Job title: UKHO Non-Executive Director.
Salary: £18,000 per annum. We expect the successful candidate to spend typically two to three days per month (approx. 30 days per year) on Board and sub-committee business.
Location: Taunton.
Size and composition of the UKHO Board
As one of six non-executive directors, including the Chair, on the UKHO Board alongside three executive members, you’ll contribute to overseeing business performance, managing risk, ensuring governance, and shaping strategic direction. Your appointment complements the diverse skills of fellow board members.
With the navigation market evolving due to international regulatory changes, the global maritime economy expanding, and competition in data provision intensifying, the UKHO is undergoing a major service transformation programme which fundamentally impacts how the organisation operates. This transformation will enable it to become a digital-first business offering value-added navigational and maritime services.
Your expertise in and leadership of effective service delivery are crucial for achieving this objective. You’ll provide insight into technological, commercial, content, and product aspects of the business, guiding both strategic and operational decisions.
Your role involves advising the UKHO Chief Technology Officer and their team on strategic technology and data choices. Additionally, while focusing on data and technology advancements within the UKHO, you’ll contribute to shaping plans and strategies to sustain and enhance the organisation’s market position.
About the Role
The role necessitates strategic thinking and board-level experience in a data-driven environment aimed at delivering commercial and customer value through digital services. Reporting directly to the Chair of the UKHO Board, who reports to the relevant Minister in the Ministry of Defence, you’ll play a pivotal role in collective decision-making on crucial business matters.
Fundamental tasks encompass attending board and sub-committee meetings, advising on corporate strategy, and contributing to senior staff selection.
Essential qualifications include effective service delivery, customer-centricity, expertise in data and technology, operational experience, and proficiency in digital strategy.
Fundamental tasks:
- Attending UKHO Board meetings (currently 6 meetings/year).
- Attending meetings of UKHO Board sub-committees or subsidiary boards, as appropriate (currently approximately 8 sub-committee meetings/year).
- Attending other meetings, as required, for example to advise on corporate strategy and investment business cases or to assist in senior staff selection.
Key words:
- Customer and service-orientated.
- Effective service delivery.
- Data, technology, information.
- Operational experience.
- Digital strategy experience.
The appointment is not pensionable. UKHO covers reasonable travel & subsistence expenses associated with the role.
The appointment will be for a period of approximately three years. There may be a possibility of re-appointment, subject to a satisfactory annual appraisal of performance assessed by the Chair of the UKHO Board and approval by the MOD Chief Operating Officer.
Further Information About the Board
The role of the UKHO Board is to:
- Challenge and support the executive committee.
- Scrutinise the executive committee’s proposals and performance using best governance and risk assessment practice.
- Endorse business investment proposals.
- Provide strategic leadership and oversight for UKHO in delivering its objectives, including endorsement of the UKHO Corporate Plan and Annual Business Plan prior to submission to the responsible minister.
The UKHO Board Members
- Independent Non-Executive Chair.
- Three independent NEDs.
- MOD Senior Civil Servant who is the “Sponsor NED”, directly representing the Defence shareholder.
- Defence Customer NED who is a serving Captain of the Royal Navy.
- Chief Executive.
- National Hydrographer who is a serving Rear Admiral.
- Director of Finance and Corporate Services.
Other UKHO senior executives on the Executive Leadership Team (Chief Customer Officer, Chief Data Officer, Chief People Officer and Chief Technology Officer) also attend board meetings, as well as a Trade Union representative.
You will be expected to attend all board meetings, as well as being able to offer reasonable preparation time. Board meetings will be held mainly in Taunton as well as virtually. You will also be expected to dedicate time to understanding and working with specific aspects of the business and devote time to committee membership. The Board is supported by both an Audit and Risk Assurance Committee and a Remuneration and Nominations Committee.
Confidentiality
You will be subject to the provisions of the Official Secrets Act and required to exercise care in the use of official information acquired in the course of official duties, and not to disclose information which is held in confidence.
Equality & Diversity
The Ministry of Defence values and welcomes diversity. The appointment will be governed by the Principle of Public Appointment based on merit with independent assessment and transparency of process. Successful candidate(s) will need to demonstrate that they meet the criteria for this appointment.
We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and experience across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies/Advisory Committees are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve and this is an important part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.
We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.
Principals of Public Life
This appointment is made in accordance with 2016 Governance Code for Public Appointments. The successful candidate must abide by the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members
Data Protection
The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with their privacy policy.
The Ministry of Defence Public Appointments Supplementary Privacy Notice can be found at GOV.UK.
Green Parks data protection policy can be found here.