Appointment details

Port of Tyne - Non-Executive Director x2

Summary

• Organisation: Port of Tyne Authority
• Sponsor department: Department for Transport
• Location: North East
• Sectors: Transport
• Skills: Business, Commercial, Communication
• Number of vacancies: 2
• Time commitment: 12 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £14857 per annum
• Length of term: 3 years
• Application deadline: 5pm on 24 January 2025

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   16 December 2024

2. Application deadline

   5pm on 24 January 2025

3. Sifting date

   21 March 2025

4. Interviews expected to end on

   5 May 2025

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

The Port of Tyne in North East England is one of the UK’s major deep-sea ports - a vital trading gateway to world-wide markets.

The Port has operated on the Tyne since Roman times. It became a trust port, constituted by Act of Parliament, in 1968. It has no shareholders or owners and is governed by an independent Board of up to eight Non-Executive Directors, including the Chair, who are appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport and up to four executive directors, including the Chief Executive Officer.

The Port receives no Government funding, is run on a commercial basis and reinvests all profits back into the business for the benefit of all of its stakeholders - customers, employees, business, Government and the community.

In recent times the Port of Tyne has diversified, developed and invested to ensure that it continues to be a vibrant and sustainable business which meets the varying needs of its customers and stakeholders. It is one of the UK’s largest car exporters and increasingly supports activity within the renewables sector, importing biomass and supporting offshore wind operations. It hosts the International Passenger Terminal for cruise and ferries, together with a successful estates’ portfolio and a significant container and storage operation.

The Port takes its responsibility to the community seriously and plays an active role in the region and national business life, supporting a wide range of community and business organisations.

The Port is undergoing a cultural as well as a commercial transformation to deliver a modern, digitally enabled port, fit for the twenty first century. The Port established and hosted the UK’s first maritime Innovation Hub as well as being the only UK port in the global Connected Ports initiative. The Board has developed its long-term strategy, Tyne2050 which is fully aligned to the national strategy, Maritime2050 and the North East Economic Plan, focusing on the development of long-term commercial sustainability and growth through technology innovation and customer partnerships. This strategy has been developed in partnership with all Port colleagues and a wide range of stakeholders. In order to position the business for success, the Port is looking to strengthen its skills and experience by recruiting two new Non-executive Directors on the Board.

Appointment description

The Port of Tyne's primary duty is to manage, maintain, develop, and improve the Port and its operations for the benefit of all its stakeholders which comprise customers, employees, the business community, government, and the local community.

Non-Executive Directors are expected to act with independent judgement and use their skills and experience for the benefit of the Port of Tyne and its stakeholders, and to devote the necessary time and undertake such training as is required to carry out their responsibilities.

Non-Executive Directors are appointed following an open recruitment process based on merit, and generally for an initial period of three years. This three-year period may be renewed by the Secretary of State for a further term subject to good performance. The rate of remuneration for Non-Executive Directors is currently £14,857 per annum.

In order to fulfil the commercial, operational, and strategic requirements of the business, the Board meets formally 6 times a year, with a Board call in-between formal meetings. Additional time commitments for Non-Executive Directors includes sub-committee membership expectations and informal interactions which vary, subject to the requirements of the business. At present, there are two sub-committees of the Board, the Audit Committee, and Remuneration and Nominations Committee.

Person specification

Essential criteria

We are seeking candidates who have the gravitas and credibility to work at Board level and the ability to exercise the required decision making and judgement. Candidates must also be able to demonstrate one or more of the following areas of skills and experience:

• strong networking, influencing and communication skills across a wide ranging and complex stakeholder and government landscape
• working closely with the public sector at a national and local government level and a strong understanding of the North East of England
• a background in the marine profession
• significant business experience including commercial partnerships, joint ventures, M&A
• international commercial networks within energy, oil and gas and renewable sectors

Application and selection process

How to apply

GatenbySanderson, an executive search agency, has been appointed to support

these appointments. If you wish to apply for these posts, please visit:

www.gatenbysanderson.com/job/GSe102943

The closing date for applications is Friday 24 January 2025 at 17.00pm. No late

applications will be accepted.

Applications must include the following:

• a summary of specialist or management experience relevant to the position in line with the Experience Required criteria in the information about the role in the document entitled “The Opportunity.”
• a short covering letter (not more than two A-4 sized pages) outlining your response to the following:
• o describe briefly the most challenging problem which you have faced and what you contributed to its solution.
• describe a group situation in which you had to balance either your strongly held views or your specialist skills against wider or contrary considerations. What impact did others' views have on you and your views on them?
• a full CV with contact details, educational and professional qualifications, a full career history and details of relevant achievements.
• the names, addresses and contact details of two referees.
• You will also be asked to provide diversity data, and to declare any potential conflicts of interest or reputational issues. Please note: unless this form is submitted, your application cannot be taken forward.

Please visit: www.gatenbysanderson.com/job/GSe102943 to submit an application.

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.

You will also have the opportunity to advise us of any reasonable adjustment

requirements or apply under the Disability Confident Scheme before you submit

your application.

If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your application within 48 hours,

please contact Mary.Dempsey@gatenbysanderson.com

Overview of the application process

[Standard text on a regulated public appointment process will appear as follows; this can be deleted/overwritten for adverts for appointments that are not regulated]

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

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)

.

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)

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.

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 ‘essential 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

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.

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 GatenbySanderson in the first instance if you would like to make a

complaint regarding your application at mary.dempsey@gatenbysanderson.com.

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.

Information provided as part of this application will be kept securely within DfT and destroyed within 5 years of the conclusion of the recruitment campaign.

DfT uses this form to gather evidence on DfT’s public appointments.

The lawful basis that applies to this processing is that it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest to inform DfT’s recruitment policies in accordance with the Department’s public sector equality duties. 

For processing special category personal data (disability, religion, sexual orientation and ethnicity), we rely on Article 9(2)(g), reasons of substantial public interest (equality of opportunity and treatment).

Contact details

For a confidential discussion about these roles, please do contact our recruitment

advisers at GatenbySanderson who will be delighted to speak to you:

• Khadeeja Khalid, khadeeja.khalid@gatenbysanderson.com

• Olivia Robinson, olivia.robinson@gatenbysanderson.com

• Julie Myers, julie.myers@gatenbysanderson.com

GatenbySanderson will respect the privacy of any initial approach or expression of

interest in this role, whether formal or informal.

Attachments

• PoT NED x2 candidate pack