CEO Job Description + Examples

Attracting a candidate to the most senior position in your company comes with significant responsibility – as this individual will be shaping the future of the business. It is therefor important to get the relationship off to a good start by presenting the opportunity in a professional, clear and concise manner that:

a) grabs attention
b) accurately sets out the role and key requirements of the applying candidate
c) is concise yet clearly outlines the company’s objectives and the experience required

Before we take a dive into the CEO Job Description, let’s look into what a CEO does exactly.

So, What is a CEO (Chief Executive Officer)?

The highest-ranking individual in a corporation or organisation is the CEO, which stands for Chief Executive Officer. The CEO is in charge of a company’s or organization’s overall success as well as making top-level management choices. They may seek advice on major matters, but they have the last say when it comes to making decisions. CEOs can also be referred to as chief executive, president, or managing director.

The Chief Executive Officer is directly responsible to and accountable to the Board of Directors for the company’s performance. The Board of Directors (BoD) is a group of people who have been elected to represent the company’s shareholders. The CEO is frequently a member of the board of directors, and in some cases, the chairwoman.

Useful Links:
Great Interview Questions to Ask Executives and Why
Tips for Hiring C-Level Executives

The Roles and Responsibilities of the CEO

The CEO is responsible for managing the formulation and execution of long-term strategy with the goal of generating shareholder value, in addition to the general performance of an organisation or firm.

The functions and responsibilities of a CEO differ from one company to the next, and are typically determined by the company’s organisational structure and/or size. In smaller businesses, the CEO takes on a more “hands-on” role, making lower-level business decisions, for example (e.g., hiring of staff). He or she usually solely handles with high-level business strategy and important company decisions in larger companies. Managers or departments are in charge of other responsibilities.

The typical duties, responsibilities, and job description of a CEO include:

1. Communicating, on behalf of the company, with shareholders, government entities, and the public
2. Leading the development of the company’s short- and long-term strategy
3. Creating and implementing the company or organization’s vision and mission
4. Evaluating the work of other executive leaders within the company, including directors, vice presidents, and presidents
5. Maintaining awareness of the competitive market landscape, expansion opportunities, industry developments, etc.
6. Ensuring that the company maintains high social responsibility wherever it does business
7. Assessing risks to the company and ensuring they are monitored and minimized
8. Setting strategic goals and making sure they are measurable and describable

Hiring a CEO?Post a Job

A CEO Job Description

To help you position the vacancy effectively to the most senior C-Level stakeholder in your company, here’s a template that hits all the right notes, but will keep the attention of the intended audience i.e. an astute individual who is more often than not straight-shooting and short on time.

Include the full title plus a short label that grabs the eye of an applying CEO

e.g. Chief Executive officer – Expanding Leisure Brand

Lead with the compensation – particularly if it’s an attractive one:

e.g. Salary: up to £150,000 + equity

If a fixed location, include this next:

e.g. Location: London

Next, briefly describe who you are looking for and for what type of business:

e.g. I am currently looking to recruit a CEO for a Innovative, start up, leisure business.

Summarise where the business is at in it’s journey, state the objectives of the business and how the new CEO might fit in:

e.g.

Based In London and looking to expand regionally, the business has cultivated a creative, entertaining and inclusive concept that has seen great success.

As well as continuing to open physical sites, the business has built a strong online offering during pandemic, engaging clients with the product in a at home setting. This small business has big ambitions and a very committed founder and supportive board. The CEO position would suite an entrepreneurial minded individual who is looking to be apart of something from the early stages.

Now run through the Essential Experience Requirements:

e.g.

Essential Experience

  • Strong leisure or hospitality experience (restaurants, cafes, experiential entertainment, activities, attractions, sport etc) in a branded, multi site business.
  • Extensive openings experience
  • Scaling experience, ideally having taken a small business (under 10 sites) and delivered national or part national growth/roll out.
  • Strong financial acumen
  • Interested in developing interesting brands and working with creative marketing teams

And then outline the Desired Experience Requirements:

e.g.

Desired Experience

  • Previous experience working with an investment partner.
  • Additional experience with online services

Wrap up with how the candidate can apply for the position:

e.g. Should you feel this exciting role matches with your career ambition and experience, please do apply with your up dated CV.

CEO Job Descriptions By Sector

If you are looking to expand on the above, why not take a look at what other employers are doing today. Using our CEO Job Search, you can browse current CEO Jobs by Sector and take notes on how descriptions are being written. Not all follow the guidance above, but at least you’ll get an understanding for sector-specific job descriptions.

Hiring a CEO?Post a Job