Executive Director

Executive Director - EACTS

EACTS, the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, is seeking an Executive Director to join its Windsor-based headquarters at a pivotal moment in its evolution.

EACTS, the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, is seeking an Executive Director to join its Windsor-based headquarters at a pivotal moment in its evolution.

As a world leader in advancing education and quality standards in cardiac, thoracic, and aortic surgery, EACTS offers you the opportunity to shape the future of global healthcare by leading a highly respected international organisation. With over 4,000 members worldwide and a reputation for delivering outstanding educational events, scientific publications, and quality improvement initiatives, EACTS is committed to improving patient outcomes on a global scale. This role provides the chance to work alongside an expert Board of Trustees and a dedicated executive team, driving operational excellence and supporting strategic growth. Flexible and family-friendly working arrangements are available to ensure you can thrive both professionally and personally. If you are passionate about making a tangible difference in healthcare through collaborative leadership and operational expertise, this is your opportunity to play a key part in EACTS's next chapter.

• Join a globally recognised charity at the forefront of cardio-thoracic surgical education, research, and quality improvement with an extensive international network of members and partners.
• Lead a talented executive team in Windsor while collaborating closely with an expert Board of Trustees, shaping operational delivery and supporting the implementation of an ambitious five-year strategic plan.
• Benefit from flexible working opportunities and support for relocation, as well as the chance to represent EACTS on the international stage and drive meaningful change in patient care worldwide.

About the role:

As Executive Director at EACTS you will be entrusted with overseeing all aspects of daily operations at one of Europe's most influential medical associations. Your role will involve guiding an experienced team through complex projects ranging from large-scale international conferences to innovative educational programmes. You will collaborate closely with senior leaders-including the Secretary General-and provide essential support for strategic planning while ensuring that governance standards remain exemplary. By building strong relationships with internal teams as well as external partners around the globe you will help expand EACTS's reach and impact. Your ability to inspire others will be crucial as you lead efforts to deliver high-profile events like the 40th anniversary Annual Meeting in Barcelona. Success in this position means not only maintaining but enhancing EACTS's reputation for excellence through effective resource management, stakeholder engagement, process optimisation, and fostering an inclusive workplace where every member feels valued.

• Provide day-to-day operational leadership for EACTS's executive team based in Windsor, ensuring smooth management across all areas including education, events, publications, membership services, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Support the Secretary General and Council in developing and implementing strategic objectives that align with EACTS's mission to advance cardio-thoracic surgery globally.
• Oversee robust governance processes by reviewing policies and procedures to ensure compliance with charity law, company law, and best practice guidelines.
• Represent EACTS at the highest levels with international organisations, sponsors, industry partners, philanthropists, and other key stakeholders to foster new collaborations and strengthen existing relationships.
• Manage financial operations including budgeting, investment policy oversight, risk management processes, and reporting to the Board of Trustees to ensure sustainable growth.
• Recruit, motivate, develop, and manage staff within an inclusive framework that supports professional development while upholding equal opportunities legislation.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying efficiencies in business models across all operational activities such as educational courses, fellowships, outreach programmes, innovation hubs, events management, publications, membership growth strategies, and data-driven quality improvement projects.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the Secretary General and Council on operational matters while providing proactive support for decision-making at board level.
• Lead preparations for major events such as the landmark 2026 Annual Meeting in Barcelona by coordinating cross-functional teams towards shared objectives.
• Champion EACTS's values by nurturing a positive organisational culture that prioritises collaboration among staff members as well as volunteers from diverse backgrounds.

Key success criteria:

To excel as Executive Director at EACTS you will bring substantial experience leading complex organisations-ideally within charitable or non-profit settings-where your focus has been on operational excellence governance financial stewardship. Your background should include hands-on involvement with boards, trustees and directors where you have supported their work through sound advice diligent execution organisational acumen. You will possess finely tuned interpersonal skills allowing you to connect empathise and communicate persuasively across diverse audiences both internally and externally. A collaborative approach is essential: your ability to nurture talent, foster teamwork and create supportive environments will underpin your success driving joint objectives forward. International exposure especially within European contexts adds further value given EACTS's global remit.

• Demonstrated experience in senior leadership roles within charities or complex organisations where you have successfully managed change initiatives that improved performance or efficiency.
• Comprehensive understanding of charity governance frameworks including compliance with relevant legal requirements (charity law/company law) as well as best practice standards.
• Proven ability to oversee financial management functions
• Track record of motivating, managing and developing multidisciplinary teams within inclusive environments that encourage professional growth
• Exceptional interpersonal skills enabling you to build trust influence stakeholders at all levels-from board members and senior volunteers through to external partners across different cultures geographies.
• Experience working internationally particularly within EU contexts; familiarity with healthcare or medical sectors would be advantageous but not essential.
• Excellent written spoken English communication abilities combined with high integrity

What sets this company apart:

EACTS stands out as a truly global force for good in healthcare- uniting surgeons, allied health professionals, researchers and educators from over 4 000 members across continents under one mission: advancing cardio-thoracic surgery for better patient outcomes everywhere. The Association is renowned not only for its flagship annual meeting-the largest gathering of its kind-but also for its commitment to ongoing education mentorship, humanitarian outreach and innovation.

Compensation

A competitive compensation package is available, and will be discussed on application

What's next:

If you are inspired by this unique opportunity to shape global healthcare through collaborative operational leadership we encourage you to take the next step towards joining EACTS' exceptional team.

This role is being managed by Robert Walters. To discuss the role, please get in touch with:

Howard Green
Business Director
(url removed)
(phone number removed)

Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates