Chair role description 

Role Summary

  • The Chair will hold the Board and Executive Team to account for the Charity’s mission and vision, providing inclusive leadership to the Board of Trustees and facilitating the constructive involvement of all involved. 

  • Report financial health to the board of trustees at regular intervals.

  • Ensure that each trustee fulfils their duties and responsibilities for the effective governance of the charity 

  • Serve as the public face and ambassador for the charity in relation to its formal UK obligations and commitments.

Main responsibilities of the Chair

In relation to facilitation

  • Provide leadership to the charity and its Board, ensuring that the Charity has maximum impact for its beneficiaries 

  • Ensure that Trustees fulfil their duties and responsibilities for the effective governance of the Charity, including the coordination of an AGM

  • Ensure that the Board operates within its charitable objectives, and provides a clear strategic direction for the Charity in line with contributions and report suggestions from the Operations Team

  • Ensure that the Board fulfils its duties to ensure sound financial health of the charity, with systems in place to ensure financial accountability

In relation to governance

  • Develop the knowledge and capability of the Board of Trustees 

  • Encourage positive change where appropriate

  • Address and resolve any conflicts within the Board 

  • Ensure that the Board of Trustees is regularly refreshed and incorporates the right balance of skills, knowledge and experience needed to govern and lead the charity effectively, and which also reflects the wider population of communities we work with

  • Sign off on grant decisions made by the whole team of trustees

In relation to the wider team and charity effectiveness

  • Chair meetings of the Board of Trustees effectively and efficiently, bringing impartiality and objectivity to the decision-making process

  • Foster, maintain and ensure that constructive relationships exist with and between the Trustees

  • Monitor that decisions taken at meetings are implemented.

  • Establish and build a strong, effective and a constructive working relationship with the Executive Team, ensuring they are held to account for achieving agreed strategic objectives

  • Review reporting from the Executive team

person specification

Essential

  • A firm commitment to the values and aims of MASS Action, including the breaking down of hierarchies

  • Experience of chairing meetings and events

  • Good understanding of charity governance issues and charity law

Desirable

  • Experience of operating at a senior leadership level within an organisation

  • Experience of charity governance and working with or as part of a Board of Trustees

  • Experience of external representation, delivering presentations and managing stakeholders

  • Knowledge and understanding of international migration and current issues affecting it

  • Strong facilitation skills, the ability to motivate staff and volunteers and bring people together, facilitating decision making and solutions seeking from all members

  • A non-hierarchical approach to problem solving and management.

  • Financial management expertise and a broad understanding of charity finance issues

 Time commitment

  • The Board meets at least 2 times a year and the Chair is expected to be available for both meetings

  • You will need to be able manage and run the board of trustees; we anticipate a minimum of around four hours a week. 

  • You will be able to complete the above tasks consistently for the minimum period of two years

Expenses

  • The charity will cover expenses related to the carrying out of this role e.g. travel to and from meetings, costs of printing and posting documents and other reasonable costs

If you are interested in this role we would like you to send us an expression of interest to the following email: mohua@massaction.charity

Please include as one attachment:

  • Your name and contact details (email, mobile number and address, ideally).

  • A maximum of 1,000 words detailing what you think you can bring to MASS Action through one of these roles, what you think you will learn through the experience and why you are interested in working with MASS Action.

  • A summary of your experience that you think is relevant.