Board Chair

Board Chair

Trustee/Governor
J99613
At a glance

Skills

  • Financial management
  • Fundraising strategy
  • Governance
  • Strategic development and planning
  • Legal
  • Advice / Advocacy

Where

London, WC1X 8BP
Mainly at home

Time

Mostly during office hours Estimate of time needed:
1-3 hours / week or 3-7 hours / week
1-2 days per month (remotely, some in person meetings)

Deadline

27 Oct 2024

Visitors from Fifth Day

Welcome to Reach Volunteering. We are a community and registered charity that connects people, skills and good causes.

To apply for this role, and any other on our platform, you need to be based in the UK, have at least three years of experience using the skills you wish to volunteer in a professional capacity or have lived experience (for trustee roles). Read more about our criteria.

We are the UK's leading voice for water efficiency, seeking a new Chair with the ability to lead the organisation in partnership with the CEO. 

What will you be doing?

We are seeking a new Chair with the ability to lead the organisation in partnership with the CEO. 

The Chair will develop and maintain a relationship with the CEO and with the non-executive directors, and will work to ensure that the Board provides good governance. 

They will establish and maintain close relationships with political figures, stakeholders and influencers as appropriate, acting as an ambassador for Waterwise, in partnership with the CEO.

At Waterwise, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. For this role we therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented on Waterwise’s Board. This includes candidates from the global majority and disabled candidates.

Time commitment

This role requires a time commitment of approximately 1 to 2 days per month - including formal meetings and work outside of them.

The meeting schedule is below:

  • Four Board meetings per year, three of which will be virtual and one of which will be an in-person Away Day - plus membership of one Board Committee (Committee meetings are held virtually)
  • Board meetings are held during the day

If possible we would like our new Chair to attend the Waterwise Board meeting on 18th December, on Zoom, from 10am - 1pm, and take over as Chair at the end of that meeting.

This is an unremunerated role (with travel expenses paid) with a three-year term (renewable once for a maximum of six years in office).

First interviews 6th November 2024, online via Zoom followed be a second round on 19th November 2024, in person in London

How to Apply

Once you make contact via Reach, we will let you know the external link to apply directly.

What are we looking for?

Experience and technical competencies

  • Experience of chairing a Board or Committee, with a strong understanding of, and commitment to, good governance and acceptance of the responsibilities, liabilities and legal duties of a non-executive Directors;
  • Strong business and financial acumen and organisational skills, including people leadership;
  • Strategic leadership skills;
  • Ability to understand complex strategic issues, analyse and resolve difficult problems;
  • Ability to act as a spokesperson for Waterwise and a champion of its purpose, and strong stakeholder management skills;
  • Ability to influence and advocate for change;
  • Experience in the legal or energy sectors (but this isn’t a deal-breaker!);
  • Understanding of the charity sector or of the commercial world, or both

Characteristics and aptitudes

  • Ability to demonstrate a strong and visible passion for, and commitment to, the organisation, its strategic objectives and mission;
  • Commitment to the values and principles of Waterwise;
  • Proven commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion;
  • Commitment to sustainability/water efficiency;
  • Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, with an ability to represent Waterwise as an ambassador;
  • Sound, independent judgement, common sense and diplomacy;
  • High standards of personal integrity and probity;
  • Politically astute, with the ability to grasp relevant issues and understand relationships between interested parties and manage stakeholders effectively;
  • Resilience;
  • Sufficient time and commitment to fulfil the role.

What difference will you make?

This is an exceptional opportunity for the right person to play a part in making a positive contribution towards increased water conservation and positive action on climate change. Now is a fantastic time to join us, as we launch our Impact Plan to drive ambition and delivery!

The successful individual will be an exceptional leader with a proven track record of leadership or operating at senior level within an organisation, governance experience, and a commitment to our cause of water efficiency, for the benefit of people and the planet. Understanding the nature of a non-executive role, they will ensure that the values of Waterwise are embraced by both the Board and the executive team, whom they will hold to account through a process of inclusive leadership.

 

Before you apply

To apply for this role, you will need to answer role-related questions. We are using an anonymised platform to help to debias the recruitment process as far as possible. As well as a CV to support your application (which our platform will anonymise and redact of identifying information), you will provide evidence and examples from your work history or other aspects of your life to answer the questions and demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.

Your answers will be anonymised, randomised and reviewed by the selection panel. We will use these scores to shortlist for interviews.

Causes
  • Climate action
  • Environment
  • Organisation type: 
    Not for profit

    Waterwise is the leading UK authority on water efficiency - we are thought leaders and campaigners, challenging and supporting the water sector and beyond to aim high on water efficiency....