Magpie Dance: Chair of the Board of Trustees

Strategic Leadership:

• Provide leadership to the charity and its Board, ensuring that the charity delivers its public benefit role;
• Ensure that Trustees fulfil their duties and responsibilities for the effective governance of the charity;
• Ensure that the Board operates within its charitable objectives, and provides a clear strategic direction for the charity;
• Ensure that the Board is able to regularly review major risks and associated opportunities, and satisfy itself that systems are in place to take advantage of opportunities, and manage and mitigate the risks;
• Ensure that the Board fulfils its duties to ensure sound financial health of the charity, with systems in place to ensure financial accountability.

Governance:

• Ensuring that the governance arrangements are working in the most effective way for the charity;
• Developing the knowledge and capability of the Board;
• Encouraging positive change where appropriate and addressing and resolving any conflicts within the Board;
• Appraising the performance of the Trustees and the Board on an annual basis;
• Ensuring that the Board of Trustees is regularly refreshed and incorporates the right balance of skills, knowledge and experience needed to govern and lead the charity effectively, and which also reflects the wider population;
• Operating within any agreed policies adopted by the charity.

External Relations:

• Acting as an ambassador for the cause and the charity;
• Maintaining close relationships with key stakeholders;
• Acting as a spokesperson for the organisation when appropriate;
• Representing the charity at external functions, meetings and events.

Efficiency and effectiveness:

• Chairing meetings of the Board of Trustees effectively and efficiently, bringing impartiality and objectivity to the decision-making process;
• Ensuring that Trustees are fully engaged and that decisions are taken in the best, long-term interests of the charity and that the board takes collective ownership;
• Fostering and ensuring that constructive relationships exist with and between the Trustees;
• Collaborate closely with the Co-CEO’s to give direction to board policy-making and ensuring that meetings are relevant and well planned;
• Monitoring the implementation of decisions taken at meetings.

Relationship with the management team:

• Establishing and building strong, effective and constructive working relationships with the Co-CEO’s and holding them to account for achieving agreed strategic objectives;
• Supporting the Co-CEO’s, whilst respecting the boundaries which exist between the Board and the team;
• Ensuring regular contact with the Co-CEO’s and developing an open and supportive relationship so that concerns, worries and challenges can be effectively aired;
• Liaising with the Co-CEO’s to maintain an overview of the charity’s affairs;
• Conducting annual appraisals and remuneration review in consultation with other Trustees;
• Ensuring that the Co-CEO’s have the opportunity for professional development and have appropriate external professional support.

What skills do I need?

Personal Qualities:

• Demonstrate a strong and visible passion and commitment to the charity, its strategic objectives and cause;
• Exhibit strong inter-personal and relationship building abilities;
• Ability to foster and promote a collaborative team environment;
• Ability to commit time to conduct the role well, including travel and attending events out of office hours.
• Commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership.

Experience:

• Experience of operating at a senior strategic leadership level;
• Successful track record of achievement through their career;
• Experience of charity governance and working with or as part of a Board of Trustees;
• Experience of external representation, delivering presentations and managing stakeholders;
• Significant experience of chairing meetings and events.

Knowledge and skills:

• Strong leadership skills, ability to motivate staff and volunteers and bring people together;
• Financial literacy and a broad understanding of charity finance challenges;
• Good understanding of charity governance, understanding the legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of Trustees Consultative yet decisive approach to decision making, utilising the skills and knowledge of the existing board members, Artistic and Executive Directors and staff teams.