Appointment details

Royal Air Force Non-Executive Board Member

Summary

• Organisation: Air Force Main Board
• Sponsor department: Ministry of Defence
• Location: South East
• Sectors: Defence
• Skills: Communication, Technology / Digital, Transformation
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 24 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £15,000 per annum
• Length of term: 3 Years
• Application deadline: 10am on 22 May 2026

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   24 April 2026

2. Application deadline

   10am on 22 May 2026

3. Sifting date

   27 May 2026

4. Interviews expected to end on

   19 June 2026

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

The Royal Air Force wishes to appoint a Non-Executive Board Member to bring an independent perspective and valuable skills in the digital, and technology and innovation field, risk management assurance processes and decision-making to the Air Force Main Board and its supporting committees. We are looking for a high calibre individual with experience in digital/technology and innovation and the ability to question intelligently, debate constructively, challenge rigorously, and decide dispassionately.

Appointment description

General information about the role of Non-Executive Board Members in government is provided in the corporate governance in central government departments: Code of Good Practice.

Non-Executive Board Members exercise their role through providing advice, challenge, and support to the executive. They advise on performance, business operation issues, and on the effective leadership of the organisation. They are members of committees currently covering areas including audit and risk assurance, people, infrastructure, technology and innovation, and finance. The Royal Air Force supports this work by providing appropriate management information and direct access to staff officers and Royal Air Force personnel outside of board meetings.

Broadly, Non-Executive Board Members are expected to contribute to the work of the RAF in the following areas:

·       Independence – provide independent support, guidance and challenge on the progress and implementation of the RAF Command Plan.

·       Strategy – constructively challenge and contribute to the development of strategy and business planning, including the setting and development of strategic objectives.

·       Performance – scrutinise the performance of the organisation in meeting agreed goals and objectives, and monitor the reporting of performance, including financial targets.

·       People – develop and encourage appropriate behaviours and organisational culture to develop people strategy.

·       Governance – satisfy that governance, internal control, and risk management systems are effective and capable of delivering relevant, accurate and timely management and financial information to the Board.

·       Support the Board in developing skills and tools to help it engage with strategic issues.

·       Connect the Board to people and organisations who can provide different perspectives, opinions and expertise which will assist in furthering the organisation.

·       Specialist responsibility – specialise in one or more areas of work, supplementing skills and experience already in place across areas such as HR, technology, organisational transformation and change, finance, and audit and risk management.

Organisation description

The Air Force Main Board, meets on a quarterly basis and is responsible for providing oversight and stewardship of the RAF.  To assure unconflicted oversight, the agenda is set by the Chief of the Air Staff as Chair, in consultation with the RAF Non-Executive Board Members.  The strategic leadership function of the Air Force Main Board will ensure the RAF's long-term health and success.  

The Defence Council is charged by Letters Patent of His Majesty The King with the powers of command and administration over the Armed Forces and in turn it has issued directions charging the Air Force Board with command over RAF personnel and administration of all matters relating to the Royal Air Force. The Secretary of State for Defence is the Chairman of the Air Force Board. This constitutional authority should be distinguished from the Air Force Main Board, an advisory board, that assists CAS in discharging his command, operational, executive, managerial and legal responsibilities as well as those as the Professional Head of the RAF. The Air Force Main Board provides a mechanism for dealing with Air Force Board business which does not require the direct involvement of Ministers and handles matters that can be properly determined without recourse to the Air Force Board. It provides the collective strategic leadership of the RAF, ensuring the RAF’s long-term success and health.

Board composition

The Air Force Main Board comprises of the following:

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Harvey Smyth

The Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Paul Lloyd

The Air and Space Commander, Air Marshal Allan Marshall

The Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Ian (Cab) Townsend

Director Legal Services, Air Vice-Marshal Mark Phelps

Director Resources, Mr James Freemantle

Non-Executive Board Member, Mr Simon Collins

Non-Executive Board Member, Mr Stephen Hill

Non-Executive Board Member, Mrs Clare Barlow

Non-Executive Board Member, Mr Satyajeet (Satya) Thakur

The Warrant Officer for the Royal Air Force,  Warrant Officer Murugesvaran (Subby) Subramaniam

Senior Commanders | Royal Air Force

Non-executive Directors | Royal Air Force

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Demonstrable and practical recent or current experience in a large and complex organisation, with a strong ethical, compassionate, and inclusive leadership style in line with the RAF’s values and standards, by modelling the highest standards of personal behaviour and conduct. 

• An ability to operate at senior Board level, with proven Board experience, to successfully link boardroom decisions to frontline execution. 

• An ability to develop a highly functional working relationship with the Chief of the Air Staff and the RAF Senior Leadership Team built on openness, honesty, and trust to form a continuous and supportive dialogue and objective informal feedback, to inform each other’s personal impact and effectiveness. 

• Proven ability to constructively challenge existing practices and identify new and better ways of working to deliver improved performance, services, and outcomes.  

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to mentor senior executives as appropriate, and confidently challenge inappropriate behaviours. 

• Demonstratable experience of shaping and delivering largescale digital transformation strategies to modernise services and enhance operational resilience.  

• Ability to provide strategic level advice on enterprise digital strategy, investment priorities, AI, digital architecture, innovation, and cyber resilience.

Desirable criteria

• An understanding and appreciation of the Ministry of Defence and the RAF.  

• Experience of working in both the public and the private sector. 

Application and selection process

How to apply

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

1. https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/create-account 2. https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/auth/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:

a Curriculum Vitae (CV)

a Supporting Statement

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

Overview of the application process

The assessment process

1. The Approving Authority 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 Approving Authority 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 should be recommended for interview. The Approving Authority will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist.
4. Once the shortlist has been agreed by Approving Authority, 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 names of all appointable candidates are provided to the Approving Authority. It is then for the Approving Authority to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, the Approving Authority may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.
6. The Panel’s recommendations will be provided to the Approving Authority in a report which details the assessment method used and the outcome of each interview. They will then be asked to agree on the candidate(s) who should be appointed.
7.  Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms and Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

Panel Chair

Air Chief Marshall Sir Harvey Smyth (Chief of the Air Staff)

Departmental Official

Dr Arif Mustafa (Head of Royal Air Force Digital)

Independent Panel Member

Mr Simon Collins, Royal Air Force Non-Executive Board Member

Independent Panel Member

Miss Vicky Titchen (Deputy Director RAF People)

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by the Approving Authority 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 the Approving Authority, 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 the Approving Authority which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the Approving Authority to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

Non-Reserved

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 Tara.etherington140@mod.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. This will be specified in the vacancy details. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here 

The level of clearance required for this role is Security Check Clearance (SC)

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

The Ministry of Defence value and welcome diversity. The appointment will be governed by the Principle of Public Appointment based on merit with independent assessment and transparency of process. Successful candidate will need to demonstrate that they meet the criteria for this appointment.

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and experience across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies/Advisory Committees 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.

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

Government departments 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 the Approving Authority. Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. If re- appointed, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or serve in any one post for more than ten years.

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. If you feel that you have a complaint about the way in which your application has been handled, please contact in the first instance Defence Business Service (DBS) Civilian Personnel Public Appointments Team DBSCivPers-ResPublicAppts@mod.gov.uk. If you are not completely satisfied with the response, please contact the MOD Public Appointments Team at HeadOffice-PublicBodiesandAppts@mod.gov.uk

We will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and aim to provide a response within 5 working days.

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

The Ministry of Defence privacy policy can be found here

Contact details

Name: Miss Tara Etherington.

Email: Tara.etherington140@mod.gov.uk