£20000 per annum – 3 days/month
About the role
Introduction
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is seeking to appoint a Lead Non-Executive Board Member.
Role description
The Role of a Lead Non-Executive Board Member
The Lead Non-Executive Board Member will report directly to the Secretary of State for the largest operational government Department. He or she will support the Secretary of State and Board members in their leadership of the business, while monitoring the Board’s performance.
Role
- Constructively challenge and contribute to the development of strategy and business planning, including the setting and development of key objectives and targets.
- Work with the Permanent Secretary and his Executive Team to scrutinise the performance of the organisation in meeting agreed goals and objectives, monitor the reporting of performance, including financial targets
- Attend a minimum of four departmental Board meetings per year and contribute effectively to its subcommittees as required.
- Connect the Board to people and organisations who can provide different perspectives, opinions and expertise which will assist in furthering the business of the department.
- Lead on tasks, as requested by the Secretary of State, related to the management of the Board (including Board Effectiveness evaluations)
- Work with the Government Lead Non-Executive Director, Michael Jary, to learn from the experiences of other government departments, and other comparable organisations, and to feed back the views of the Prime Minister
- Lead the Department’s team of Non-Executive directors, ensuring that they are able to fulfil their role effectively.
- Undertake an annual assessment of the Permanent Secretary’s performance to inform the Permanent Secretary Remuneration Committee and the Cabinet Secretary.
- Seven Principles of Public Life set out by the Nolan Committee on Standards in Public Life.
Organisation description
Our Organisation
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions, and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department, it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability, and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers.
We are responsible for:
- understanding and dealing with the causes of poverty rather than its symptoms.
- encouraging people to work and making work pay.
- encouraging disabled people and those with ill health to work and be independent.
- providing a decent income for people of pension age and promoting saving for retirement.
- providing value for money and reducing levels of fraud and error.
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Our priorities are to:
- run an effective welfare system that enables people to achieve financial independence by providing assistance and guidance into employment
- increase saving for, and security in, later life
- create a fair and affordable welfare system which improves the life chances of children
- deliver outstanding services to our customers and claimants.
- deliver efficiently: transform the way we deliver our services to reduce costs and increase efficiency
Person specification
Essential criteria
The successful candidate will demonstrate a wide range of the following qualities or skills:
- Experience of taking high level ideas, turning them into deliverable products or programmes and of monitoring delivery programmes to successful outcomes.
- Ability to understand complex strategic issues quickly and analyse and resolve difficult problems.
Desirable criteria
- Previous Non-Executive Director experience on a public or private sector Board.
- An understanding of how government works, including the role of Departmental Boards, and of the role of Non-Executive Directors.