Thank you for your interest in the role of Chief Executive Officer of Circadian Trust.
We have an amazing team who are committed to our customers and the work we do, supported by the Trustee Board, who bring a wealth of experience and sound judgement to guide us through the next phase of our journey.
Circadian Trust:
Our long-serving and well-respected CEO will be retiring in April 2027. We are looking for an enthusiastic individual who will be a visionary ambassador for the Trust and
bring energy and drive to lead and manage the Trust’s priorities and strategy.
The new CEO will play a key role in developing new relationships and sustaining existing ones with our partners, including South Gloucestershire Council, and stakeholders, which include the NHS and the local Active Partnership. They will embrace our commitment to providing outstanding experiences which enhance the lives of
our customers by supporting their wellbeing.
We need an exceptional, energetic person for this role who will sustain our culture and develop our future. If you are that person, we’d love to hear from you!
Circadian Trust is an independent Charitable Company based in South Gloucestershire, managing and developing sports and physical activity facilities and services in partnership with South Gloucestershire Council (SGC).
It was established 20 years ago and is a very successful organisation with an innovative approach to service and delivery, aiming to provide the best for its customers.
Circadian Trust prides itself on its partnership approach and works with other statutory and voluntary organisations to truly inspire Active Lifestyles within the communities it serves.
Circadian Trust delivered a strong financial performance in 2024–25, achieving a £462k surplus and growing total income to £14.1m, despite inflationary and energy pressures. Memberships, swimming lessons and wellbeing programmes all saw double‑digit growth, supported by over £1m of capital investment across centres.
The Trust continues to expand its social impact, delivering thousands of health referrals and widening access for priority groups. A major governance review is underway to strengthen future resilience and strategic clarity. The organisation is well‑positioned for the next phase of its New Horizons strategy.
Our survival through, and recovery from, the Covid pandemic demonstrates the resilience of our model and the careful application of our Trustees, management team, and colleagues.
We have five sites operating across South Gloucestershire and these are located at Thornbury, Bradley Stoke, Yate, Kingswood and Longwell Green. Our Head Office is located at our Thornbury site.
The Trust employs approximately 600 staff, made up of permanent full and part-time employees and casual workers. A Board of 17 Trustees ensure that community involvement and ownership are never far from the decision-making process. The Board brings an excellent mix of talents together from all areas of the community.
We are a forward-thinking and exciting organisation to work for and have invested in several major capital projects, including total refurbishment of our gym facilities at all five sites (£2.4million) since 2023, the installation of photovoltaic arrays at the majority of our 5 sites, and other exciting new capital projects are in the pipeline, including a further Wellbeing Suite at our Yate site.
Communication and understanding by everyone in the organisation and those people who support us are critical to our success. We need to engage everyone in our goals; only by us all working together on our common goals can we guarantee our success and the future we deserve.
As the needs of our markets have changed and progressed, we are at the forefront of realising new innovations and solutions for our customers. We are constantly striving to make a difference, with new initiatives, developing partnerships and exciting cross-working projects. The environment in which we operate continues to change and we aim to be ahead of customer expectations. We have achieved a great deal, but there is still much to do.
Job title: Chief Executive Officer
Responsible to: Chair of Circadian Trust’s Board of Trustees
Responsible for: There are currently four members of the Leadership Team and the Payroll Officer and Finance Analyst and the Head Office Administrator who report directly to the CEO, each with their own areas of responsibility.
Location: Based at Head Office at our Thornbury site with travel to various sites as required. Hybrid working does not apply to this role.
Working hours: Permanent & full-time. Normal working week is 37 hours, Monday to Friday but flexible working will be required as and when. There will be the occasional requirement to work evenings and weekends when necessary, including occasional overnight stays to attend events and conferences.
Annual Leave: 30 days, including 8 Bank Holidays, increasing with service up to a maximum of 35 days per annum
Salary: £95,000 - £105,000 per annum
Pension: Aviva Pension Scheme
Benefits: Gym & swim membership, free parking and a range of health, wellness and career development opportunities designed to help you thrive.
Main Contacts:
The CEO will proactively and positively engage with employees, subsidiary organisations, partners and representatives from all sections of the community. The CEO will engage with South Gloucestershire Council’s Members and Senior Officers regularly; national bodies for example Sport England; and community networks such as Community Leisure UK (CLUK).
The ability to build and maintain effective working relationships at all levels is crucial to the success of the post.
Moon Charity Practice has been appointed chosen search partner for Circadian Trust and will manage this campaign.
To apply, please send a copy of your latest CV together with a supporting statement (no more than 2 sides of A4) explaining your motivations for applying for the role, how your skills, knowledge and experience match the role outline and what you can additionally bring to the role.
To ensure fairness to all applicants, any decision to shortlist you for an interview will be based solely on the information that you supply on your CV and supporting statement. Therefore, it is important that you give as much information as possible regarding why you wish to apply and what you think makes you a suitable applicant.
The safe recruitment of staff is a key part of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our clients. All offers of employment are subject to receipt of a minimum of two satisfactory references and receipt of a satisfactory enhanced DBS check with adults barred list check.
Moon Charity Practice is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all areas of society.
Completed applications should be sent by email to:
FAO: Sandy Hinks, Quoting Ref: MC2737
Closing date for applications: Midnight, Sunday, 13th September 2026.
HOW TO APPLY
Preliminary virtual interviews with Moon Charity Practice will be held w/c 7th & 14th September. First stage interviews with Circadian Trust will be held w/c 28th September and second stage for successful candidates will be held w/c 5th October 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
Circadian Trust has retained Moon Charity Practice to manage this campaign and are therefore unable to accept CVs from third party agencies. All CVs and expression of interest received will be forwarded directly to Moon Charity Practice for consideration. On behalf of Circadian Trust,
Moon Charity Practice would like to thank you for your initial interest in their CEO opportunity.
Accessibility
If you require this document in an alternative format, please call Moon Charity Practice on 01275 371200 or email recruit@moonexecsearch.com
Please see our Candidate Pack here.
