Development director volunteer roles

Our trustees and non-executive directors play a vital role in making sure that the group achieves its core purpose. They oversee the overall management and administration of the charity. They also ensure that there is a clear strategy and that our work and goals are in line with our vision.

Just as importantly, they support and challenge the CEO and executive team in the exercise of their delegated authority and affairs, to enable Thrive Social Housing and Emerging Futures CIC to grow and thrive, and through this, achieve our mission.

The Board operates under the leadership and guidance of the chair and works in partnership with the chief executive officer and the executive team.

Board members are expected to always act in the best interests of the organisation and its stakeholders, and to use their background knowledge and skills to work with the chair and other board members to ensure that the Board, supported by its committees, carries out its responsibilities effectively and lead from the top in demonstrating our culture, values and behaviours.

Board members have a collective responsibility. This means that trustees always act as a group and not as individuals.

The e-Assessment Association (eAA) is the leading professional membership body promoting better assessment through technology. We bring together awarding organisations, education providers, technology suppliers, researchers and policymakers to advance high-quality, innovative assessment practice in the UK and internationally.

We are now seeking a new Chair of the Board to lead the next phase of the Association’s development.

This is a high-impact governance role for an experienced senior leader who is passionate about assessment, education and technology, and who enjoys working collaboratively to make a difference across a complex and evolving sector.

Why this role matters

The Chair plays a pivotal role in shaping the direction, influence and effectiveness of the eAA.

Working with a committed Board of Directors and a small, professional operational team, the Chair provides strategic leadership, ensures strong governance, and acts as an ambassador for the Association and its members.

The Chair of the eAA Limited also serves as Chair of the Board of e-Assessment Services Limited, the Association’s trading subsidiary, supporting the sustainability and growth of the organisation.

This is an opportunity to:

• lead a respected, member-led organisation at the forefront of digital assessment;
• influence policy, practice and debate across assessment and education technology;
• support the continued professionalisation and growth of the Association; and
• work with a knowledgeable, engaged Board and an experienced executive team.

The role is supported by an annual honorarium of £6,000 in recognition of the time commitment and responsibility involved.

What you’ll be doing

As Chair, you will:

Provide strategic leadership

• Lead the Board in setting the strategic direction of the Association and monitoring progress against agreed objectives.
• Support the long-term sustainability, relevance and impact of the eAA.

Ensure strong governance

Ensure the Association operates within its governance framework and complies with all statutory and fiduciary duties.
Foster a positive, inclusive and professional Board culture that encourages open discussion, diverse perspectives and collective decision-making.
Work closely with the Vice-Chair and other Directors to maintain continuity and effective governance processes.
Support and challenge the Executive

• Provide support, guidance and constructive challenge to the CEO and operations team.
• Oversee performance against strategic and operational goals.
• Review budgets, management accounts and strategic plans in collaboration with the Treasurer and executive team.

Represent and advocate

• Act as an ambassador for the Association with members, partners, sponsors and external stakeholders.
• Represent the eAA at key events, including the e-Assessment International Conference and Awards.
• Use your networks and credibility to enhance the Association’s profile and influence.

Essential experience and attributes

• Senior leadership experience within assessment, education or educational technology.
• A strong understanding of assessment principles and the role of technology in transforming assessment practice.
• Demonstrated Board-level governance experience, ideally within a company limited by guarantee, charity or membership organisation.
• Excellent chairing and facilitation skills, with the ability to lead a diverse Board effectively.
• Strategic thinking, integrity and the confidence to provide constructive challenge.
• Strong communication and ambassadorial skills.

Desirable

• Experience of working in or alongside professional associations or member-led organisations.
• Established networks across education, assessment and technology sectors.
• Experience representing an organisation publicly at conferences or sector events.

Kaleidoscope Trust is a UK-based international charity working for a future where LGBTI+ people everywhere can live free, safe and equal lives. For more than 13 years, we have worked in partnership with governments, activists and community organisations to provide funding, capacity building, research and advocacy support to grassroots movements across the Commonwealth and beyond. In the UK, we work across politics, diplomacy and civil society to ensure LGBTI+ rights remain a central part of the UK’s foreign policy and are championed within international institutions.

We are operating at a defining moment for global LGBTI+ rights. Across many countries, hard-won freedoms are being challenged by increasingly organised anti-rights movements, shrinking civic space and growing political hostility. Yet this period also demands ambition, resilience and solidarity. Having navigated a period of significant challenge, Kaleidoscope Trust has emerged with renewed strategic focus, strengthened partnerships and a clear commitment to supporting LGBTI+ organisations on the frontlines of change.

This next chapter includes the work of our Global LGBTI+ Rights Commission, bringing together research, advocacy and convening power to better understand and respond to the global rollback of rights. We continue to believe progress is possible when communities, governments and civil society work together – and we are looking for a Chair who shares that belief and can help lead Kaleidoscope Trust through this critical period.

We are now looking for a new Chair to lead our Board at this pivotal moment. Our Chair is responsible for ensuring that the board operates effectively and oversees a clear strategic direction for the charity, providing ambassadorial leadership as needed and constructive, supportive partnership with our CEO, Alex Farrow and our Senior Leadership Team. But critically, they will be a calm voice and fierce advocate as we navigate this rapidly shifting landscape. 

We’re looking for someone familiar navigating complex human rights systems with the ability to foster high performing governance that enables our team to build connections and to recalibrate for best impact. The successful person will have prior Chair or non-executive experience, or at a minimum sustained Director-level board exposure. They will be an enabling, facilitative leader able to foster robust debate and decision-making, they will be comfortable advocating for the rights of LGBTI+ people and supporting our charity to remain financially sustainable and adaptive to evolving risk.

It’s important to us that as a Board, we represent the people that we are working to support. We know that diverse boards are the most effective, they can think creatively and hold each other to account, therefore we are particularly looking for applications from trans people, women, People of the Global Majority, people without a degree, working class people and people of faith.

Download the candidate pack for the full role profile and assessment process, and for a conversation about the opportunity, please contact Tanya Stevens at our search partner All Leaders.

This is a voluntary, hybrid position requiring attendance at several board meetings per year at Kaleidoscope’s London offices, several online sub-committee meetings, with wider remote advisory support totalling 10-15 days per year. The Chair commits to a three year term, which is once renewable. Travel expenses for interviews and board commitments will be covered as required. Discussions regarding access needs are welcome. 

The closing date for applications is midday on Tuesday, 23 June. 

About CSE

The Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) supports people and organisations across the UK to tackle the climate emergency and end the suffering caused by cold homes. We undertake practical work to support households and communities to act on energy, alongside original research and analysis to inform local and national policy.

We are one of the UK’s leading sustainable energy charities, with a 45-year track record of award-winning impact, innovation and influence, as most recently detailed in our 2024–25 Impact Report available on our website.

About the role

Our Board of Trustees is critical to our continuing success. Trustees work collaboratively, providing support, insight and constructive challenge to help shape CSE’s strategy and ambition, and enhance our effectiveness and charitable impact.

Due to the planned stepping down of some of our board members, we are recruiting up to four new trustees to join the board and provide effective governance and support in the next phase of CSE’s development.

Who we’re looking for

All applicants should be able to demonstrate a strong interest in and commitment to CSE’s work and charitable objectives.

We are particularly seeking new trustees who bring expertise in at least one of the following areas:

• Knowledge and understanding of the community energy sector, including the challenges and opportunities of delivering local or community energy projects, and how these connect to national policy
• Expertise in organisational development, with a good appreciation of issues associated with employment law
• Experience of finance, accounting and audit, for example through holding a role with financial responsibility in an organisation or from having set up, grown or led a business
• Strong knowledge of voluntary and community sector (VCS) networks, including practical experience of community organising and an understanding of the role grassroots organisations play in affecting social change

We would also welcome applicants who bring:

• Broader expertise directly associated with at least one of CSE’s work programmes (fuel poverty advice and support, housing energy retrofit, community action on energy, local net zero delivery, future generations, or fairness in the energy system)
• Understanding of the causes and impacts of fuel poverty, and the solutions required to tackle it
• Knowledge of the UK energy system, including the policy and regulatory environment, and the transition to a fairer, more flexible, decarbonised energy system
• An understanding of the national policy environment underpinning CSE’s work, including experience of influencing national energy policy

We are keen to widen the range of perspectives represented on the board and welcome applications from young people, people from under-represented groups, disabled people, and people with lived experience of CSE’s work.

If you are interested but unsure whether you meet all of the criteria, we would encourage you to apply or get in touch for an informal conversation.

Find out more and apply

For more information on the role, including the full person specification and how to apply, please see the trustee candidate pack on our website. 

Closing date: Midday on Wednesday 10 June 2026.