Chair
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- Employer:
- Safe Passage International
- Location:
- Remote (with occasional international travel)
- Salary:
- Voluntary, Non-Executive Role
- Closing Date:
- Wednesday 29 October 2025
- Job Ref:
- GSe124467
Associated documents
Description
Safe Passage International is seeking a visionary and collaborative Chair of Trustees to lead our International Board and help shape the future of our work ensuring safe routes to sanctuary for people seeking asylum.
This is a critical time for refugee rights in the UK and across Europe. We are a UK registered charity with subsidiary organisations in France and Greece. An independent organisation since 2019, our work has assisted over 3,000 refugees. We do this by providing legal assistance to unaccompanied children and other refugees across Europe to access safe routes to family reunion and protection.
We are at a pivotal point in our development, and this is an exciting time to be part of strengthening our leadership and shaping the organisation for future impact. Collaborating closely with our committed Board of Trustees and SPI team, you’ll work closely with our new Chief Executive and the Board on the development of our next strategic framework, ensuring our values of compassion, determination and ground-breaking underpin everything we seek to achieve.
We’re looking for a Chair who brings:
- Proven experience as a UK non-profit board member
- Strategic leadership and governance expertise
- A deep commitment to refugee rights and social justice
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills
- An inclusive, empathetic, and collaborative leadership style
Lived experience of seeking asylum or being a refugee, and applications from candidates from minority ethnic backgrounds, are especially welcomed.
Join us to lead a bold and compassionate organisation committed to making safe passage a reality for all.
To view the job description and person specification, please scroll to the bottom of the page, tick to agree to the privacy policy, then click 'Continue to full details'.
How to Apply
You will be asked to submit the following:
A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements, tailored to information contained in the job description. A Statement of Suitability (no longer than two pages) explaining:
- Your motivation for applying for this role.
- How you consider your skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the information included in this pack.
You may apply using a video application if you would like to.
In addition, to be considered for the role, you will be asked to complete a Diversity Monitoring Form and a Declaration of Conflicts of Interest/Political Activity form. Should you encounter any issues with your online application or require any reasonable adjustment please contact tracy.aristides@gatenbysanderson.com
The Panel will assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the person specification.
The Panel will identify a shortlist of candidates who best match the criteria for an initial interview with GatenbySanderson to further explore their skills and experience. Shortlisted candidates will be advised on the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.
Please note: due diligence searches will be undertaken on shortlisted candidates.
If you have first-hand experience as a refugee or seeking asylum in any country, please let us know in your application. We respect people’s privacy and do not expect candidates to describe their lived experience in detail during the interview process unless they wish to.
For any queries, please contact Fiona.wansborough@gatenbysanderson.com or michelle.sander@gatenbysanderson.com.