Non Executive Directorships

NEDs for the Vehicle Certification Agency

Location: South West

Date Posted: 13/04/2023

Closing Date: 03/05/2023

£10750 per annum – 25 days/annum

The VCA plays a vital role in supporting the UK automotive industry to manufacture products that meet the highest international standards of safety and environmental sustainability. In doing this, it enables British manufacturing to compete on a global stage. The VCA has an international reputation for excellence, providing technical services in offices across the world.

With rapid progress in the development of new technologies, we expect to see more changes to transportation in the next 10 years than in the previous 100. It is anticipated that the way in which people travel will change significantly, meaning that the automotive industry will evolve substantially in the coming years. The VCA will play a vital role in this revolution, ensuring the appropriate oversight and testing is in place to support change.

The VCA is committed to building and maintaining a highly skilled, flexible workforce that will enable them to remain one of the most respected certification agencies in the world, at a time of great change in the sector. In the role of Non-Executive Director, you would have the opportunity to help guide the organisation through this changing landscape.

If you are excited and challenged by the opportunity to contribute to the VCA’s work, I encourage you to apply.

The Rt Hon Mark Harper MP

Secretary of State for Transport

Introduction from the Chair

Thank you for considering an application to join the Board at the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA). I have had the pleasure of being a Non-Executive Director and latterly Non-Executive Chair at the VCA for a number of years. During that time, it’s been hugely rewarding to help the CEO and Executive Team to develop the agency and respond so positively to the exciting opportunities and the challenges we face.

The Agency performs a critical function, and it has taken great strides to ensure that it remains at the forefront of thinking on developing automotive technologies and has used that experience to play an important role in informing the vision for the future in transportation.

I have been working with CEO, Pia Wilkes, my fellow Non-Executive Directors, and the senior management team on the Agency strategy to 2025; the level of ambition that it conveys is outstanding. The steps that the Agency will take over the life of the strategy will ensure that it remains on top of its game as a progressive and forward-thinking approval authority and certification body that is respected globally.

We also have an ongoing Business Transformation programme in place, which will enable us to realise efficiencies and provide an even better experience to both staff and customers. The organisation has done a lot to build on the way it responds to change, and I have no doubt that this will help to drive the necessary projects forward to great effect.

Once you have had an opportunity to consider the candidate pack, I hope you will agree that this role presents an exciting chance to support an organisation at a really interesting and transformational time in its development and a pivotal point in the evolution of vehicles generally. I look forward greatly to working with the successful applicant.

Clive Scrivener

Non-Executive Chair

Additional introductions

Thank you for your interest in joining us at the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) as a Non-Executive Director. This is a great opportunity to join an organisation that makes a real difference to peoples’ lives. As an agency for the Department for Transport, our core activity is witnessing tests and issuing certification to new vehicles, systems and components. This work is vital in ensuring that the right standards are met, both at the time of manufacture and on into the future.

This is a particularly exciting time for us as we implement our strategy to 2025. The plan outlines an ambitious agenda for the period which broadly sits under four critical themes, ‘Technology’, ‘People’, ‘Transformation’ and ‘Infrastructure/Digital’. Technology is advancing at its fastest rate in a generation, particularly in areas such as alternative powertrains, vehicle connectivity and autonomy. Our agency is at the forefront of this change, not only assessing the impact on current standards but working to understand how things will operate in the future.

From a people perspective, we are building on our existing employer offering to ensure that we can attract the right talent to help us meet the challenge and opportunities associated with an ever-changing technology landscape. And of course, attracting new staff is just part of the story. We need to continue to ensure that we provide an environment where new and existing staff can develop and thrive so that we have the right skills at the right time. Great services are based on solid foundations, so we are investing in our IT infrastructure and tools to ensure that we continue to operate as efficiently as possible, leveraging evolving technologies to support this aim.

Since joining the VCA as Chief Executive in 2016, I have been immensely proud to lead an incredible and truly diverse team in the UK and overseas. I have been struck by the talent and dedication of my colleagues – a workforce drawn from all kinds of backgrounds and cultures.

At the VCA, we encourage forward-thinking, collaborative working and the development of our leaders. If you share our passion and values for a great public service that are excited by the evolving technology agenda, then I would encourage you to consider applying. This is both an outstanding opportunity and your chance to make a far-reaching contribution at a forward-thinking government agency.

Pia Wilkes CBE

Chief Executive Officer

Role description

The VCA is seeking two Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) to join its Board.

The successful candidates, through their membership of the Board, will provide insight and support to a wide variety of management and operational matters. They will play a vital role in the effective strategic and operational leadership of the VCA. The NEDs provide guidance, experience, opinion and governance scrutiny, and support the Chief Executive Officer to deliver VCA’s business plan.

The successful candidates will be expected to:

prepare for and make an effective contribution to the VCA Board and executive/ NED meetings support Management Board conferences
be able to dedicate time to specific projects within VCA (such as organisational development, future skills requirements, responding to emerging technology) to provide valuable input and advice to an executive team
maintain appropriate links to the DfT as part of effectively discharging the duties and responsibilities of a NED
work proactively with the Board and objectively with Government to:
- provide sound advice to the Chair and Chief Executive
- provide strong and constructive challenge to the executive team to ensure that policy delivery follows strategic direction
- collectively ensure that decisions made by the Board follow proper procedures and are supported by sufficient high-quality information
- support the executive team in discharging their leadership responsibilities to the VCA
- ensure high standards of corporate governance and financial management and control are observed at all times
- work closely with, and hold to account, the executive team for delivery of the Agency’s Business Plan and budget

The successful candidates will possess a good appreciation of the role of a Non-Executive Director, and they will understand and be committed to the pivotal role that the Board plays in the effective and efficient delivery of VCA services. They will clearly demonstrate independence of judgement and an ability to communicate with impact to provide constructive support and challenge.

Organisation description

The Department for Transport (DfT) delivers the Government’s transport strategy. Operational delivery of services is provided by a number of arms’ length bodies, ranging from Network Rail to individual trust ports. Services for drivers and vehicle owners are provided by the Department’s Executive Agencies, of which the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) is one.

The VCA is the designated UK Vehicle Type Approval authority and, with approaching 40 years’ experience, supports industry by providing internationally recognised testing and certification for vehicles, their systems and components. This regime, known as type approval, is aimed at ensuring that products meet the appropriate environmental and safety standards.

In addition, the VCA is the designated authority for the certification of packaging and containers used in the transportation of dangerous goods.

The VCA is fairly unique in public sector terms. It effectively operates in an environment where industry has a choice in terms of the approval authorities and technical services. The VCA has a reputation for applying the highest standards and works with a wide range of organisations from global brands to the smallest niche vehicle builders.

Additionally, given that the automotive industry is a truly global affair, the VCA doesn’t just deliver services in the UK, it also has operations in strategic locations overseas such as the US, Brazil, Japan, China, India, Australia and South Korea.

VCA’s headquarters are located in Bristol, with a further office and test facility on the Horiba MIRA site (Nuneaton). VCA also has a presence at UTAC Millbrook Proving Ground near Milton Keynes, and the Dangerous Goods team is based in Leatherhead, Surrey.

The current VCA Business Plan can be found here.

Board composition

The current VCA Board consists of:

CEO, Pia Wilkes
Non-Executive Chair, Clive Scrivener
Non-Executive, Sarah Philbrick
Non-Executive, Gary Dixon
Chief Corporate Affairs and Strategy Officer
Chief Finance and Resources Officer
Chief Operations Officer
Chief Technical and Statutory Operations Officer

You would be joining the VCA at a critical and exciting time, with the opportunity to help shape the future of the agency and ensure its continued success. This will mean supporting the executive team in developing the organisation to be equipped for a future where technological transformation will significantly influence mobility.

With the emergence of new technologies, the UK Automotive sector is rapidly shifting, bringing with it opportunities and challenges for the VCA. In the role of Non-Executive Director, you would be in a position to support the VCA to navigate this changing landscape and gain an insight into the future of motoring.

As a Non-Executive Director, you will be supporting and challenging the executive team to optimise the performance and efficiency of the agency. You will be part of a network of NEDs across DfT and its agencies, sharing experience and best practice.

Person specification

Essential criteria

We welcome applications that demonstrate the descriptors and skills below. There is no requirement for candidates to have an engineering background or experience within the Automotive Sector.

Experience at board level as a NED or Executive
Exposure to internal control development and monitoring
Experience of small or medium sized business/public departments/agencies
Demonstrable experience of leading strategic change processes
Strong inter-personal skills and the ability to communicate effectively, and constructively at all levels

Desirable criteria

Automotive industry exposure
Regulatory environment exposure
Team leadership skills
Board membership of a public body

All candidates will be required to demonstrate in your written applications and at interview how in previous activity you meet the requirements of the post. This is the criteria that will be used to assess whether candidates have the required qualities, skills and experience. You do not need to demonstrate every skill and quality on the list.

Apply here

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