The role of the Chair

The Chair of Trustees has the same legal responsibilities as other Trustees, but has additional responsibilities assigned by the Board.

The Chair will hold the Board and Executive team to account for the Brightbox mission and vision, providing inclusive leadership to the Board of Trustees, ensuring each Trustee fulfils their duties and responsibilities. The Chair is responsible for ensuring Brightbox has high standards of governance.

The Chair will also support, and where appropriate, challenge the Chief Executive and guarantee the Board works together and closely with the entire executive team of Brightbox to achieve agreed objectives. The Chair is an ambassador and the public face of Brightbox in partnership with the Chief Executive.

 

Strategic leadership

Provide strategic leadership to the organisation so that Brightbox has the maximum impact for its community.

Make sure that the Board operates within its charitable objectives and provides a clear strategic direction for Brightbox.

Guarantee that Trustees fulfil their duties and responsibilities for the effective governance of the organisation. 

 

Governance

Ensure that the Board of Trustees is regularly refreshed and incorporates the right balance of skills, knowledge and experience needed to govern and lead Brightbox effectively and which also reflects the communities we work with.

Lead an annual appraisal of the Board of Trustees. Ensure there is a process for developing the knowledge and capability of the Board of Trustees and be actively involved in their development.

Encourage dynamic and positive change and where appropriate address and resolve any conflict within the Board.

 

External relations

Be an ambassador for Brightbox promoting its ideas and strategies and work closely with the Chief Executive to build strategic alliances and networks.

Acts as a spokesperson for the organisation when appropriate and represent Brightbox at external meetings and events.

Facilitate change and address any potential conflict with external stakeholders.

 

Board effectiveness

Chair regular Board meetings ensuring effective debate and collective decision-making by creating a safe space for everyone and paying attention to group dynamics

Encourage other board members to show up and share expertise based on passion, perspective and ability.

Facilitate and guide conversations to stimulate creativity, actively encourage daring ideas, bring worries to surface, and develop consensus.

Foster, maintain and safeguard constructive relationships with and between Trustees.

Collaborate with Chief Executive to give direction to Board activities and ensure that the meetings are well planned, meaningful and reflect the responsibilities of the Trustees.

Meet as appropriate with the Secretary and Chairs of the Board subcommittees.

Ensure decisions are taken in the best, long-term interests of Brightbox.

 

Relationship with the Chief Executive and wider management team

Lead the process of recruiting a new Chief Executive should a vacancy arise.

Establish and build a strong working relationship with the Chief Executive, ensuring that they are held to account for achieving agreed strategic objectives.

Support the Chief Executive whilst respecting the boundaries which exist between the two roles.

Ensure regular contact with the Chief Executive to maintain an overview of the organisation’s affairs, providing support as necessary.

Conduct annual appraisal and renumeration review for the Chief Executive in consultation with other Trustees.

Ensure that the Chief Executive has the opportunity for professional development and has the appropriate external professional support.

 

Terms of appointment

Trustees are appointed by an open recruitment process. Our Chair is appointed by the Brightbox Board of Trustees and is accountable to them. The Chair can be appointed either internally from the existing Board or recruited externally.

 

Term

Brightbox’s Chair will serve a three-year term to be eligible for re-appointment for one additional term. A third term may be agreed in exceptional circumstances up to a maximum total of nine years.

In addition to chairing the main Board meetings, the Chair ahs the right to attend the sub-committees.

 

Remuneration

The role of the Chair is unremunerated, although all reasonable expenses including travel may be claimed.

 

Time commitment

Trustees are asked to commit to 6 Board meetings a year (2.5 hours), and a full strategy awayday. The Chair would be expected to commit more time, estimated at around 3 days a month to cover extra duties such as meetings with the Chief Executive and Trustees and planning and preparing for the Board meetings.

 

Start date

The ideal start date will be 1 January 2022 and we would like to ensure there is a good handover period.

 

Location

Meetings will usually be held at Brightbox’s offices in Barnsley DMC or at other central locations in Barnsley or Sheffield. Meetings may occasional be held at other locations. Meetings during 2020 and 2021 were held virtually.

 

Who we’re looking for:

The Brightbox Board of Trustee’s best serves our team and community when a wide range of skills are represented. Any one of the following areas of experience or expertise are desired but not required:

  • Lived experience and an understanding of systemic racism in accessing careers for Black and Brown people
  • Lived experience and an understanding of barriers faced by women, marginalised genders and people from working class backgrounds when accessing careers
  • Finance and social investment for social enterprises
  • Evidence-based employability and skills training programmes for people not in education, employment or training
  • Service design
  • Quality management and continuous improvement
  • Social enterprise governance
  • Operations
  • Experience navigating Arts Council NPO requirements and processes
  • Experience working in the following industries: green retrofitting homes, digital technology, engineering, emerging technologies, libraries, or council employability, skills and culture

 

Interested? Here’s how to apply:

Optional information session to ask all your questions:

To apply, open the application here or scroll down to complete the application form. The deadline for applying is 1 December at 10 am.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend a board meeting on the 13th of December from 4 pm – 5.30 pm.

Interviews will be held on the 15th and 16th of December. If these times do not work for you, we’re flexible and can organise another time that suites.

We’ll follow up on all applications. A decision will be made by 17 December.

We offer feedback to all applicants after a recruitment decision has been made. With this recruitment ending right before a busy holiday period, feedback will be provided in January/February 2022.