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3 November 2025
Midday on 1 December 2025
19 December 2025
31 January 2026
Dear Candidate
The Minister for Women and Equalities is seeking to appoint dynamic and dedicated Commissioners who will continue to develop the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and support long-term change and improvements to equality and human rights issues. The postholders should be committed to ensuring that the Commission’s overall direction reflects its vital role as the UK’s leading equalities regulator and National Human Rights Institution. This appointment fulfils the requirement of the Equality Act 2006 that the Secretary of State should appoint Commissioners to the Commission.
As a commissioner you will help to develop and maintain high-value relationships with Ministers, influential partners, governments at home and abroad, opinion formers, industry and others. You will demonstrate awareness, judgement and adaptability whilst maintaining integrity and resilience in the face of challenge and adversity.
The successful candidates will be exceptional organisational leaders and advocates for equality, and credible and effective public faces for the organisation with the ability to operate strategically. They will make an important contribution to the collective decision-making of the EHRC Board.
Applications are welcomed from as diverse a range of applicants and mix of backgrounds as possible. This candidate pack will tell you more about the purpose of the Commission and the nature of a Commissioner’s role.
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Commissioner of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Marcus Bell
Director of the Office for Equality and Opportunity
The Minister for Women and Equalities wishes to appoint at least four Commissioners to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
These appointments fulfil the requirements of the Equality Act 2006, that there must be between 10 and 15 EHRC Commissioners.
The roles and responsibilities of EHRC Commissioners are set out in the Commission’s Governance Manual.
Public Appointments to the EHRC are normally for 4 years dependent on the requirements of the Board.
The Commissioners have responsibility for:
Agreeing the strategic direction and maintaining oversight of the Commission;
Ensuring the Commission discharges its statutory duties under the Equality Acts and obligations under the Paris Principles within the policy and resources framework (i.e. the Framework Document) agreed with its Sponsor Department and in accordance with high standards of corporate governance and principles of public law;
Ensuring the Commission effectively fulfils its statutory duties and operates within its statutory and delegated authority, including any conditions relating to the use of its grant-in-aid, specifically the use of public funds more generally in compliance with Treasury Guidance on ‘Managing Public Money’;
Ensuring that effective arrangements are in place to provide assurance on risk management, good governance and internal control;
Determining the Commission’s performance metrics and monitoring performance against them; and ensuring it demonstrates resources are being used to good effect, with propriety, and without grounds for criticism that public funds are being used for private, partisan or party political purposes;
Holding the Chief Executive to account for the performance and delivery against strategic and business plan priorities; objectives and budgets including follow-up actions on its decisions;
Formulating a strategy for ensuring the Commission is open and transparent in all that it does, providing Parliament and the public with as full information as may be requested concerning its policy decisions and actions. This includes full compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Data Protection Act 1998, as amended and its adopted complaints procedures;
Making publicly available annual reports, and, where practical and appropriate, hold open Board meetings, release summary reports of meetings and invite evidence from members of the public on matters of public concern;
Promoting and protecting the Commission’s position, values, mission, vision, integrity, image and reputation, and
Ensuring high standards of corporate governance that command the confidence of the Commission’s stakeholders are observed at all times.
The EHRC is Great Britain’s national equality body and has been awarded an ‘A’ status as a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) by the United Nations. Its role is to help make Britain fairer and it achieves this by safeguarding and enforcing the laws that protect people’s rights to fairness, dignity and respect.
As a statutory non-departmental public body established by the Equality Act 2006, the EHRC operates independently. It has a unique role in enforcing anti-discrimination law and helping individuals who are bringing claims of discrimination, harassment or victimisation under the Act. It aims to be a centre of excellence for evidence, analysis and equality and human rights law and an essential point of contact for policy makers, public bodies and business.
The EHRC uses its unique powers to challenge discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and protect human rights.
For further information about the Commission, please visit its website at www.equalityhumanrights.com
The Board of Commissioners is the highest level decision-making body in the organisation, responsible for the strategic oversight of the Commission.
The current Board Members are listed below and biographical information for each Board Member can be found on the EHRC’s website.
Chair: Baroness Kishwer Falkner (term ends 30 November 2025)
Lesley Sawers, Deputy Chair and Scotland Commissioner (term ends 30 November 2025)
John Kirkpatrick, Chief Executive
Keith Richards, Commissioner
Akua Reindorf KC, Commissioner
Alasdair Henderson, Commissioner
Kunle Olulode MBE, Commissioner
Joanne Cash, Commissioner (term ends 30 November 2025)
Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson will begin her term as the incoming Chair of the Commission on 1 December 2025.
The Board has a strategic oversight role. It does not directly manage the Commission’s operations, but delegates that role to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Commission’s staff. It holds the CEO and the staff to account by monitoring performance against the Commission’s strategic priorities and ensuring that resources are being used to good effect.
Further information on the EHRC and its activities, including its most recent annual report, can be found on the EHRC’s website.
Location
The Commission has offices in Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester and London. Board meeting locations may vary, and so some travel may be required. The Commission supports flexible working practices. As a national organisation, video conferencing is available for day-to-day communication. It will be at the Board’s discretion to decide member working patterns
All candidates must demonstrate, in their CV and supporting letter, how they meet the following criteria, through their knowledge, attributes and skills.
Knowledge: a clear understanding of the work, priorities and challenges of the Commission and the context within which it operates.
Experience: a strong track record of committed delivery on equality and human rights policy issues within the private, public or voluntary sectors.
Relationship building: ability to build strong stakeholder relationships, including with Ministers and Senior Government officials and external stakeholders.
Communication: strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to listen, accept challenge and constructively challenge others in discussions with clarity and respect.
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 Commission's objectives.
Collaboration: ability to work closely with the executive board and other key stakeholders, providing support, constructive challenge and assurance as appropriate.
An understanding of the context in which the Commission operates and knowledge of conditions across Great Britain;
High standards of integrity and commitment to public service values.
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
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:
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.
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.
The Advisory Assessment Panel will consist of:
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)