Youth Business International (YBI)
Chief Executive Officer
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Term: Permanent
Hours: Full-time
Salary: £100,000 per annum
Reporting to: Chair of Trustees
About Youth Business International
Young entrepreneurs have the power to create jobs, drive economic growth and reshape industries and societies for the better. Yet for too many young people, starting and growing a business remains out of reach without the right support.
Youth Business International (YBI) supports aspiring and established young entrepreneurs around the world to start, scale and sustain their businesses. We develop and scale effective solutions that help young entrepreneurs succeed, from building business skills and nurturing talent to unlocking finance, innovation and access to markets.
YBI leads a global network of 66 member organisations across 82 countries. For over 25 years, our members have provided locally rooted support to young entrepreneurs through training, mentoring, access to finance and business development services.
The YBI Network Team connects this global community: enabling members to share expertise and evidence, accelerating innovation, identifying and disseminating what works, and strengthening the collective impact of the network.
The opportunity
YBI is entering an important next phase of its development. The next CEO will have the opportunity to shape that future: working closely with the Board to shape and agree YBI's future strategy, translate it into clear priorities and lead its delivery, ensuring the organisation has the funding, partnerships and capabilities to succeed.
A central priority will be to strengthen and diversify YBI's funding base. The CEO will be expected to play a highly active and personal role in identifying, cultivating and securing new funders and strategic partners, bringing strong external relationships and a demonstrable ability to build new ones, opening doors to funders, partners and decision-makers and creating new opportunities for YBI.
Alongside this, the CEO will lead and develop the Network Team, strengthen the value YBI provides to its members, and be a compelling external ambassador for the organisation and for the potential of young entrepreneurship globally.
This is an opportunity for an entrepreneurial, outward-facing leader with strong strategic judgement and a bias towards delivery - someone able to build relationships, mobilise resources and lead an ambitious global network through its next stage of development.
Key responsibilities
Set the strategy and lead the organisation
- Work in close partnership with the Chair and Board to shape and agree YBI's future strategy, translating it into clear organisational priorities, plans and measurable outcomes.
- Lead the effective execution of that strategy, ensuring YBI has the people, resources and capabilities required to deliver its ambitions.
- Provide visible and effective leadership to the Network Team, building an engaged, high-performing and values-driven culture.
- Ensure strong financial management, organisational resilience and effective management of risk.
- Ensure YBI can demonstrate its impact through credible evidence and learning, using insight from across the network to strengthen programmes, partnerships and the case for investment.
- Lead YBI confidently through growth, change and organisational development.
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Lead fundraising and income development
- Take overall responsibility for YBI's fundraising and income-generation strategy, building a strong and increasingly diversified funding base.
- Personally identify, cultivate and secure significant new funders, partners and sources of income.
- Bring strong external relationships and a demonstrable ability to build new ones, opening doors to relevant funders, partners and decision-makers and creating new opportunities for YBI.
- Develop and sell compelling propositions that connect YBI's locally led, globally connected model, evidence and reach with funder priorities, converting them into significant and, wherever possible, multi-year partnerships.
- Build and actively manage a strong pipeline of funding opportunities, working with the Board and Network Team to strengthen YBI's long-term fundraising capability and financial sustainability.
Lead and serve the YBI network
- Ensure YBI delivers clear and demonstrable value to its member organisations and remains responsive to their changing needs.
- Build strong, trusted relationships across the membership, listening to and engaging members in the development and delivery of YBI's strategy.
- Harness the knowledge, reach and diversity of the network to accelerate learning, innovation and impact.
- Ensure effective mechanisms for member consultation and engagement, including the Membership Consultation Group.
Build YBI's external profile and partnerships
- Be a compelling ambassador for YBI and the potential of youth entrepreneurship, representing the organisation with credibility and influence internationally.
- Build strategic relationships with partners, policymakers, business leaders, funders and other stakeholders who can advance YBI's mission.
- Strengthen YBI's brand, reputation and influence across its key audiences.
- Represent YBI in relevant public forums and advance its global advocacy and campaigns.
Partner effectively with the Board
- Build a strong and trusted relationship with the Chair and Board, enabling the Board to provide effective strategic guidance, challenge and governance while maintaining clear executive accountability for delivery.
- Ensure high-quality, timely reporting on organisational performance, finances, risk and progress against strategy.
- Draw effectively on the experience, networks and expertise of Board members in support of YBI's strategy, fundraising and wider ambitions.
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Person specification
We are looking for an entrepreneurial and internationally minded leader with the strategic judgement, external orientation and relationship-building skills to lead YBI through its next stage.
Essential experience and capabilities
- Strategic leadership: A proven ability to shape organisational strategy with a Board and senior stakeholders and translate it into priorities, action and measurable results.
- Fundraising: A demonstrable track record of personally identifying, cultivating and securing significant new funders, partners or sources of income.
- External leadership, networks and relationships: The credibility, communication and relationship-building skills to represent YBI with senior stakeholders, build relevant external networks, open doors to funding and partnership opportunities, and articulate a compelling vision.
- Commercial, financial and entrepreneurial judgement: Strong financial acumen and a track record of building, growing or transforming organisations, programmes or income models, with the commercial instincts and resourcefulness to develop sustainable income and deliver with constrained resources.
- Organisational leadership: Experience leading and motivating high-performing teams and successfully managing through periods of growth, development or change.
- International leadership: An international outlook and the ability to build trusted relationships and operate effectively across different countries, cultures and organisational contexts.
- Governance: Experience of working constructively with Boards and a strong understanding of effective governance.
- Mission alignment: A strong interest in entrepreneurship and a belief in its potential to create opportunities for young people and contribute to sustainable economic development.
Desirable
- Experience of membership, network or coalition-based organisations.
- Experience of innovative or blended approaches to fundraising and income generation.
- Experience of using digital or technology as a strategic driver of organisational impact or growth.
- A second language, with Spanish or French particularly valuable.
How to apply
Please send your CV and cover letter to hr@youthbusiness.org
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