The charity is seeking to appoint at least three Trustees who will bring a strong and diverse blend of skills and backgrounds to the Board: 1) Financial acumen, commercial insight, and strategic vision to support its mission and long-term sustainability; 2) experience in scientific research or health policy and; 3) deep understanding of the not-for-profit environment, prior charity governance or leadership experience. All will require skills in fostering strategic partnerships and will play a vital role in strengthening oversight, accountability, and impact across the organisation’s work.
The specific requirements for the role are outlined below.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership: Contribute to the development and oversight of The Neurodegeneration Initiative’s strategic and business plans and ensure alignment with our charitable purpose.
- Provide strategic input and support to the Chair and the Board, ensuring that the NI achieves its mission, working with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team (ELT) to cement the vision, strategy and high-level policies for the Charity.
- Bring insight and innovative thinking around the establishment and future direction of the charity, drawing on relevant expertise to constructively challenge and strengthen strategic decision-making.
- Work in partnership with the board and ELT ensuring that everyone remains focused, aligned and accountable on delivery of the organisation’s charitable purpose to provide greater public benefit.
Governance: Contribute to the compliance with our charitable objectives and Charity Commission’s requirements.
- Attend the Board of Trustee meetings providing strong contributions to the effective running of the organisation, making decisions in the best, long-term interests of the Charity and taking collective ownership of these decisions.
- Ensure that the board fulfils its responsibilities for the governance of the organisation and compliance with company and charity best practises.
- Undertake regular reviews of the major risks to which the Charity is exposed and establish systems and processes to manage and mitigate those risks.
- Ensure that the Board fulfils its duties to maintain sound financial health of the Charity, with systems in place to ensure financial accountability.
- Prepare fully for the annual programme of Board and committee meetings, contributing with clear purpose and outcomes, informed by high-quality briefing papers.
Financial resilience, funding models and long-term business strategy: Provide input to the public/private partnership model to ensure financial sustainability.
- Work with the Chair to establish a mid to long term financial strategy to optimise the public/private potential of Government funding sources (Innovate UK and Office of Life Sciences) and match funding with the Life Sciences/Health Foundation sector.
- Ensure that appropriate financial control and performance measures are in place, to enable the Board to monitor financial health and long-term sustainability of the organisation.
Stakeholder Influence and Advocacy
- Act as an ambassador for The Neurodegeneration Initiative, championing its role as a key contributor to the Government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals Programme and the wider UK life sciences and brain health landscape.
- Promote the work of the Charity to their own network of contacts with the public and private sector.
- Ensure the Board and the Charity hear and respond to the perspectives of key stakeholders, especially people with lived experience and carers, embedding their voices into strategy, priorities and governance. Develop and sustain relationships with key national and international stakeholders including academic community, the Founding Partners, employees, volunteers, and other charities in related areas of work, strengthening the initiative’s credibility, impact and reach.
Risk Management
- Regularly assess and recommend ways to mitigate the risk associated with Charity status, including audit and regulatory requirements associated with the Charity Commission’s requirements.
- Contribute thinking on the nature of risks related to clinical research, healthcare policy, the delivery of complex health data programmes and patient involvement, trial participation and health information.