Co-opted Member of Finance and Audit Committee

Overview

We are an independent charity, and one of the largest health-focused endowments in the UK. Our mission is to build the foundations of a society thathelps everyone stay healthier for longer.

We back people and ideas to drive more equitable health, aiming to ensure everyone has what they need to have the best possible health. Historically associated with Guy’s and St. Thomas’ hospitals, and still working in close partnership with Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, today we work innovatively and collaboratively with all parts of society, from communities and grassroots organisations to medical organisations, universities, charities, government and private companies.

We are place-focused: the inner city London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark are where most of our work takes place, and we aim to improve the health of our place and to have local, national and global influence through sharing our experience of what works. We fundraise for the NHS Trust through our partners KCL, and cover the costs of fundraising from the endowment so that all donations go to the work of the Trust.

The opportunity

We are seeking a co-opted member with audit and/or accounting experience for our Finance and Audit Committee.

For the last five years we have been expanding the scale and ambition of our work, launching four major programmes, on Child Obesity, Multiple Long-Term Conditions, Health Effects of Air Pollution and Adolescent Mental Health.

In 2020 we launched a new brand for this programmatic work, Impact on Urban Health, focused on improving health in inner-city areas by understanding and changing how inequalities impact our health. We have since launched three distinct fundraising brands to support our work with the NHS Trust, aiming to take our existing 10m GBP fundraising operation to the next level.

At the same time, we are increasingly moving our endowment towards impact investment and sustainable investment. Next year we enter a new five-year strategy cycle which will see us scale further.

The Finance and Audit Committee will play a significant governance and scrutiny role in ensuring that our increased scale and scope are achieving the results we intend, and is therefore seeking to augment its skillset by adding a co-opted member with extensive experience working in audit and/or accountancy at a senior level.

For the co-opted member, this is an opportunity to:

• Have impact on the health of inner-city London, especially for those with the greatest need
• Gain or bring experience of trustee-level financial management in the charitable and health sectors, with exposure to fundraising, property and grant making
• Connect with a diverse, friendly and influential group of Trustees and wider London networks

Person specification

The Finance and Audit Committee will play a significant role in ensuring that our increased scale and scope are achieving the results we intend, and is therefore seeking to augment its skillset by adding a co-opted member with extensive experience working in audit and/or accountancy at a senior level.

The ideal candidate will have expertise/experience in addition to the following criteria:

• A passion for our mission and values.
• Knowledge of and commitment to ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Willing and able to work as part of the governance team and in collaboration with the senior leadership team.
• Excellent communication skills.
• An ability to be objective, independent and impartial.
• A suitable professional or management qualification (in accountancy, internal audit, risk management, the law or other relevant discipline).
• An understanding of the complexity of issues surrounding audit, finance and risk management
• Understanding and awareness of risk management in a governance context.
• Experience of participation in Committee or Board meetings

How to apply

The recruitment process is being undertaken by Inclusive Boards. If you wish to apply for this position, please supply the following by 23:59 on the 29th May 2022:

• A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements.
• A covering letter (maximum 2 sides) highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the person specification. Please note that the covering letter is an important part of your application and will be assessed as part of your full application.
• Please provide details of two professional referees together with a brief statement of their relationship to you and over what period of time they have known you.
• Referees will not be contacted without your prior consent.
• Diversity monitoring form – your data will be stored separately from your application and will at no time be connected to you or your application.