Appointment details

British Film Institute x6 Governors

Summary

• Organisation: British Film Institute
• Sponsor department: Department for Culture, Media and Sport
• Location: London
• Sectors: Culture, Media & Sport
• Skills: Audit and Risk, Business, Commercial, Communication, Media, Major Projects
• Number of vacancies: 6
• Time commitment: 1 day per month
• Length of term: 4 years
• Application deadline: 11:59pm on 20 February 2026

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   16 January 2026

2. Application deadline

   11:59pm on 20 February 2026

3. Sifting date

   9 March 2026

4. Interviews expected to end on

   13 April 2026

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is looking to appoint six new Governors at the British Film Institute (BFI), including two National Governor roles with one covering Scotland and the other Wales, for an initial four-year term commencing in May 2026.

In particular, candidates are sought from across the UK who can support the BFI through their experience in the following areas:

• Driving commercial and digital growth

• Running major fundraising campaigns

• Supporting capital projects

• Providing robust finance, audit and risk management

• Experience in HETV production, film exhibition or film distribution

• Advocating for the importance of screen heritage and education 

Appointment description

Governors have ultimate responsibility for the BFI’s strategic direction, ensuring the organisation is solvent, well-governed, and meeting its objectives as a charity, a National Lottery distributor, and the UK Government’s strategic lead body for film. 

As a Governor, your responsibilities include: 

• Contributing to the development of the BFI’s strategy and policies. 

• Providing oversight and constructive challenge to the Executive team. 

• Championing the BFI’s mission and values, always acting in the best interests of the organisation.

• The Scotland and Wales Governors will have a particular responsibility for representing the BFI in Scotland and Wales and for representing the interests of their nation at the Board. 

Organisation description

The BFI is a Royal Charter Charity that was established in 1933.

Purpose 

We believe society needs stories. Film, television and the moving image bring them to life, helping us to connect and understand each other better. We share the stories of yesterday, search for the stories of today, and shape the stories of tomorrow.

Mission

The BFI is a cultural charity, a National Lottery distributor, and the UK’s lead organisation for film and the moving image. Our mission is:

• To support creativity and actively seek out the next generation of UK storytellers

• To grow and care for the BFI National Archive, the world’s largest film and television archive

• To offer the widest range of UK and international moving image culture through our programmes and festivals - delivered online and in venue

• To use our knowledge to educate and deepen public appreciation and understanding

• To work with Government and industry to ensure the continued growth of the UK’s screen industries, which covers film, TV, and video games, and other digital media,

Vision

We will transform access to our programmes, screen culture, and jobs by 

• focussing on the diversity of our audiences;

• expanding our work to embrace television & the breadth of creative technologies;

• reframing the public’s relationship with the BFI’s collections;

• investing in the growth of our digital platforms; and,

• working with industry to deliver long-term strategies for education and skills

We are a leader in diversity and inclusion, and as an organisation recognise that we need to address under representation at all levels of the organisation. As such we strongly welcome and encourage applicants from our under-represented groups, who identify as D/deaf and disabled and/or are Black and Global Majority.

Board composition

https://www.bfi.org.uk/strategy-policy/governors

Person specification

Essential criteria

Candidates will need to demonstrate in their application that they meet at least one of the following essential criteria:

• Experience driving commercial growth, with a good appreciation of how cultural and charitable organisations can generate new streams of income, including through transformative digital opportunities. Governors with such expertise may be invited to sit on the Board’s Finance Committee.

• A demonstrable commitment and ability to support and accelerate the BFI’s fundraising goals, with a track-record of leveraging high-value networks, accessing philanthropic and influential contacts, a willingness to take part in key fundraising activities and experience of fundraising for major strategic projects.

• Experience in property strategy and capital project delivery to support the implementation of the BFI’s future estate plan.

• Expertise in audit and/or risk management to provide robust scrutiny of BFI operations and ensure compliance with relevant legal and financial frameworks. We are seeking a Governor with such expertise to chair the Board’s Audit, Risk & Governance Committee.

• Experience and knowledge of the screen industries and infrastructure, and in particular the following: HETV production, film exhibition or film distribution.

• Experience or knowledge of developing educational policy or programmes in any discipline to deliver high public benefit and impact.

• Advocacy for the importance of film preservation, with an understanding of the civic, social and economic value of cultural and heritage assets, and in particular an enthusiasm for public access to screen heritage 

All candidates will also need to demonstrate in their application that they meet the majority of following essential criteria to a high standard:

• An understanding of and commitment to the mission and work of the BFI. Capability and willingness to act as cultural advocates and fundraisers for the BFI across the industry and government. 

• Strategic decision-making ability, including an in-depth understanding of trends in the broader screen industries, helping to ensure that the BFI is connected to emerging opportunities in this area. 

• An ability to provide effective non-executive governance and oversight, including appreciation of the BFI’s role as a registered charity, a distributor of National Lottery funds and a commercial operator of cinemas.

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to provide a cultural and/or an industry perspective. The ability to work collegiately with other Governors and the Executive, and to check and challenge the Executive as required.

• A strong commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, and factoring UK-wide perspectives into all decision making.

Candidates applying for the National Governor roles will be required to demonstrate the following: 

• A strong connection, by residence or otherwise, with Scotland/Wales. 

• An ability to engage actively with stakeholders in the screen sector in Scotland/Wales, and with the Scottish/Welsh Government;   

• An understanding of the work of the BFI and its partners, both in Scotland/Wales and across the UK.

Application and selection process

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

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)

• DCMS Panel Chair: Georgia Hutchinson (Director, Creative Industries & Artificial Intelligence)

• ALB Representative: Jay Hunt (Chair, BFI)

• Independent Panel Member: Fiona Cameron

• Welsh Representative: Joedi Langley

• Scottish Representative: Jamie Macdougall

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.

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. 

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 sam.whelan@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 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.

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. 

Contact details

Sam.Whelan@dcms.gov.uk

Attachments

• Privacy Notice