About the Role
We are seeking two external members of the House of Lords Management Board, one to start in May/ June 2025 and another to start in September/ October 2025.
Appointment are for a three year term with the possibility of renewal for a further term of up to three years.
House of Lords Management Board
The Lords Management Board makes decisions about the management and delivery of services in the House of Lords within the strategy agreed by the House of Lords Commission. The Management Board supports and advises the House of Lords Commission. Together they provide the corporate leadership for the House of Lords. The Management Board:
- Prepares the strategic plan, business plans, financial plans, annual estimates and annual reports for approval by the Commission.
- Manages the resources agreed by the Commission.
- Supports the Clerk of the Parliaments in the discharge of their functions as Accounting Officer and the employer of House of Lords staff.
- Assesses and manages risk—board members have responsibility for managing and responding to each corporate risk—maintaining a system of effective controls.
- Monitors and assesses performance.
- Monitor the planning and direction of the Restoration & Renewal programme (which also had its own governance)
The Management Board is responsible for managing change in the House of Lords to deliver, drive and protect value for money and improve performance so that the House operates and delivers excellent services efficiently and effectively.
Responsibilities of the External Member of the Lords Management Board
As an External Member of the Lords Management Board, you will play a crucial role in the corporate governance of the House of Lords by working with key decision-making bodies and supporting preparation of the strategic, business and financial plans. In this position you will be able to offer creative contributions to the Board by providing independent oversight and constructive challenge to the members of the Board. External Members bring an important external perspective to Lords Management Board meetings, and occasionally contribute to other Board-level activities.
You will need to:
- Consider and act in the best interests of the House of Lords and in support of its objectives, delivering the outcomes expected by the Board.
- Actively participate in the decision-making process and contribute to shaping policies and strategies, based on your extensive experience in a similarly complex organisation.
- Consider the integrity of budget setting to deliver objectives, and supporting the Board to ensure value for money in the use of public funds.
- Ensure that the financial controls and systems of risk management are robust and defensible.
- Ensure that the Board establishes clear objectives and delivers agreed plans, with regular review of performance against these objectives.
- Participate in and promote regular reviews to underpin the delivery of excellent services to the House of Lords, as well as the board’s own effectiveness, with particular focus on the organisation’s purposes and its efficiency in meeting these purposes.
- Support Board members by seeking to promote and instill the House of Lords values and behaviours throughout the decisions that are made.
- Ensure that the development and wellbeing of the people working within the House of Lords is recognised as a priority within all operational and strategic activities.
- Provide guidance on change management, transformation, project management and service delivery.