Role: Head of External Affairs Salary Band: £40,000 - £61,800 Contract: Permanent Hours: Full time (40 hpw) Location: Woodstock, Oxfordshire About the Employer Our client is a national charity supporting people in rural areas to set up and run successful businesses in community ownership. They do this to achieve their UK-wide vision for resilient, thriving and inclusive rural communities. Community-owned businesses are owned and controlled by community members, who each have an equal and democratic say in how the business is run. They can be any type of business ranging from village shops, pubs and cafes, through to woodlands, fisheries and farms. About the Role This is an exciting opportunity to join this team and lead and implement the organisation's External Affairs strategy. The role holder will advocate for a supportive policy, legislative and funding environment in which the community-owned business sector can flourish, as well as oversee the growing membership services and communications activities. They will help strengthen the community business movement as a whole as well as engage a range of stakeholders to help further the organisation's strategic objectives and make their vision for resilient, thriving and inclusive rural communities become a reality across the UK. If you are interested in joining this specialist organisation and growing the network of community-owned businesses UK-wide then they look forward to hearing from you. Closing date for applications: 9am Monday 24 February 2025 Interview date: Interviews will be held at the charity's offices in Woodstock during w/c 3 March 2025 or via video conference. Interested? Please click 'Apply' and follow the job board process. You will receive an email from CHM Recruit containing further information on how to apply for the role. Please note that although you may be asked by the job board to upload a CV, you are not applying at this stage. This employer is committed to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and their approach goes beyond ‘protected characteristics’ to thinking more broadly about inclusion. Every individual will think and feel differently and they believe that these differences should be embraced, and individual needs taken into account. Additionally, the makeup of the rural communities they work with leads to their own particular diversity and exclusion challenges and opportunities compared to urban areas. Their commitment to EDI, both internally and externally, has been tailored to the organisation and the communities it serves. Our client is a registered charity, and a company limited by guarantee. No agencies please.