Important

You can’t apply for this appointment

The application deadline has passed or the appointment has been closed for applications.

Appointment details

Defence Board (DB) - Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Defence Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (DARAC)

Summary

• Organisation: Defence Board
• Sponsor department: Ministry of Defence
• Location: London
• Sectors: Business and Trade
• Skills: Accountancy, Audit and Risk, Business, Technology / Digital, Major Projects
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 30 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £750 per day
• Length of term: 3 years with possibility of another 3 year extension if approved
• Application deadline: 11:59pm on 19 September 2022

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   23 August 2022

2. Application deadline

   11:59pm on 19 September 2022

3. Sifting date

   10 October 2022

4. Interviews expected to end on

   21 November 2022

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Additional introductions

Thank you for your interest in this opportunity to join the Defence Board as a member and as Chair of the Defence Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (DARAC). 

You may already have some idea about the important work of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the following pages will tell you more about its purpose, the nature of the Board and this role, as well as the application process. 

We are looking for an insightful, purposeful, and independent Non-Executive Directors (NED) to join the Defence Board and the DARAC. You will help the department drive forward a robust corporate governance plan, internal control and risk assurance processes and implementation of the Integrated Review programme, with particular focus on digital and acquisition reform and workforce planning. 

If you have the experience and qualities we are seeking, we very much look forward to hearing from you.

David Williams

Permanent Secretary

Appointment description

This is an exciting time to join the Ministry of Defence. We are looking to appoint an individual with commitment and expertise to become a Non-Executive Directors on the Defence Board and the Chair of the Defence Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. Defence business is managed through the Defence Board which is chaired by the Secretary of State. It is responsible for the top-level leadership and management of Defence and the main focus is the strategy and plans for generating military forces. Its membership includes the four Defence Ministers, Permanent Secretary, Chief of Defence Staff, Second Permanent Secretary, Vice Chief of Defence Staff, Director General Finance and three Non-Executive Directors.

The Defence Board exists to advise and assist Secretary of State and Permanent Secretary and ensure alignment of resources and objectives. It also aims to assure itself of the effectiveness of the Department's risk management system and its internal controls and give a clear steer on the desired risk appetite for the Department. 

All members of the Board have an important individual and collective role in advising and challenging the department, particularly around performance, risk and its future strategic direction. The Non-Executives on the Board have a wealth of experience from a range of backgrounds and their skills and knowledge bring an external perspective to help shape decision making. See Annex C for full Terms of Reference for the Defence Board.

The next decade will be both critical and exciting for the MOD and all of the companies and allies we work with in this space. We look ahead at a future battleground of multi-domain warfare with all of our Military wings highly inter-connected, and an organisation that is nimble, agile, tech-savvy and digitally connected end to end. The Defence Audit & Risk Assurance Committee (DARAC) is a subcommittee of the Defence Board. It supports the Board and the Permanent Secretary as the Accounting Officer, in their responsibilities for risk control and governance by reviewing the comprehensiveness, reliability and integrity of the MOD’s risk and assurance framework. 

The DARAC will meet up to seven times per year and with a stimulating schedule of objectives going forward we are looking for a subject matter expert to provide equitable scrutiny and challenge. Your input will influence the way we do business and help the MOD achieve its organisational aims.

Regulation of appointment

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the Commissioner’s website 

Person specification

Essential criteria

Candidates must demonstrate the following essential criteria:

• proven leadership in a large and complex (FTSE 100 or equivalent) organisation in the private, public or voluntary sectors, with main board-level experience; 

• experience of dealing with large budgets (the Defence budget is approximately £42bn), and the ability to think logically and objectively in analysing complex financial and non-financial information to identify key issues/implications and make balanced judgements; 

• a professional accountancy qualification such as CIPFA, CIMA, ICAEW, ACCA or ICAS or similar; 

• experience of managing long-term and complex capital programmes; 

• strong understanding of risk assessment, management and mitigation techniques; 

• significant experience of delivery of challenging internal control systems and corporate governance processes; 

• experience as Chair, of an audit committee for large organisations in either the public or private commercial sector; 

• clear and strategic understanding of the work of internal audit, including strategic risk management and mitigation techniques along with an understanding of the effectiveness of controls; 

• a strong background in commercial best practice; 

• the ability to contribute and inspire confidence with a wide range of stakeholders both in formal environments (such as Board meetings) and in less formal environments (such as one-to-one meetings with Ministers and Executives); 

• ability to provide constructive challenge, support, sound judgement and a high level of integrity (including when dealing with classified, confidential, or sensitive issues); and 

• genuine interest in contributing to the effective running of the Department at the board level, elsewhere in the Department and (as appropriate) across government.

Desirable criteria

The following criteria are also desirable: 

• experience in the digital and technology sector, preferably with experience of delivering large scale transformation programmes; 

• experience of project and programme delivery; 

• experience of working within defence and/or security sectors in the public or private sectors; and a clear understanding of Whitehall departments and processes.

Application and selection process

How to apply

In order to apply please read the role candidate pack, and submit the following documents here: www.odgers.com/86684.

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 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; https://papt-candidate-packs-live.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/51907_DB_NED%2BDARAC_CHAIR_EXPRESSION+OF+INTEREST_OSP.pdf

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; https://papt-candidate-packs-live.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/51907_DB_NED%2BDARAC+CHAIR_DIVERSITY+INFORMATION+FORM_OSP.docx

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.

If you are unable to apply online, please contact: anne.neill@odgersberndtson.com 

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.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

Panel Chair: David Williams: MoD Permanent Secretary

Organisation Panel Member: Brian McBridge - MoD Lead Non-Executive Director

Senior Independent Panel Members (SIPM) or Independent Panel Members: Pavita Cooper - Lead Non-Executive Director; Beverley Tew - FCDO Non-Executive Director 

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 DBSCivPersResPublicAppts@mod.gov.uk

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. 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.

Principles of public life

Holders of public office are expected to adhere to and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life/the-7-principles-of-public-life--2. These are:

1. SELFLESSNESS - Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family or their friends;
2. INTEGRITY - Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties;
3. OBJECTIVITY - In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit;
4. ACCOUNTABILITY - Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office;
5. OPENNESS - Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands;
6. HONESTY - Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest;
7. LEADERSHIP - Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

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 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 DBS public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at DBSCivPers-ResPublicAppts@mod.gov.uk. They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

How to complain to Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA)

If you are not content with the appointing department’s response you may wish to further complain to the Commissioner at publicappointments@csc.gov.uk.Further information on how the Commissioner handles complaints can be found on the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ website https://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/regulating-appointments/investigating-complaints/

Data protection

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

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-privacy-notice/mod-privacy-notice

Contact details

If you are unable to apply online, please contact: anne.neill@odgersberndtson.com.

Please include a daytime, evening and mobile telephone contact number, and your preferred email address for

correspondence, which will be used with discretion