Green Park is the executive search company who will manage the process on behalf of the Post Office. If you are interested in discussing any of the NED opportunities, please email privateops@green-park.co.uk who will contact you to arrange an initial discussion.
Non-Executive Directors - Post Office Ltd
Application deadline 27 November 2022
Page contents:
Summary
- Organisation
- Post Office Ltd
- Sponsor department
- Department for Business and Trade
- Location
- Various
- Sectors
- Business and Trade
- Skills
- Accountancy, Audit and Risk, Business, Change Management, Technology / Digital, Retail, Transformation
- Number of vacancies
- 3
- Time commitment
- 2 day(s) per month
- Remuneration
- Length of term
- 3 or 4 Years
- Application deadline
- Midday on 27 November 2022
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Timeline for this appointment
-
Opening date
20 October 2022
-
Application deadline
Midday on 27 November 2022
Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change
About the role
Role description
The primary role of the Non-Executive Director will be to:
- Demonstrate commitment to Post Office’s role as a commercial business that delivers a social purpose and is seeking to build a modern franchise in partnership with its Postmasters and multiple partners
- Participate in the development of Post Office’s strategy and oversee its implementation
- Contribute positively to the Board’s discussions and decision-making, applying intellectual rigour, considering the impact of decisions on different stakeholders and providing constructive challenge and support to management
- Bring knowledge, experience and expertise to shape how the business develops
- Provide oversight of and receive assurance on the operation of the business, its compliance with law and regulation, risk management and internal controls
- Provide leadership on the values and culture the company seeks to promote, including its engagement with Postmasters, clients, customers, employees, suppliers and shareholder
- Monitor the performance of management in meeting agreed targets and objectives
- Demonstrate the high standards of integrity and behaviour expected of a director of a government owned company (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-bodies-non-executive-directors-principles-and-standards)
Organisation description
With over 11,500 branches, Post Office has the biggest retail network in the UK. 99.7% of the population live within three miles of a Post Office and 4,000 branches are open seven days a week.
A publicly owned company, the majority of our branches are run in partnership with retail partners on a franchise basis. We play a key role in communities, often as a central hub for towns and villages, providing an important source of social interaction, access to essential services, and supporting local economies and small businesses in addition to more vulnerable members of society.
Post Office offers a vast range of products and services, however it is simplifying its proposition with a focus on its cash and banking; mails and parcels; foreign exchange; and bill payments services.
We continue to play a key role on the high street, with research indicating that visits to the Post Office help drive another 400 million visitors to other shops, restaurants and local businesses, equating to an estimated £1.1 billion in additional revenue for High Street businesses.
Our Everyday Banking services in partnership with over 30 banks, building societies and credit unions means that 99% of customers can access their High Street bank account securely and conveniently over the counter at their local Post Office for cash withdrawals, deposits and balance enquiries.
Post Office is also committed to safeguarding 1,400 free-to-use ATMs across the UK, helping anyone who wants cash to get it whichever way is most convenient. Transformation is essential to our future.
We are the only retailer with a presence in each nation and every community across the UK and we need to adapt our branch network to reflect the way people live their lives today.
Prioritising strong, trusting and rewarding relationships with all our Postmasters will be critical to this. We will grow our network, making sure we have the right branches in the right locations nationwide.
We will innovate in Mails, working with more carriers and delivering more of what customers want and small businesses need. We will secure free, convenient and reliable access to cash in every community. We will build commercial partnerships, to launch new products and services in our branches and online. We will invest in new branch technology for Postmasters and online for their customers. And we will create value for our shareholder with a successful, sustainable and efficient business.
Person specification
Essential criteria
One or more of the following:
- Large scale/complex business transformation and digital change.
- Financial and/or accounting background
- Financial Services
- Audit and Risk Committee experience
- Minimum of 12 months Renumeration Committee experience
Applications are welcomed from those who have previously or are currently operating as a Non-Executive Director or Committee Chair, or indeed those who are seeking their first Non-Executive Director appointment. However, the above essential knowledge and expertise criteria is a requirement.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge and Expertise in one or more of the following areas: Supply Chain; Network & Logistics; Retail and Format; Operations; Organisational Effectiveness; Transformation; Diversity and Inclusion.
- Knowledge of Government or Government-owned organisations
- Experience of sitting on a Remuneration Committee
- Experience of sitting on an Audit and Risk Committee
- An understanding of the retail market and a commercially focussed outlook together with a commitment to delivering Post Office’s social purpose
- Strong analytical skills, resilience and enthusiasm will be critical to supporting the development of a modern franchise in partnership with our Postmasters and multiple partners
Application and selection process
Additional information for candidates
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.
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.
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.
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:
- 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;
- 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;
- 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;
- 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;
- 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;
- 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;
- LEADERSHIP - Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.
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.
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;
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).
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