As part of ARMA’s continuing commitment to providing professional development opportunities to our members, we are seeking to appoint two new Board Members/ Directors to replace Linsey Dickson and John Rogers, who stand down this summer.
ARMA’s Board is made up of up to ten members of the Association, selected for their specific experience, knowledge and skills. Board member appointment is ratified by members, at the Annual General Meeting. Collectively, and as individual Non-Executive Directors, our Board members are responsible for the governance and performance of the Association, financial management, and compliance with relevant legislation and regulations. The Board is also responsible for setting the strategic direction for the Association, ensuring that member interest remains at the core.
While we are not necessarily seeking to appoint a Director with a specific portfolio, we would specifically welcome applicants with the following knowledge and experience:
- Communications & marketing
- Conference and major events
- Risk, legal & audit
- Financial management
- EDI and accessibility
All Directors have a responsibility to ensure that the Association is delivering an appropriate offer for its members. Specific responsibilities include:
- Strategy: Looking across all Portfolio areas to ensure appropriate delivery of ARMA’s strategic objectives.
- Performance: Scrutinising the performance of the Executive Office in meeting agreed goals and objectives, and monitoring the reporting of performance.
- Risk: Satisfying themselves on the integrity of financial information related to ARMA’s operations, and that financial controls and systems of risk management are robust and defensible.
- People: Working with the Executive Office to determine appropriate support and succession planning for the Association’s business.
In order to ensure that the Board is comprised of members at various career stages and therefore represents the broader membership, all levels of member are encouraged to apply, not just those in senior management positions.
Applicants should, however, preferably have a minimum of 3 years’ experience in a research administration/management role, a good awareness of ARMA and a good and current understanding of the policy and funding environment surrounding research.
Celebrating and promoting a culture of inclusivity, ARMA is committed to embedding equitable practice within our Board, Committees and Working Groups and ensuring our governance is fully representative of our membership.
It is recognised that applicants may not have prior experience as a Director or Trustee, and therefore appropriate training, mentoring and support will be provided. Some involvement in more general committee business and decision making, not necessarily associated with ARMA, is desirable.
Please note that the above criteria are indicative. If they don’t quite fit your career journey but you still know you have a lot to offer our membership, we’d still love to hear from you.
These posts are unpaid, although all relevant travel and accommodation expenses associated with the role will be reimbursed. The Board currently meets formally four times per year, with a shorter monthly catch-up meeting; these meetings are currently conducted via Teams. There is also an annual strategy planning meeting, which ideally meets face to face in the late summer/autumn, and traditionally runs over two days. Board members are consulted on a fairly regular basis, may be asked to look over and comment on documents, and may be invited to participate in meetings on ARMA’s behalf. Some Board members have portfolios or may be asked to lead specific initiatives. The overall time commitment per month is around 6-11 hours (3-5 hours for Board meeting attendance and preparation, 2-4 hours for consultations/document perusal, 1-2 hours for meetings on ARMA’s behalf), plus 3 days per year (including preparation) for annual Strategy Day. For those tasked with leading portfolios, the time requirement will vary, but this is likely to be in the order of 1-2 days per quarter.
To view the role description please click here.
If you are interested in applying for the role, please send Hamish Macandrew, Chief Operating Officer, a covering email and brief CV by 9am on Monday 26 April, summarising why you would like to become a Director and outlining the ideas, skills and experience you believe you can bring to the Board. We will then review the expressions of interest we have received, and call shortlisted candidates for an interview, which will be conducted via Teams.
For further information, please contact: Hamish Macandrew, Chief Operating Officer at hamish.macandrew@arma.ac.uk, Tel 0131 357 9855.
We are keen to advertise these roles as widely as possible. If you know someone, or are part of networks, who may be interested, we’d love for you to share this with them.