Chair of the Board

Chair of the Board

Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (SASSOT) is a high performing County Sports Partnership, bringing partners to work together to create active places and healthy lives through sport and physical activity. SASSOT is currently on a positive journey of change, with a new leadership team, completion of a governance review and ongoing redevelopment of a new strategy for 2018-2021. The aspiration of the Board is for SASSOT to become a progressive, adaptable and thriving organisation, with a visionary Board at its helm. We seek a new Chair to help steer SASSOT through this exciting period of transformation so that it can continue to embrace the changing sport and physical activity landscape both locally and nationally. The role is voluntary. We are looking for someone who can provide strategic leadership and build upon our strong record of collaboration and engagement. If you are commercially astute and a strategic thinker, with personal sensitivity and able to communicate easily with all our stakeholders - then we would like to hear from you.

For further information contact our retained consultant at Campbell Tickell Kelly Shaw on 07900 363803, 020 3434 0990 or Radojka Miljevic on 0203 434 0975. A job pack is available for download at www.campbelltickell.com/jobs

Main Duties

Among the main duties of the Chair (supported by the Vice Chair and Senior Independent Director) are to:

· Establish and provide strategic leadership of the Board of SASSOT;

· Lead the setting of the overall direction of the work of SASSOT;

· Enable the Board to achieve its potential and secure the long-term success of SASSOT;

· Be the public face of SASSOT, representing it and the Board to partners at appropriate events;

· Ensure that Board decisions are acted upon, that SASSOT is fit for purpose and that it achieves continuous improvement;

· Support and appraise the work of the Strategic Leads

· Ensure that development reviews / appraisals of the Board as a whole and of individual Board members are undertaken.

Key Responsbilities

Leadership of the Board

The Chair takes a lead on governance matters and sets an example in the values and behaviour s/he adopts. The Chair actively manage conflicts of interest among Board members.

Ensuring the effective conduct of Board business

The Chair will provide strategic leadership to the Board, chairing its regular meetings and bringing together a diverse range of interests and partners to work together on a common agenda. The Chair will set meeting agendas which take full account of the issues and concerns of Board members, are forward looking and concentrate on strategy and developing SASSOT, rather than focusing on management issues. The Chair will ensure that adequate time is made for discussions and that Board decisions are followed through.

Ensuring clarity of boundaries between the Board and staff

The Chair acts as a link between the Board and the staff, particularly the Strategic Leads. The Chair will ensure effective working relationships between the staff and the Board, recognising the boundaries between the role of staff and the role of the Board. The Chair shall ensure that there is a clear division between the Board’s management and oversight role and the staff’s operational role. The Chair acts as line manager for the Strategic Leads.

Providing support and challenge to the Board and senior staff

The Chair will promote a culture of openness and debate amongst the Board by facilitating the effective contribution of all Board members and ensuring constructive relationships between staff members and Board members. The Chair will ensure that all Board members actively participate and are well prepared for meetings.

Being the lead advocate for SASSOT

The Chair will encourage partner agencies to support and invest in SASSOT. The Chair shall negotiate and influence agreed outcomes, make statements to partner agencies, confirm decisions and communicate policy.

Leading the evaluation of the Board

It is the Chair’s role to ensure the effectiveness of the Board. The Chair will undertake and maintain a written record of an annual evaluation of the Board’s overall skills and performance and the performance of individual Board members

Skills and attributes required

Core Competencies

· Leadership – Exceptional leadership skills. Has a proven track record of leading an organisation or having high level management experience in the commercial, public or voluntary sector. Ability to inspire confidence.

· Communication – Exceptional communication skills. Ability to present arguments with knowledge and understanding of wider strategic contexts. Able to listen and make reasoned contributions to debate and a willingness to speak their mind.

· Strategic thinking – Understands the organisation’s overall strategy, able to assess implications before making decisions. Strategic vision, thinking, planning and oversight.

· Judgement – Proven track record of providing clear, independent, balanced advice and guidance with the ability to challenge constructively.

· Negotiating and influencing – Demonstrates effective skills in persuasion and negotiation to influence others and to set the style and tone of Board meetings in order to promote effective debate and decision making. Ability to work effectively with a range of stakeholders at all levels. Effective networking skills with senior influencers.

· Team working – Ability to develop positive relationships that generate confidence and respect. Ability to engage and enthuse people individually and in groups. Experience of working in collaboration with others, working towards common goals and shared objectives.

Abilities, Skills and Knowledge

· Experience of chairing Boards or committees.

· Knowledge of good governance and an understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of a SASSOT Board member.

· Knowledge and understanding of the sport and physical activity landscape and the issues currently influencing it

· Ability to actively monitor and manage the performance of the organisation, encouraging and supporting others to achieve the highest standards of governance, scrutiny, legal and financial responsibilities.

· Able to assess and manage risk and promote risk awareness without being risk averse.

· A strategic thinker, able to analyse complex information, demonstrate clear analytical intellect and guide rational decision making. Ability to apply creative and imaginative solutions, with good judgement and a commitment to results.

· Able to challenge appropriately and hold the Board and senior staff to account, with wider vision to raise standards across the organisation.

· Ability to lead and inspire the Board, encouraging inclusion and building confidence in the governance arrangements. Leading the Board in taking decisions for the good of SASSOT and delivering collective responsibility.

· Skilled at bringing people together to generate a strong team spirit, able to work collaboratively, building consensus and encouraging ‘cabinet style’ decision making.

· Demonstrate a strong and clear commitment to equality and diversity.

· Ability to inspire others and build trust and respect from colleagues and stakeholders.

· IT literate and comfortable with handling, analysing and prioritising data.

· Demonstrate proficiency in financial management, strategy and planning.

Personal Atrributes

· Commitment to SASSOT and its effective governance.

· Integrity and credibility.

· Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to the role.

· Effective self-management skills.

How to apply

Full details of the application process can be found here

Closing date for applications is Thursday 21 September 2017 at 12pm