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Appointment details

Office of the Secretary of State for Wales (Wales Office) - Lead Non-Executive Director

Summary

• Organisation: Wales Office
• Sponsor department: Wales Office
• Location: London
• Sectors: Business and Trade
• Skills: Accountancy, Audit and Risk, Business, Change Management
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 15 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £12500 per annum
• Length of term: Two years
• Application deadline: 11:59pm on 29 October 2023

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   9 October 2023

2. Application deadline

   11:59pm on 29 October 2023

3. Sifting date

   2 November 2023

4. Interviews expected to end on

   10 November 2023

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales supports the Secretary of State and his Ministerial team in promoting the best interests of Wales within a strong United Kingdom. It ensures Welsh interests are represented at the heart of the UK Government and the UK Government’s responsibilities are represented in Wales. 

The Office is looking to appoint a lead Non-Executive Director  (NED) to chair its Audit and Risk Assurance Committee and Outcome Delivery Board and serve on its Departmental Board.

The term of appointment will be for an initial period of up to two years, which may be extended in further defined periods by agreement. The maximum total term of appointment is five years.

The location of the role is London and Cardiff (with potential travel to either locations).

The successful candidate will be expected to take up the position on 2 January 2024

Appointment description

The role of the Non-Executive Director is to play a key part in the effective and successful governance of the Department.  The main responsibilities being to: 

• Ensure the Departmental Board and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee define the vision, values, culture and strategy of the organisation and set a high standard for ethics and responsible conduct of public business.
• Ensure the Departmental Board and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee maintain appropriate governance and internal controls, including ensuring sound financial, risk and performance management regimes are in place and the Department has the capacity to deliver.
• Actively challenge the Board on key issues including the Business Plan and Strategic Risks.
• Contribute to and attend meetings of other non-Executive members across central government.
• Ensure the Department’s Senior Management Team is subjected to constructive challenge in respect of the performance of the organisation.
• Provide counsel, advice and support to the executive team, acting as a sounding board and “critical friend” where necessary; and
• Monitor the delivery of the department's Outcome Delivery Plan though effective leadership of the Outcome Delivery Board.

Organisation description

Departmental Board

The Departmental Board was established in September 2015 and meets up to five times in a financial year. The Board is chaired by the Secretary of State or the Director at meetings where Ministers are not present.

The Board is responsible for providing advice about the Office’s strategic direction (aims and objectives) in accordance with policies decided by Ministers, scrutinising the business and outcome delivery plan and ensuring that the Office has the capacity and capability to deliver the business plan, to meet current and future needs.

The Board supports the Secretary of State in delivering his responsibilities to Parliament.

Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC)

The Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC) is chaired by the Lead Non-Executive Director and comprises one other NED and another independent member. The Committee operates in accordance with the Treasury’s Audit Committee Handbook and meets quarterly.

Outcome Delivery Board (ODB)

The Outcome Delivery Board (ODB) oversees the delivery of the Department’s Outcome Delivery Plan (ODP) and is chaired by the Lead Non-Executive Director. The ODB was established in July 2021 and reports to the Departmental Board on strategic issues and overall progress of the delivery of the Plan.

Board composition

Members:

• Secretary of State, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
• Lead Non-Executive Director
• Non-Executive Director
• Director
• Deputy Director – Union and Corporate Services
• Deputy Director – Policy (job-share)
• Deputy Director – Communications,
• Deputy Director -  Principal Private Secretary,
• Attendees:  Head of Finance and Corporate Services, Head of Human Resources and Head of Legal.

Person specification

Essential criteria

To be considered for the role, you must be able to demonstrate that you have the following qualities, skills and experience to meet all the essential criteria for appointment. These are:

• Experience of risk, performance and financial management with strong analytical skills with the ability to identify key issues/implications.
• A knowledge and understanding of Wales and the role of the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, including the key challenges and opportunities for the Department over the next two years
• Experience of working as a Non-Executive Board Member on the board of a Government Department/Agency or Arm’s Length Body.
• Sound judgement and an ability to work as an individual and as part of a team, with a constructive style and effective communication skills.

Desirable criteria

Desirable Criteria

• A detailed knowledge of corporate governance procedures in the public sector.

Application and selection process

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to provide:

1. A  Curriculum Vitae which provides your contact details, details of your education and qualifications, employment history, directorships, membership of professional bodies and details of any relevant publications or awards;

2. A supporting statement no longer that two A4 pages setting out how you meet the criteria for appointment, as set out in the person specification for the role;

3. Information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues;

4. Diversity monitoring information. This allows us to see if there are any unfair barriers to becoming a public appointee and whether there are any changes that we could make to encourage a more diverse field to apply. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be used as part of the selection process and will not be seen by the interview panel;

5. Disability Confident – please state if you want to be considered for the disability confident scheme;

6. Reasonable adjustments - requests for reasonable adjustments that you would like to the application process (if applicable);

Please provide the information at points 3-6 above on the relevant form, or as part of your supporting statement.

Please submit your application to Wales.HR@ukgovwales.gov.uk

For more details on the role, and to request a candidate information pack, please contact Wales.HR@ukgovwales.gov.uk

The Advisory Assessment Panel reserves the right to only consider applications that contain all of the elements listed above, and that arrive before the published deadline for applications.

Overview of the application process

This appointment is made on merit following a fair and open competition process.. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications.

The assessment process

1. Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.

2. An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.

3. At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme and you meet all the essential criteria, then you will also be invited for an interview.

4. Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.

5. The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.

6. Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.

7. Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.

8. Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Further information about appointments, including tips on applying, can be found on our guidance pages on gov.uk.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

• Panel Chair: Glynne Jones CBE
• Departmental Official (Department Panel Member): Glynne Jones CBE
• Independent Panel Members: Michael Jary and Fiona Ross

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact Wales.HR@ukgovwales.gov.uk

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to have or be willing to obtain security clearance to Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) level.  It usually takes up to 12 weeks to obtain the security clearance.  Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies 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.

When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. 

As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘minimum criteria,’ we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
• making adaptations to interview locations;
• allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
• giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
• allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
• making provision for support animals to attend.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process in your supporting statement.

Principles of public life

Holders of public office are expected to adhere to and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life. These are:

1. Selflessness - Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
2. Integrity - Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
3. Objectivity - Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
4. Accountability - Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
5. Openness - Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
6. Honesty - Holders of public office should be truthful.
7. Leadership - Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or serve in any one post for more than ten years

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

Please contact the public appointments team via Wales.HR@ukgovwales.gov.uk . They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales privacy notice is detailed at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b447591ed915d39d8913ee6/Privacy_Notice_EN.PDF

Contact details

Data Protection Officer

Office of the Secretary of State for Wales 

Gwydyr House

Whitehall 

London 

SW1A 2N

Email: correspondence@ukgovwales.gov.uk