Co-Director

About RootsMove

What we do (in brief)

RootsMove was founded in 2022 with the goal of addressing the risk of homelessness that newly granted refugees face when they leave Home Office accommodation. We focus on an innovative approach of providing direct money-transfers to cover housing startup costs, alongside wraparound support.

Our vision is

Every refugee in the UK has a safe, affordable home, where they can thrive in their community.

Our mission is

We are committed to ending homelessness among refugees. We do this by creating an ecosystem of partnerships which offer support to refugees, so that they access and sustain secure housing, and live fulfilled lives in the UK.

Our values that inform the way we work

• We are led by the community, we make decisions with one another, not for others.
• We believe everyone should flourishstaff, volunteers and clients. We treat everyone connected with the organisation with the same level of respect and care.
• We serve from a place of abundance, not from a place of scarcity.
• We do not replicate harmful systems in our own work. We create and replicate healthy systems in our work.
• We are part of an ecosystem; we work strongest when we collaborate and acknowledge we are part of a larger community.
• We are cooperative and do not create or sustain hierarchies of power.
• We dream big and create miracles; we deal in solutions, not problems.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for a third co-director of the organisation. RootsMove is currently managed by two co-directors, Thelma Ndaula and Grace Burgess, and a steering committee. You can learn more about our team here.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and dynamic individual who cares deeply about improving the experience of refugees in the UK and has the skills and experience to support our small but mighty organisation to scale.

You will be in a team with Thelma and Grace to oversee strategy, fundraising and organisational growth. You will be supported by the steering committee who we meet with 4 times per year as well as ad hoc meetings with individual members.

You will be operating at the heart of RootsMove, getting to be creative about how we work, how we can be more effective and overall, how we can create impact and meet our mission.

Skills and experience

You do not need to have everything listed below, this is a guide for the kinds of experience this role requires, but we know that you may also have other relevant skills and experience:

• Knowledge of the asylum system and refugee experience in the UK.
• Knowledge and professional and/or lived experience of the Private Rented Sector (PRS)
• Good networking skills
• Strong written and communication skills for use across social media platforms, email and other digital platforms
• Comfortable engaging with a range of stakeholders including contacts in the media industry
• Confident doing public speaking
• A collaborative mindset
• Commitment to RootsMove’s mission and vision
• You are comfortable working in a remote team- we don't have an office so do almost all our work remotely.

Our work is led, shaped and guided by people with lived experience of seeking asylum in the UK and we are particularly interested in receiving applications from people who are experts by experience.

Our commitment to you

As a Co-Director of RootsMove, we are committed to supporting you to grow and develop in this role, through training opportunities and the option for you to suggest areas of interest that you want to develop. You will have the chance to truly shape the work that we do at RootsMove.

We are a people-centered organisation and put a lot of focus on fun and wellbeing. Directors’ meetings often begin with an optional contemplative arrival practice or meditation and we create time to socialise with one another to build strong relationships. We are committed to ensuring you are happy, comfortable and thriving in this role.

Working remotely

We can support reasonable adjustments for remote working, including data or equipment needs where possible.

Is there a salary for this role?

This role is pro bono for at least the first 12 months.

You will become a legal director of the organisation (similar to being a trustee of a charity). As a legal director, you will share governance responsibilities in line with the organisation’s legal structure. We will provide training so you feel confident and supported in this area.”

Time commitment & Expenses

As this role is currently voluntary, we are looking for a part-time commitment as we understand you may have a day job or other commitments.

The time required for this role will vary but it will be approximately 1-2 days per week, with a minimum commitment of 12 months.

We are hoping to find someone who can commit for long-term, as having a consistent team will provide the best conditions for us to work well as a team and enable RootsMove to thrive.

• Expenses (travel to London, phone, etc.) are reimbursed
• Flexible scheduling is possible
• No out-of-pocket costs are expected

How do we work?

RootsMove currently does not have an office. We meet in-person in central London approximately 4 times per year. All other work is conducted online. However, when our next programme launches, there will be more frequent events and workshops in-person in London.

We normally work Monday-Friday, daytime only. There are occasional evening and weekend meetings or events. These will be scheduled with as much notice as possible.

Application process

1. Send an email to hello@rootsmove.org with your CV and cover letter (500 words) or video (4 minutes) explaining why you are interested in this role and how your knowledge, skills and experience make you a good fit.
2. Grace & Thelma will be in touch via email to arrange an introductory call with you.
3. If you are progressed to the second stage, you will be invited to an hour-long interview (either online or in person if you are based in London).
4. We will inform you by email whether you have been selected for this role.

Application deadline

• The deadline to apply is 30th January.
• Introductory calls and interviews will be held on a rolling basis.
• The recruitment process for this role will be completed by the end of February.