CEO (Clerk)

Guardian Jobs; London; On-site; GBP 75,000

Job description

The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers

CEO (Clerk)

The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers is recruiting for a new CEO (Clerk) from Autumn 2025, to succeed the current Clerk who will be retiring after 10 years in the role.

The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers, founded by Royal Charter in 1629, is an active, growing, City of London Livery Company of around 900 members, who believe that nobody should be held back because of their vision. The Company is the oldest existing optical body in the world and the only Livery Company dedicated to eye health.

As the Company prepares to celebrate its 400^th anniversary at the end of this decade, the new Clerk will play an important role in helping to guide the Company through the celebratory programme, as well as continuing to build membership and delivering the Company’s longer-term strategy set by its Court.

The Clerk is central to the functioning of the Company. This is a busy, hands-on role, requiring a mix of professional and people skills, diplomacy and senior level experience. Reporting directly to the Master and Wardens, the Clerk is responsible for the day to day running of the Company and its associated committees and working groups. In addition to the day to day running of the Company, the Clerk is expected to accompany the Master and represent the Company at civic, professional and livery events throughout the year. Many of these will require evening and weekend availability.

The Clerk is supported by one full-time Assistant, two or three key contractors, and by volunteer members of the Company. The position is full-time, based at the Company’s offices in Blackfriars, in the City of London. The salary will be £75,000, plus a non-contributory pension and 30 days’ annual holiday.

To apply, please send a CV and 1-page covering letter, setting out the reasons for your interest and your suitability for the role, to [e-mail]. The closing date for applications is Monday 31 March 2025 (12 noon). Interviews will be held in May. The Master and Wardens expect to confirm the appointment by the end of June.

The current Clerk will be retiring towards the end of the year. It is hoped that the successful candidate will join the Company at the end of September 2025 to facilitate a smooth handover of responsibilities.

REQUIRED PERSONAL QUALITIES AND SKILLS

Essential:

• Excellent communication skills, matched with strong attention to detail
• Must be able to represent the Company and communicate its core values and key messages in person and across all channels.
• Experience of providing high-level administrative support to Boards/senior committees or governing bodies
• Significant senior-level commercial experience gained in the private or public sector, or in not-for-profit or charitable organisations
• Able and willing to travel and work in the City of London both during the day and in the evening with the flexibility to manage working hours to meet the demands of the role
• Financially and IT-literate
• Experience of hands-on working in a small team, and working with and for volunteers
• Confident and warm public persona, able to build and maintain a network of strong business relationships
• Comfortable with ceremonial duties and issues of protocol
• Able to juggle workload and adapt to change with each new team of Master and Wardens
• Forward-looking approach, suggesting and promoting new initiatives and improvements
• Commitment to the Company’s core values of inclusivity, impartiality, independence and improvement of vision

Desirable:

• Record of success in attracting and retaining members and/or financial support
• Experience of running large-scale events or meetings (c 200 people)
• Familiarity with databases and member management systems and accounting software
• Understanding of legal and charity compliance
• Understanding of/interest in both the history and traditions, and the contemporary role, of the City of London and the Livery

WCSM is committed to a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion in which all individuals are treated equitably, and where they can realise their potential in the service of the Company. The Company will not discriminate (negatively or positively) on the grounds of age, gender, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender expression, marital or civil partnership status, parental status, race or religion. We look forward to receiving applications from a wide range of candidates.