Associate director of finance and operations volunteer roles

Opportunity: Chair of the Finance and Risk Sub-committee, Board of Trustees

Open School East is at a pivotal moment in its development and is seeking a Chair of the Finance and Risk Sub-committee to help shape its next chapter.

Deadline for applications: Wednesday 30th September 2026

We are interested in hearing from candidates with expertise in:

• Finance: A person with experience in finance management or accounting, with the capacity to provide a strategic overview of finances, ensuring viability, compliance with relevant legislative frameworks, effective use of resources and ensuring that proper financial records and procedures are maintained.

We are especially keen to hear from people with knowledge of, or an interest in, education and the arts. By committing your time and expertise to our two meetings a quarter (full Trustee meeting and Chairing the Finance and Risk Sub-committee meetings), you can become part of a leading arts education charity, making a real difference to emerging creatives of all ages and from all backgrounds.

We also warmly welcome people who bring lived experience of the barriers OSE seeks to dismantle including people of colour, disabled people, those from working class backgrounds, or people with experience of marginalisation in the arts or education sectors.

ClientEarth is looking to add two to three new Trustees to our UK Board of Trustees.

Our Board of Trustees brings together experts from the private sector, B-Corps, non-profits and foundations, law, and the arts to guide and champion the ambition of ClientEarth in the wider environmental movement. They are driven by the urgency of the climate crisis and the relentless destruction of nature, and united in their belief in the law’s essential role in defending people and planet.

We are specifically seeking candidates with significant experience living and working in the EU or Asia-Pacific, given our depth of work in the former and rapid growth in the latter. We are also looking for candidates with the skills and willingness to take up roles on our Finance, Audit, & Investment Committee or our Governance & Risk Committee.

We are seeking outstanding people with diverse insights and experiences to help support this unique organisation in its next chapter. Will you join us?

An online Question and Answer session is scheduled for 10:30 BST / 11:30 CEST, Wednesday 5th August. Click through to the advert on our careers site to find the registration link.

Main duties

The ClientEarth UK Board of Trustees is responsible for agreeing ClientEarth’s overall programmatic and financial strategy; approving the annual budget; and ensuring sound governance, administration, and financial management.

Trustees also have oversight of arrangements for the appointment, supervision, support, appraisal, and remuneration of the Chief Executive Officer and the rest of the Executive Team. Day-to-day management of ClientEarth is delegated to the Chief Executive Officer, who onward delegates certain functions to the Executive Team, as well as members of the Global Leadership Group.

See our Trustee recruitment brochure, below, for further details.

Key requirements

• Knowledge of or a strong interest in conservation, biodiversity, climate change, and/or social justice
• Strategic vision, sound and independent judgment, and an understanding of the opportunities and challenges of working in a global organisation
• Leadership experience, preferably in finance, business, strategic communications, tech, law, or other relevant sectors
• Significant, relevant experience working in the EU or Asia-Pacific

See our Trustee recruitment brochure, below, for a detailed requirements list.

Further Information

UK Trustees serve a three-year term, and will be eligible for re-appointment for one additional term. In exceptional cases, or where necessary to fill a needed skill gap, a Trustee may be offered a third term.

We estimate that Trustees commit on average 8-10 days a year, not including travel.

There is no financial remuneration for Trustees, although Board-related travel expenses may be claimed.

Recruitment timeline

Please read the "Our Hiring Process" section at the bottom of our advert on our careers site for a full overview of our recruitment process. Please note we operate a two-stage application process as detailed below.

• Advertising period: July 13th through to 23:59 BST Tuesday September 15th 2026
• Additional questions submitted by: 18th September 2026
• First round interviews: Early to mid October TBC
• Second round interviews: Late October TBC
• Appointments confirmed by: Early December 2026

ClientEarth values diversity and inclusion and the benefits this brings. We aim to appoint the most suitable candidate at all times and welcome applications from people from all different backgrounds. See our equity, diversity and inclusion journey page for more.

ClientEarth is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal services to third parties.

Unreal offers support and information to people with lived experience of Depersonalisation and Derealisation (DPDR) - including people experiencing symptoms themselves and their carers, friends and families. We aim to raise awareness of DPDR, provide up-to date clinically-validated information, signpost people to relevant resources, push for policy change, assist in research studies and enable people living with DPDR to speak with others through our flagship Peer Support Programme to help support each other.

We are supported by a dedicated network of volunteers and ambassadors whose expertise and lived experience are central to what we do.

Despite being a small and relatively young charity, officially founded in 2019, we have established ourselves as the leading voice on DPDR in the UK and are proud of what we have achieved.

Unreal enters this next chapter from a position of real strength. We have established ourselves as the leading charity for DPDR in the UK, with a peer support programme that continues to grow in demand, strong relationships with clinicians, policymakers and researchers, and a clear strategic direction.

We have recently set our key priorities for 2026 to 2030, and we are looking for new board members who are excited to help us deliver on that ambition.

This is a significant moment for the charity. We are recruiting for trustees at a time when we have strong foundations, a clear sense of purpose, and real momentum. The people who join us now will help shape the next chapter of Unreal.

At such a pivotal time for the charity, and to help achieve our ambitions, we are looking for enthusiastic and committed individuals to join our Trustees.

We are currently recruiting:

• A HR/Governance Trustee

• A Finance Trustee

• A Fundraising Trustee

We welcome applications from people with or without previous trustee experience. What matters most is your commitment to our mission and the skills and perspectives you bring.

We have attached our recruitment pack with details of the individual roles. 

Time commitment

• Board meetings: monthly (9 per year), held online

• Full trustee days, held in person: twice a year

• Online Trustee meetings, twice a year

• Additional time required for specific projects or sub-committees

Support for new trustees

We are committed to making trusteeship at Unreal as accessible and rewarding as possible. All new board members will receive a full induction and training

Expenses

All reasonable expenses incurred in carrying out your role as a trustee will be reimbursed in line with our expenses policy.

What we are looking for

We are not looking for a particular type of person. We are looking for the right people. Within our trustees and board, we aim to bring together a range of skills, backgrounds and perspectives. 

Full role specifications for each position are included below. These set out the specific skills, experience and qualities we are looking for, alongside the responsibilities of the role.

In addition to the specified roles below, we will also be recruiting more widely, and welcome applications from anyone who fulfils the below general criteria. 

We particularly welcome applications from:

• People with lived experience of DPDR, including carers, friends and family members.

• Clinicians and researchers working in the field.

Skills and experience that are valuable to us include:

• Finance

• Fundraising

• HR

• Governance

• Expertise in the mental health or charity sector. 

We ask all trustees to commit to a term of three to four years. The Chair may be appointed for a term of up to five years.

Before you apply

Trustees of Unreal must meet the following eligibility criteria. Please check these before applying.

You must:

• Be 18 years of age or older

• Not be automatically disqualified under the Charities Act 2011. This includes any person: with undischarged bankruptcy those who has been declared bankrupt; that has entered into an IVA; been disqualified as a company director; or that has certain unspent criminal convictions relating to dishonesty, fraud or contempt of court

• Have no safeguarding restrictions that would prevent you from working with vulnerable people

• Be willing to declare any conflicts of interest and to complete a DBS check

If you are unsure whether any of the above applies to you, the Charity Commission website has further guidance.

All trustees are expected to uphold Unreal's Code of Conduct for Board Members. A copy will be shared with shortlisted candidates and must be signed on appointment.

General Trustee Responsibilities

Candidates should demonstrate:

• Commitment to the charity’s mission and values.

• Integrity, sound judgement and professionalism.

• Ability to contribute to effective governance and strategic decision-making.

• Willingness to act in the charity’s best interests at all times.

• Ability to work collaboratively and constructively as part of a board.

• Good communication and interpersonal skills.

• Understanding of confidentiality, accountability and conflicts of interest.

• Awareness of safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion responsibilities.

• Financial awareness and responsible oversight of resources.

• Sufficient time and commitment to fulfil trustee duties and attend meetings.

• Willingness to undertake training and ongoing development.

• Relevant professional, leadership, governance or lived experience would be advantageous.

How to apply

To apply, please send the following:

• A CV or brief summary of your relevant experience

• A short personal statement of up to 250 words setting out what you would bring to Unreal and why the role appeals to you

We ask that any applications submitted are in the candidate’s own words. 

Deadline

The closing date for applications is 27 August 2026.
Interviews are expected to take place in September 2026.

The Recruitment Process

We want to make this process as straightforward and human as possible. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an informal conversation with one or more of our trustees, giving you a chance to find out more about us and for us to learn more about you. Successful candidates will then be invited to a formal panel interview with set questions. 

Interviews will be held virtually, though if you would prefer to meet in person we will do our best to accommodate this.

We are committed to making this process as accessible as possible. If you require any adjustments to support your application or participation in the interview process, please do get in touch and we will do our best to accommodate you. 

We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in everything we do, including in how we recruit. We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience of DPDR, and from those who are underrepresented in charity leadership.