Swim England is the recognised national governing body for swimming, artistic swimming, diving, and water polo, (together referred to as ‘aquatics’) and we are looking to appoint a new CEO to join us at an exciting and transformative juncture in our development.

We play an important role in society, helping millions of people from all backgrounds across England enjoy the many benefits that aquatics offer – whether that be mental and physical wellness, or as a means of fulfilling athletic potential. We also encourage and help people to learn how to swim, enjoy the water safely, and compete in all our sports.

The next CEO of Swim England will have the opportunity to not only build on our achievements but navigate us through a fast-changing socio-political climate. They will have a unique platform to shape our culture positively, set precedent as to what effective safeguarding and welfare structures look like, and creatively map out how best to support the lifeblood of our aquatic sports – our people.

Our new strategy, Access Aquatics, will be launched later this year with a focus on governance, inclusion, and tackling inequalities. A key strategy commitment will be ensuring that the safety, welfare, and wellbeing of participants is at the heart of everything Swim England do.

The next CEO will lead the Senior Leadership Team to deliver on our strategic priorities, exercise ultimate financial and staffing responsibility, manage stakeholder relationships effectively, and be a strong ambassador for Swim England and the aquatics sector across spheres of influence.

To succeed in this role, candidates will need to evidence a track record of strategic and inclusive leadership, sound knowledge of governance in the sports context, and exceptional interpersonal, influencing, and team-working skills. They will have led multi-disciplinary teams, driven transformational change, and be a proactive relationship builder - capable of creating a strong public profile and embedding themselves within national bodies, media, and government landscapes.

Candidates will possess strong commercial acumen, with proven ability to recognise and act upon commercial opportunities, to enable the sport to do more for its members, participants and communities. Candidates will evidence an understanding of the funding landscape in sports, and have the commercial experience to guide Swim England in identifying and harnessing different opportunities to grow revenue.

Whilst experience or a background in swimming or the aquatic disciplines isn’t necessary, successful candidates should have good knowledge of sports leadership and what it means to lead a national governing body.

Job Title: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Department: Senior Leadership Team (SLT)

Reporting to: Swim England Board Chair

Direct Reports: Members of the SLT (7)

Location: Loughborough-based, with flexibility to work from home

For further details, including the job description, person specification, and information on how to apply, please see below. Candidates wishing to apply should submit a CV (including comprehensive details of key achievements and responsibilities) along with a covering letter which fully addresses the competencies outlined in the role description and person specification.

The closing date for applications is 9am (BST) on Monday 15th May 2023.

Swim England will be supported in this appointment by executive search firm Perrett Laver. Any initial enquiries should be directed to Jake Smith at Jake.Smith@perrettlaver.com and +44 (0)20 3928 7374.

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Inclusion

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To ensure inclusion on the basis of age, disability, ethnic or national origin, family circumstance, gender, gender identity, marital status, nationality, political or religious beliefs, race, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, we would like to specifically invite applications from under-represented groups.

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