Founding Trustees - UK Cyber Security Council

Inclusive Boards are supporting the search and selection of the founding Trustees for the new UK Cyber Security Council (“the Council”); a Government initiative, funded through the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and being delivered by the Cyber Security Alliance under the leadership of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (“the Project”).

The Council is looking to appoint a Chair, a Treasurer and a Trustee to form the Council’s Board of Trustees. Collectively, the appointees will be instrumental in transitioning the Council from the Project to an operational and incorporated charitable entity and be responsible for the governance of the Council and all its activities. They will be committed to embedding good governance principles and practices to attract and effectively use resources, promote a strong risk culture and ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations. The founding board members will also be responsible for the recruitment and appointment of the Chief Executive and any other trustees as required.

This is an exciting and unique opportunity for talented and experienced Trustees to establish the Council as a recognised and credible body that sets the standards for the cyber security profession in the UK and globally.

About the Council

The Vision of the Council is to be the self-regulating body for the cyber security profession (“the Profession”) within the UK, setting the gold standard for expertise, excellence and professional conduct in cyber security professionals. Through its members, the Council will directly help those aspiring to enter into and progress through the Profession to build an open, inclusive, capable and sustainable home-grown pool of talent within the UK. It will set and manage the expectations of the Profession, to enable confidence in career choices, competence in abilities, value in the profession, and recognition globally. Where possible, and in furtherance of its purpose, the Council will also seek to raise the profile of the Profession in smaller and harder to reach communities as a realistic and exciting career choice.

The Council’s five Values to be objective, inclusive, progressive, credible and deliver excellence are fundamental to maintaining its reputation as a credible and competent standard-setter and leader of the Profession and practices. Collectively, they promote trust, add value and inspire confidence in the Council’s ability to operate in the interests of all Stakeholders, in the advancement of its purpose.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

The Council is committed to developing and maintaining a Board of Trustees that will represent its UK-wide mandate, demonstrating diversity with regard to gender identity, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability and geography. Through this commitment, the Council will ensure that its Board of Trustees has the necessary depth and breadth of both professional and personal experiences to provide the strategic leadership and scrutiny required for it to succeed. If there is anything else you are concerned about or think we could provide, please let us know.

Person Specification

Each Trustee will bring sound evidence of the following essential skills and values to the role:

Core Criteria per Role

• Excellent communication and influencing skills to promote the interests of the Council.
• Be a recognised leader in their field.
• A collaborative approach and openness to other views and feedback on own contribution.
• Experience/knowledge of charity governance
• An ability to think diversely, produce innovative ideas and challenge existing thinking and perspective.
• Commitment to the Council’s mission and values.
• Commitment to delivering public good.
• Commitment to bringing high standards of ethics and transparency to the Council‘s governance.
• Commitment to inclusion and diversity.

Please state which role you are applying for on your application

Chair

• Previous experience as a Chair for a medium or large organisation.
• Previous experience of the charity sector/understanding and knowledge of the role of a charity Board of Trustees.
• A track record of implementing change successfully.
• Able to operate and think at a strategic level, bring insight and a fresh perspective to progress the development of an organisational strategy.
• Proven financial and Commercial experience
• Excellent stakeholder engagement.
• An effective networker and spokesperson.

Treasurer

• An experienced chartered accountant.
• Experience or knowledge of charity account reporting requirements.
• Demonstrable experience in aligning strategic objectives and driving organisational growth through effective financial management.
• Experience in financial monitoring and reporting.
• Experience in reviewing and developing accounting and financial reporting practices and systems, tailored to the needs of a charity.

Trustee

• Experience of common challenges and a senior professional in cyber security, if possible in a leadership capacity.
• Commercial acumen who can bring commercial expertise and understanding to the Board of Trustees.

Term

The Council’s first Trustees will serve an initial term from appointment up to the date of the first AGM which will be held no later than 18 months post-registration of the Council. All Trustees will be eligible for re-appointment at this point and for up to a maximum of three additional terms.

How to apply

If you wish to apply for this position, please supply the following:

• A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements.
• A covering letter (maximum two sides) highlighting your suitability for the role that you are interested in 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.

Please state which role you are applying for on your application

To apply or to have an informal conversation about the roles, please get in touch to speak to Elizabeth Oni-Iyiola or Ros Hollinghurst. The closing date for applications is Monday 3rd August 2020 at 23:59

[email protected] / 0207 267 8369