Appointment details

Covent Garden Market Authority - Non-Executive Director (Finance)

Summary
About the appointment
Person specification
Application and selection process
Additional information for candidates
Attachments

Summary

Organisation: Covent Garden Market Authority
Sponsor department: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Location: London
Sectors: Environment, Agriculture & Fishing
Skills: Accountancy, Audit and Risk, Business, Change Management, Commercial
Number of vacancies: 1
Time commitment: Adhoc
Remuneration: £520 per day
Length of term: 3 or 4 years, to be agreed with the successful candidate.
Application deadline: Midday on 30 January 2025

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Timeline for this appointment

Opening date

19 December 2024
Application deadline

Midday on 30 January 2025
Sifting date

17 February 2025
Interviews expected to end on

4 April 2024

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA) is a Defra sponsored statutory corporation with a legal obligation to provide and run a horticulture wholesale market. It owns a 47-acre site at Nine Elms in London on which New Covent Garden Market (NCGM) is situated.

CGMA is currently undertaking a long-term project to rebuild the market to meet the needs of a modern wholesale facility and the customers that it serves.

Appointment description

The CGMA Board consists of up of 7 members including the Chair, providing strategic direction to the market through its redevelopment phase and ensuring the stability and viability of the market to enable government to disengage from responsibility of the market. In supporting the Chair to deliver the redevelopment, the board will help lead the Authority through a period of significant change that is part of a wider vision in which they are seeking to incorporate a consumer facing Food Quarter.

We seek a finance professional with the integrity, skills and judgment necessary to help deliver the above. They will be able to command the confidence of Ministers, fellow Board members, Executive Directors, tenants and stakeholders and will be expected to contribute to corporate decisions at a senior level.

Demonstrable experience with similar sized businesses is important. Preferably this will include experience with tenant-based businesses. The role will, at times, involve providing hands on guidance to CGMA’s small financial team.

Good governance is crucial to the success of the redevelopment project. The successful candidate will provide financial oversight on behalf of the Board and will have a proven record in finance at a senior level. They will also be expected to chair the Audit and Risk Committee.

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 be able to demonstrate evidence of all of the following essential criteria:

1. Strong financial acumen ideally gained within a commercial environment, with the ability to chair the Audit and Risk Committee and hold senior finance executives to account.

2. CCAB (or equivalent) financially qualified with a wide current knowledge of financial accountability and practice.

3. Senior commercial expertise, preferably within a property or asset management context along with an understanding of tenant-based businesses.

4. The skills necessary to deliver effective strategic direction.

5. The ability to deliver strong corporate governance.

Application and selection process

How to apply

To apply for this post, your CV and statement should be returned to GatenbySanderson by closing date: 12.00 (midday) on Thursday 30 January 2025, via this link: https://www.gatenbysanderson.com/job/GSe102461.1/ quoting reference GSe102461.1.

All candidates are required to submit:

Diversity Information and Conflicts of Interest Form - Accessible PDF

a CV of no more than two sides of A4 with education, professional qualifications and employment history and the names and contact details for two referees

a supporting statement or no more than 1,000 words, setting out which role you’re applying for and how you meet the essential criteria – make sure you refer to the contents of this document and provide specific examples (max two pages please).

For a confidential discussion about the role to help you determine your suitability for application and/or to answer any questions you might have, please contact one of our recruitment advisors at GatenbySanderson:

Zoe.bennett@gatenbysanderson.com

julie.myers@gatenbysanderson.com

tracy.wicik@gatenbysanderson.com

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. 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 – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.

The assessment process

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)

Adrian Cooper - Deputy Director, Commercial Policy Division, Defra - Panel Chair

Catherine Dugmore - Integrated Care Board member, NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex - Independent Panel Member

Wanda Goldwag - Chair, Covent Garden Market Authority -Other Panel Member

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 one of our recruitment advisors at GatenbySanderson:

Zoe.bennett@gatenbysanderson.com

julie.myers@gatenbysanderson.com

tracy.wicik@gatenbysanderson.com

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.

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.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

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 ten years in any one post.

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.

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 publicappts@defra.gov.uk if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application. 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.

Contact details

Zoe.bennett@gatenbysanderson.com

julie.myers@gatenbysanderson.com

tracy.wicik@gatenbysanderson.com

Time Commitment: 2-3 days per month for the first 12 months. This will be reviewed after 12 months, with the expectation that the time commitment will then be reduced.

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