Appointment details

Insolvency Service, Non-Executive Directors x 2

Summary

• Organisation: Insolvency Service
• Sponsor department: Department for Business and Trade
• Location: London
• Sectors: Finance and Audit
• Skills: Accountancy, Audit and Risk, Technology / Digital
• Number of vacancies: 2
• Time commitment: 20 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £11,000 per annum
• Length of term: 3
• Application deadline: 5pm on 2 February 2026

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   6 January 2026

2. Application deadline

   5pm on 2 February 2026

3. Sifting date

   20 February 2026

4. Interviews expected to end on

   27 February 2026

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

The Insolvency Service is a UK government Executive Agency supporting economic growth by maintaining business integrity and confidence. With around 1,800 staff at 11 sites across the UK, it acts as a safety net for the British economy and has: returned £57.5 million to creditors; processed over 69,000 redundancy payments; disqualified more than a thousand directors for misconduct; and completed 169 criminal prosecutions, in the last year. These efforts support individuals recovering from financial hardship and help maintain business confidence in the UK.

The Insolvency Service is recruiting two Non-Executive Directors to replace retiring board members. These new non-executives will be vital in helping drive our new strategy to transform the Insolvency Service into a digital-first regulator with greater powers to tackle advanced economic crime. This shift involves investing in AI, data analytics, specialist skills, and updating regulatory frameworks to foster innovation while ensuring strong protections. You will further support the Board and the Non-Executive Chair to oversee the agency’s strategy, management, and governance.

We are seeking two outstanding individuals who will bring:

• Deep expertise in personal insolvency allowing them to challenge and support the proposed reforms currently being framed, ensuring the insolvency regime remains world-class whilst becoming more accessible and proportionate, and/or
• Proven change management experience to guide the agency’s digital transformation, operational modernisation, and cultural evolution to enhance their capabilities whilst maintaining service excellence.

Candidates will bring proven strategic senior leadership and governance experience, ideally at board level or equivalent in a significant organisation in either the public or private sector. They will demonstrate strong analytical and communication skills with the ability to interpret complex information and contribute to strategic decision-making.

For the Personal Insolvency Non-Executive Director role, we are looking for individuals who can offer deep expertise in personal insolvency, bankruptcy, or debt advice, whether as a practitioner, charity leader, or academic. Experience in reform, policy development, or advocacy within the insolvency or financial inclusion space is also desirable, as is a respected reputation in the insolvency field, with the ability to constructively challenge and support reform programmes.

For the Change Management Non-Executive Director role, ideal candidates will bring a proven track record of leading digital transformation or major change programmes within complex organisations. As well as up-to-date knowledge of emerging technologies and their practical application to enhance service delivery and operational efficiency. An understanding of user-centred design and experience in driving transformational change and innovation in public services is also desirable.

If you feel you bring the experience, insight and leadership qualities needed to guide this important organisation through its next chapter, we would be delighted to hear from you. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive leadership team and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, particularly those currently under-represented in public appointments.

Please do refer to the candidate information pack for further information.

Introduction from the Minister

Dear Candidate,

Thank you for your interest in this exceptional opportunity to join the Insolvency Service as a Non-Executive Director. This is your chance to help shape the future of one of the UK's most impactful government agencies at a genuinely transformative moment in its history as it launches its new strategy.

What we're looking for

The Insolvency Service is recruiting two Non-Executive Directors to replace retiring Board members. We are seeking two outstanding individuals who will bring:

• Deep expertise in personal insolvency allowing them to challenge and support the proposed reforms currently being framed, ensuring the insolvency regime remains world-class whilst becoming more accessible and proportionate, and/or
• Proven change management experience to guide the agency’s digital transformation, operational modernisation, and cultural evolution to enhance their capabilities whilst maintaining service excellence.

Why this role matters

The Insolvency Service is a UK government Executive Agency supporting economic growth by maintaining business integrity and confidence. With around 1,800 staff at 11 sites across the UK, it acts as a safety net for the British economy and has: returned £57.5 million to creditors; processed over 69,000 redundancy payments; disqualified more than a thousand directors for misconduct; and completed 169 criminal prosecutions, in the last year. These efforts support individuals recovering from financial hardship and help maintain business confidence in the UK.

A pivotal moment for leadership

Your expertise will be vital to help drive the new strategy to transform the Insolvency Service into a digital-first regulator with greater powers to tackle advanced economic crime. This shift involves investing in AI, data analytics, specialist skills, and updating regulatory frameworks to foster innovation while ensuring strong protections.

The Board environment

You will support the Board and the Non-Executive Chair to oversee the agency’s strategy, management, and governance. The Board meets up to ten times a year, mainly in Stratford but also at regional offices nationwide.

Please apply if you want an exciting opportunity to help influence an organisation making a meaningful impact on thousands of lives whilst strengthening the UK's economic confidence.

Blair McDougall MP

Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation

Appointment description

All Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) contribute substantially to decisions covering the strategy for the organisation and the overall direction of the business value. They offer wise counsel, advice and challenge, based on their own experiences and successful track records of achievement within competitive environments.

As part of this campaign, the Insolvency Service is looking in particular for individuals with a personal insolvency background and/or change management background. The two incoming NEDs will have the following responsibilities:

• Provide advice, guidance and challenge to the Chief Executive and Executive Directors to support sound strategic and collective decision making in the Insolvency Service.
• Support the delivery of the strategic priorities and contribute to developing and deciding long-term strategies, using skills, experience, and judgement to scrutinise the short and long-term performance of the organisation.
• Ensure the integrity of financial information is maintained, and that financial controls, systems, and risk management are kept robust and defensible.

Organisation description

Our mission

The principal role of the Insolvency Service is to deliver economic confidence. We do this by supporting those in financial distress, tackling financial wrongdoing, and maximising returns to creditors. We provide the frameworks that deal with insolvency and the financial misconduct that sometimes accompanies or leads to it.

Our aim is a corporate and personal insolvency regime which is regarded as fair and that gives businesses and investors confidence to take the commercial risks necessary to support economic growth.

To achieve this, we will maintain and develop a world-class insolvency law and regulatory framework; deliver key public services to support that framework; deliver and promote an effective investigation and enforcement regime; and ensure an organisation devoted to continuous improvement.

Our structure

We are an executive agency of the Department for Business & Trade (DBT) with headquarters in Stratford, London. We have around 1,800 staff operating from locations across Great Britain.

Responsibilities

We:

• administer bankruptcy, debt relief orders and Breathing Space applications
• administer and investigate certain bankruptcies and compulsory company liquidations, and act as trustee or liquidator where no private sector insolvency practitioner is in place
• provide estate accounting for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds
• make redundancy payments from the National Insurance Fund to employees made redundant because of an insolvency
• investigate trading companies and take action to wind them up if it is in the public interest
• work to disqualify unfit company directors if there is evidence of misconduct
• investigate and prosecute breaches of company and insolvency legislation and other criminal offences on behalf of DBT
• take action to impose restrictions on those subject to bankruptcy or a debt relief order where their actions recklessly or deliberately contributed to their insolvency
• act as an impartial source of information for the public on insolvency and redundancy matters
• advise DBT ministers and other government departments and agencies on insolvency and redundancy related issues
• act as oversight regulator of the Recognised Professional Bodies that authorise insolvency practitioners
• support Companies House in upholding the integrity of the companies register and delivering the corporate transparency reforms through sharing intelligence and targeting and prosecuting non-compliance

Person specification

Essential criteria

We are seeking two new Board members to complement the skillset of the existing Board – one with senior expertise in personal insolvency and the other with expertise in change management.

For both roles, candidates must demonstrate:

• Proven strategic senior leadership and governance experience, ideally at board level or equivalent in a significant organisation.
• Strong analytical and communication skills with the ability to interpret complex information and contribute to strategic decision-making.
• Ability to work collaboratively, providing constructive challenge and support in a board setting.
• Independence of judgement, bringing a fresh, external perspective to organisational strategy and oversight through the analysis of complex information to reach practical decisions.
• A track record of responding to external change and overseeing risk, particularly in complex or regulated environments.
• Commitment to public service values and ethical standards, with a clear understanding of the responsibilities of public sector governance.
• Outstanding senior-level career achievement in a relevant field (personal insolvency or change management).

Desirable criteria

Candidates should also bring specific domain level expertise in at least one of the following areas:

Personal Insolvency Expertise NED

• Deep knowledge of personal insolvency, bankruptcy or debt advice such as a practitioner, charity leader or academic.
• Experience in reform, policy development or advocacy within the insolvency or financial inclusion space.
• A respected reputation in the insolvency field, with the ability to challenge and support reform programmes.

Change Management Expertise NED

• A track record of leading digital transformation or major change programmes in a complex organisation.
• Recent familiarity with emerging technologies and their application in service delivery or operational efficiency.
• Understanding of user-centred design, delivering transformational change and innovation in public services to deliver service improvements and cost savings, including impacts on people, process, and technology.

Application and selection process

How to apply

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

 To apply, you must provide:

 * equality information

 * information relating to any outside interests or potential reputational issues

Please ensure that you provide the following:

 * a Curriculum Vitae (CV) - (no longer than two pages) 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.

 * a supporting statement - (no longer than two pages) setting out how you meet the criteria for appointment, as set out in the person specification for the role. Please note that the Supporting Statement is an important part of your application and is as much the means by which you will be assessed as your CV. 

 * contact telephone numbers as well as your personal email address. 

Note: As of October 2025, the Office of Public Appointments will require all applicants to create/have an account on the Public Appointments website and use that to submit your equality and outside interests declarations as part of the application process. A candidate's application will not be considered without this. 

Completed applications should be submitted to: https://gs-inss-nonexecutivedirectors.co.uk/

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.

The closing date for applications is Monday 2 February 2026 at 5.00pm. 

Once submitted, GatenbySanderson will acknowledge your application. 

Application guidance 

 Please ensure your CV includes 

 * your full name, title, contact number and your personal email address.

 * maximum two sides A4, minimum 11 Arial black font, setting out your career history in chronological order, and including the dates you occupied those roles. 

 * does not include any information that can identify children or your Sensitive Personal Data. 

Guidance on supporting statement format

 * the supporting statement is your opportunity to demonstrate to the Advisory Assessment Panel how you can demonstrate the skills and experience required for the role and that you meet the criteria set out in the person specification. 

 * please provide subheading and separate paragraphs in relation to how you meet each criterion. 

 * write all acronyms in full when first used. 

 * ensure your full name and title of the post are clearly noted at the top of your supporting statement. 

 * the maximum page limit for your supporting statement is two sides A4, minimum 11 Arial font black. 

The Advisory Assessment Panel reserves the right to only consider applications that contain all the elements listed above, and that arrive before the published deadline for applications. 

Overview of the application process

Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. They are consulted at the launch and final appointment stages.

1. 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.
2. 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. 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. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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)

• Panel Chair – DBT Senior Civil Servant, Matilda Curtis, Deputy Director in Company Law and Governance
• The Insolvency Service Chair: Mark Austen
• Independent Panel Member (IPM) - TBC

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 dbtappointments@businessandtrade.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 ‘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 Joshua Sweet in the DBT public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application, at dbtappointments@businessandtrade.gov.uk. 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.

You can also view the Department for Business and Trade's privacy notice for details of how the department processes personal data as part of recruiting for a public appointment role. You can also view GatenbySanderson's privacy statement at https://www.gatenbysanderson.com/privacy-statement. 

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:

Russell Brandon, Researcher

russell.brandon@gatenbysanderson.com

Darra Power-Mooney, Principal Consultant

darra.power-mooney@gatenbysanderson.com

GatenbySanderson will respect the privacy of any initial approach or expression of interest in this role, whether formal or informal.

Attachments

• INSS NEDs - Candidate Pack