Tuesday 24th June 2025
Interviews with Prospectus: 30th June – 8th July 2025
Engagement meeting with Lia’s Wings: w/c 7th July 2025
Interviews with Lia’s Wings: w/c 7th July 2025
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