Chief Executive Officer

About the Role

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will lead Practical Action as one globally connected and regionally empowered organisation providing strategic, organisational and external leadership at a pivotal moment for Practical Action and the wider international development sector. Building on the 2025–2030 strategy, the CEO will work with the Board of Trustees and Global Leadership Team to sharpen priorities, strengthen delivery and shape a compelling longer-term vision for the organisation. Practical Action is seeking a leader who is authentically committed to its purpose and locally led approach; strong external, financial and partnership capability; and the organisational leadership to turn strategy into sustained impact. The successful candidate will bring both global perspective and practical credibility, enabling others to lead while remaining personally accountable for the choices and outcomes that matter most.

Roles and Responsibilities

Strategy, Impact and Organisational Direction

Work with the Board and Global Leadership Team to sharpen the 2025–2030 strategy, set enterprise priorities and shape Practical Action’s longer-term vision.

Turn strategy into accountable delivery with clear ownership, milestones and measures of success.

Drive coherent programmes, innovation, influencing and partnerships that deliver measurable, systems-level impact.

Anticipate and respond to shifts in development, humanitarian action, climate finance, localisation, technology and funding.

Global Leadership, Governance and Operating Model

Lead one globally connected organisation while empowering regional and country leaders to act locally.

Clarify decision rights, delegated authority, budgets and accountability across all levels. Resolve barriers to execution and implement clear decision rights, delegated budgets and accountabilities, ensuring global functions enable effective regional and country leadership.

Shape an agile operating model with strong governance, standards, systems and proportionate central support.

Lead a high-performing Global Leadership Team with collective ownership, challenge and collaboration.

Maintain a trusted Board relationship and high standards of financial stewardship, safeguarding, risk, compliance, ethics and accountability.

Financial Sustainability and Resource Mobilisation

Ensure Practical Action has a sustainable financial model aligned with strategic priorities, disciplined investment and effective risk management.

Lead major donor, government, philanthropic, corporate and strategic partner relationships.

Strengthen pipeline quality, conversion and income to support priorities and long-term resilience.

Diversify funding and clarify resource mobilisation responsibilities, capabilities and incentives across the organisation.

Translate Practical Action’s distinctive strengths and evidence of impact into compelling propositions that attract funding, build strategic alliances and influence policy and investment.

External Leadership, Influence and Partnerships

Act as Practical Action’s chief ambassador, strengthening its global profile and distinctive proposition.

Build strategic alliances with communities, governments, funders, businesses, researchers, networks and peer agencies.

Use evidence from practice to convene stakeholders and influence policy, delivery, finance and investment.

Champion locally led development and ensure regional, national and community perspectives shape strategy, partnerships and advocacy.

People, Culture and Organisational Capability

Build trust and belonging across the organisation through humble, empathetic and culturally intelligent leadership.

Empower leaders through genuine delegation, clear standards and mutual accountability.

Foster a caring, ambitious and accountable culture that values pace, learning, innovation and commercial awareness.

Attract and develop diverse talent, strengthen succession and stay connected to delivery realities.

Innovation and Future Readiness

Create the conditions to test, learn from and scale locally generated solutions.

Use evidence and feedback from communities and programmes to improve decisions and strategy.

Harness technology, innovative finance, new alliances and delivery models to increase impact across development, climate resilience and humanitarian action.