We are looking for a board-level operator with a proven track record of operating in a senior leadership role in a complex organisation in a financial, accounting or auditing role, with experience of managing risk and improving assurance during organisational transformation. You will have experience of working in a regulated or regulatory environment, understanding risk-based approaches to achieving compliance. In addition, you will bring demonstrable understanding of governance and corporate best practice, and the ability to challenge and advise on financial, pay and pensions issues. Experience of client-focused service delivery and of improving organisational capability through digital technology are desirable, as is an understanding of audit within the public sector.
Message from the Speaker
Thank you for your interest in the role of Board Member (Statutory Auditor) of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.
IPSA was created by the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009, as the world’s first fully independent regulator of MPs’ financial remuneration. Today, it regulates and administers the business costs and determines the pay of the 650 elected MPs in the UK, and administers the payroll of their 3,500 staff.
It has three principal aims: to assure the public that MPs’ use of taxpayers’ money is well regulated; to resource and support MPs appropriately to carry out their parliamentary functions; and to enable IPSA’s staff to be a high-performing, professional team.
IPSA has embarked on a programme of change, focusing on providing a higher-quality, more responsive service and a simpler regulatory framework which helps MPs and their staff do their work, while commanding the confidence of the public. Getting this right is crucial for a well-functioning Parliament and a healthy democracy.
Under the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009, the IPSA Board has a Chair and four other members, some of whom are required to have particular professional backgrounds. We are currently looking to recruit a Board member who meets the requirement to be eligible for appointment as a statutory auditor by virtue of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of the Companies Act 2006. This person will be expected to take on the role of Chair of IPSA’s Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.
We are looking for a Board member whose professional expertise will help the Board set IPSA’s direction during the next stage of its development, including on matters such as pay and pensions, corporate strategy, and cultural and digital transformation. This is a demanding role, requiring integrity and independence. It offers a great opportunity to deliver lasting change and to contribute personally to the future of our democracy.
I hope that a diverse range of people with the right mix of experience, skills and ambition will apply to take on this important role. I have asked the recruitment panel to take account of the current composition of the IPSA Board and considerations of equality, diversity and inclusion in its approach to the search process.
Message from the Chair
On behalf of everyone at IPSA, I am delighted that you have indicated your interest in applying to become a member of IPSA’s Board.
It is an exciting time to join the organisation, as we transform to achieve our aim of becoming an exemplary regulatory service that enables MPs to focus on what really matters. We have a clear purpose and strong values, expressed in our strategic plan, now in its second year.
The statutory requirements for membership of the Board of IPSA are specific. The Board is made up of myself and four individuals, each bringing experience and skills from our different backgrounds.
This gives us a breadth of views that are central to our work and a great strength. But our respective contributions are not limited to our areas of expertise. We are individually and collectively responsible for all that the Board decides, working with the Executive and embodying the organisation’s values.
In this recruitment, we are seeking a candidate whose experience can help IPSA in navigating a changing risk landscape, delivering financial value, and supporting the organisation’s transformation. We are looking for candidates who can bring their insight to a fundamental review of our regulatory approach, whilst using their expertise on audit, risk, and assurance to support continuous improvement and assess alternative operating models to that employed since IPSA’s inception.
Within this field, we are keen to attract a diverse range of individuals with experience of delivering transformative change in service delivery and regulatory environments. In particular we would value demonstrable experience of scrutinising organisational risk management, identifying opportunities to improve assurance, and horizon-scanning for evolving, emerging risks. We would also value applications from candidates committed to the effective use of technology and data as enablers of great end-to-end customer service and who can provide impetus, energy, and ideas for doing so.
IPSA is committed to doing all we can to promote a diverse and family-friendly Parliament, and as an employer we are working hard to demonstrate this commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion. We are anxious to reflect in our own organisation, including the Board, the diverse population that MPs represent.
Membership of the Board can, at times, be challenging. But, most of all, it is an important and fascinating task, and one we have been entrusted by Parliament to perform on behalf of the electorate.
This Board member plays a pivotal role in the governance, scrutiny, and direction-setting of the organisation. In particular, and working with other members of the Board, the postholder:
- Supports the Chair and executive leadership of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in developing its corporate plan, approving its Annual Report and Accounts, and budget Estimate;
- Establishes with the Board the strategic direction of IPSA and ensures compliance with IPSA’s statutory duties including reviewing and setting MPs’ pay, reviewing and developing the MPs’ pension scheme, and establishing the Scheme of MPs’ Business Costs;
- Chairs IPSA’s Audit and Risk Assurance Committee, which offers advice to the Chief Executive, in their role as Accounting Officer, and also to the Board, in the following areas:
- the strategic processes for risk, control and governance, and the Governance Statement;
- the accounting policies, the Annual Report and Accounts, including the process for review of the accounts prior to submission for audit, levels of error identified and the Accounting Officer’s Letter of Representation to the Comptroller and Auditor General;
- the planned activity and the results of both internal and external audits;
- the adequacy and promptness of the management response to issues identified by internal or external audit activity, including the National Audit Office’s (NAO) management letter;
- assurances relating to the management of risk and corporate governance required for the organisation; and
- IPSA’s anti-fraud policies, whistleblowing processes and arrangements for special investigations; and the arrangements for internal and external audit.
- Reviews and communicates to the Board, in their capacity as Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, on:
- the Accounting Officer’s governance statement in the Annual Report, ensuring it appropriately discloses issues relating to IPSA’s governance, the management of risk and internal controls;
- significant matters raised by and/or discussed with the National Audit Office;
- the Annual Report of the Head of Internal Audit, and the Annual Report of the Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO);
- the effectiveness of assurances relating to the requirements for governance and risk management of IPSA, IPSA’s risk management policy, risk appetite and the quarterly risks register, including any changes to the register and any risk registers that underpin the main register, and;
- proposals for the provision of internal audit services, including any tendering arrangements.
- Works closely with the Chair, Board, and Executive to maintain strategic direction and monitor performance, including risk management and the promotion of IPSA’s vision and values;
- May represent IPSA in public, before parliamentary committees, and with MPs and parliamentary officials, as appropriate;
- Commits to IPSA’s values, abides by the Board’s code of conduct, and supports equality, diversity, and inclusion;Works with other members of the Board to help fulfil its statutory function as outlined in more detail below and in the terms and conditions, and;
- Will be a member of the People Committee and play a role in the appointment of the Compliance Officer and the Chief Executive as a member of the People Committee (Board members collectively make the senior executive appointments to IPSA).
The Board of IPSA is made up of a Chair and four members, who you can read more about here. The Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 requires that:
- At least one member must have held, but no longer hold, high judicial office;
- At least one member must be eligible for appointment as a statutory auditor by virtue of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of the Companies Act 2006; and
- At least one of the members (the ‘Parliamentary Member’) who has been (but is no longer) a member of the House of Commons.