Appointment details

Wallace Collection 2x Trustees

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

Summary

Organisation: Wallace Collection
Sponsor department: Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Location: Various
Sectors: Culture, Media & Sport
Skills: Audit and Risk, Communication, Legal, Major Projects, Education
Number of vacancies: 2
Time commitment: 8 day(s) per annum
Length of term: Up to 5 years
Application deadline: 7pm on 26 March 2026

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Timeline for this appointment

Opening date

26 February 2026
Application deadline

7pm on 26 March 2026
Sifting date

17 April 2026
Interviews expected to end on

13 May 2026

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

The Prime Minister wishes to appoint two new Trustees to the Wallace Collection. These Trustees will bring experience and expertise in one or more of the following areas: (i) legal expertise and (ii) audit and risk. The successful candidates will contribute to the governance of the Wallace Collection and the delivery of its objectives.

Appointment description

The Role of Trustees

The Board of Trustees of the Wallace Collection is an independent body who bring in-depth and diverse expertise to the governance of the museum.

The chief role of the Trustees is to assist the Chair in meeting the Board’s overall responsibilities, in accordance with their statutory duties and the policies of the Secretary of State. They must be able to attend the meetings of the Board, and such other meetings as may be necessary. Board meetings are normally held four times a year.

The Board of Trustees offers guidance and expertise to the Executive (the Director and staff of the Wallace Collection). They must be positive and passionate advocates for the museum and its core mission, and must ensure that its affairs as a charity are conducted appropriately.

The Wallace Collection wishes to appoint up to two new Trustees who can drive forward the ongoing transformation of the museum into a truly diverse and world-leading organisation. The museum is in an exciting phase of its development as it embarks on a masterplan to develop the Wallace building, as it has reached record visitor numbers, improving accessibility and sustainability of the Collection.

DCMS and the Wallace Collection are committed to ensuring that its public appointments are diverse and benefit from a broad range of skills and outlooks. The Wallace Collection and DCMS encourage applications from those whose experiences and perspectives are currently under-represented on the Board and in the museum sector.

Vacancy Description

Roles available

Currently we are seeking two Trustees with specific skills and expertise in the following areas:

Legal
Audit and Risk

Organisation description

The Wallace Collection is a collection of the fine and decorative arts formed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by four successive Marquesses of Hertford and the 4th Marquess’s son, Sir Richard Wallace. It was left to the British nation in 1897 and opened as a national museum in June 1900 in Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1, a grade II listed building in central London. The museum is internationally famous for its collection of French eighteenth-century art, European and Asian arms and armour and for its Old Master paintings.

It is managed by a Director who reports to a board of Trustees appointed by the Prime Minister and is financed by a combination of grant-in-aid from the central government and self-generated income. The Wallace is currently at an exciting point in its development as it seeks to implement a transformative masterplan to improve the existing building in Manchester Square.

Further information on the Wallace Collection can be found on its website at http://www.wallacecollection.org.

Board composition

Jessica Pulay CBE (Chair)

Marcus Agius CBE

Spencer De Grey CBE

Josephine Fitzalan Howard

Larry Keith

Jackyung (Jacky) Moon Lambert

Alexandra Shulman

Alison Taylor

Davinder Toor

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

All Applicants to any of the two Trustee roles will be required to demonstrate the below qualities in their application:

Knowledge: a clear understanding of the work, priorities and challenges of the Wallace Collection and the context within which it operates.
Commitment to preserving cultural heritage, and improving education and understanding of British and world history.
Judgement: effective decision-making skills with the ability to critically analyse a wide range of information to make clear and objective evidence-based recommendations to support the delivery of the Wallace Collection’s objectives.
Collaboration: ability to work closely with the executive board and other key stakeholders, providing support, constructive challenge and assurance as appropriate.
Equality: A demonstrable commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion; and improving opportunities for people throughout the UK.

In addition to the essential criteria outlined above, candidates for individual Trustee roles should also be able to demonstrate the following criteria:

Legal: a strong track record of legal expertise, most likely gained at either a law firm or as an in-house counsel in a commercial, Government or non profit organisation.

Audit and Risk: a strong track record of experience in finance and/or risk management and ability to ensure effective governance and risk management frameworks are in place.

Application and selection process

About this appointment

Some public appointments are made by the Prime Minister, or the Crown on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Others are made by Secretaries of State or other ministers and are of interest to the Prime Minister.

Public appointments made by or of interest to the Prime Minister

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in.

Once you are logged into your account, click on 'apply for this role' and follow the on-screen instructions To apply, all candidates are required to provide:

equality information
information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues
a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
a supporting statement
a short professional biography (150 words)

We will ask you to check and confirm your personal details to ensure your application is accurate.

You will also have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment request or apply under the disability confident scheme before you submit your application.

As part of your application, you will be asked to provide equality information including special category data (which may identify your race/ ethnic background or health); you have the choice to opt out from sharing any equality data, by selecting ‘prefer not to say’. We use your personal information and special category data for a wide range of purposes, to enable us to carry out our functions as a government department.

The data will be visible to departmental officials for the purpose of managing the Public Appointment Process for which you have applied.
Data will also be available to other individuals involved in the process including Government Ministers, Advisory Assessment Panel members and members of the Commissioner for Public Appointments team, and our IT providers.
To monitor the diversity and inclusivity of our processes, your special category data may be shared with the Advisory Assessment Panel that is responsible for sifting candidate CVs and interviewing candidates.
The Advisory Assessment Panel may use your special category data to help ensure Boards are representative of the United Kingdom. The data will help us understand the diversity of public appointees and to satisfy our public sector equality duty (PSED). You may opt out of this if you so wish by selecting “prefer not to say” for any or all categories, and your application will still be considered. You must opt out before the application deadline closes.
If you are offered an interview for a Public Appointment your data may be shared with the employees and Board Members of the Public Body for which you are applying, for the purposes of scheduling the interview, informing you of the outcome and providing feedback after the interview.
If you are successful in your application we will share your contact details with the Public Body so that staff can make arrangements for you to start your role.

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)

Th Advisory Assessment Panel will comprise of:

Ruth Harper - DCMS Panel Chair, Deputy Director for Museums and Cultural Property
Jessica Pulay - Chair of the Wallace Collection
John Barradell - Senior Independent Panel Member

The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an panel member in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. The panel have confirmed they have no political activity to declare for the past five years.

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 aedan.obrien@dcms.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.

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.

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

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 Department for Culture, Media and Sport public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at publicappointments@dcms.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.

The Department for Culture Media and Sport will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

Attachments

Contact details

If you have any questions about the appointments process, please contact Aedan O'Brien, Campaign Manager at DCMS (aedan.obrien@dcms.gov.uk).

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