Hr officer or hr advisor volunteer roles

Inclusive Boards is delighted to support University of Birmingham Guild of Students in their search for their next Chair of Trustees. 

The Guild of Students plays a key and pivotal role in the student experience at Birmingham, offering a range of services and activities which not only help to attract students to the University, but which also contribute to a vibrant student experience, as well as supporting the wider sense of community and belonging.

The breadth of the Guild’s service and activity portfolio is comparable with other large students’ unions in the Russell Group and as an organisation the Guild is well regarded within the sector. As leaders in the field, the Guild has paved the way in key areas such as representation, student groups and societies, social opportunities, events and activities.

About the Chair opportunity

This is a brilliant opportunity to join an award-winning, multifaceted, and complex charity as our next Chair of Trustees. The Trustee Board is collectively responsible for overseeing the affairs of the Guild and ensuring that the Guild works for and with its membership in all that it does.  The Chair’s role is to steward this at the highest level. They act as a role model for the Board, maintaining the highest standards of good governance, with a focus on strategy, risk, and long-term sustainability.

They must ensure a culture of inclusion, trust, and openness where all Trustees contribute their views and expertise, and champion student democracy. The Chair will work closely with the President and Chief Executive Officer, supporting them to achieve the aims and objectives of the Guild’s strategy and vision, and ensure the Guild meets the needs of its diverse student membership.

We are in the final year of the Guild’s 2022-27 strategy (aligned to the University’s priorities under its strategic framework, ‘Birmingham 2030’), making this a formative time as we look beyond 2027, in a challenging time for the Higher Education sector. We are seeking skilled leadership to continue to support us to deliver excellence and are, therefore, looking for an experienced non-executive, with demonstrable experience of supporting organisations at Board level.

The Guild values applications from a wide range of backgrounds that are reflective of the full diversity of Birmingham’s community, in particular from Black, Asian, and minoritised ethnicities as we seek to continually enhance diversity within our governance structures.

We would encourage candidates with current or previous experience in charities or the public sector, with experience of chairing meetings and of non-executive leadership, to apply. A connection to the Guild or University and/or to the West Midlands area is also beneficial, but not essential. Full details are outlined in the role description and person specification.

As the Guild has grown in the past few years, our risk management, financial controls, and body of policies and procedures have also matured. Following the scheduled departure of two trustees earlier this year, the Guild’s Finance Subcommittee is seeking to welcome an independent member with relevant skills to attend meetings and advise on financial matters to help us make good decisions effectively.

This voluntary role supports trustees and staff by providing independent insight, constructive scrutiny, and professional expertise on financial planning, budgeting, risk, and long-term sustainability. As a guest to Finance Subcommittee meetings, you will review financial information, contribute to discussions, and help ensure resources are used effectively to maximise our charitable impact for students.

The Finance Subcommittee currently consists of two elected Officers, two external Trustees, and may include a student trustee in future. Papers and reports are ordinarily provided by the Guild Director, who is a non-voting guest to Subcommittee meetings. The Subcommittee normally meets four times per year for around two hours.

Students’ Union experience is not essential, but we are seeking a volunteer able to operate within our distinctive context. We are particularly interested in applicants with experience in finance, accounting, audit, charity governance, or business management.

Volunteer Trustees

Volunteer Trustee opportunities

We are seeking to appoint new Trustees to become actively involved in the strategic direction, governance and decision making of the charity.  As a Trustee you will join a dynamic and supportive team committed to making a difference to people affected by cancer.  With a new, incoming Chair, this is an exciting time to join the Board as it works toward shaping the charity’s future.  The role offers the opportunity to make a lasting impact while providing a rewarding and satisfying experience that enables personal development and growth.

The charity is happy to hear from people across the country and in particular anyone with the following experience or expertise.

Healthcare
Medical Practitioners or Allied Health Professionals with recent experience of working with cancer patients/or cancer treatment, ideally within the NHS.

Commercial
The Penny Brohn UK National Centre offers external organisations a unique environment for their own business use which includes daily and residential bookings as well as tenancy agreements.  Due to a successful period of growth in recent years, the charity would welcome the expertise of a Trustee with significant experience in this area who can support the development of this income stream further.

Values and Behaviours
All Trustees are expected to uphold and model Penny Brohn UKs values of courage, resilience, compassion, warmth and community and to champion an inclusive, evidence-informed approach to holistic cancer care.

Support for new Trustees
New Trustees are fully supported through a planned induction into the organisation, starting with an introduction to each area of the Charity.

Time commitment
The Trustee Board meet four times in-person each year at the National Centre in Bristol on Fridays, generally between 9am – 4pm.  Trustee representation is also required on one or two online sub-committees, which are held up to four times per year for each committee and Trustees will be appointed to the sub-committees once recruited into post in accordance with their relevant skills and experience.  Attendance is also required for the AGM and an annual Trustee Away Day as well as occasional events or strategic discussions

Attendance at Key Events
As ambassadors for the Charity, the Trustee Board is encouraged to ensure that there is Trustee representation at key events throughout the calendar year such as fundraising, networking and other high-profile events.

Tenure
Trustees are appointed for a three-year term with a maximum appointment of four terms (12 years).

 Expenses
All Trustees are eligible to be reimbursed for expenses incurred whilst on Board business, this includes attendance at Board Meetings.  Eligible expenses include:

• Reimbursement of petrol costs, rate currently set at 45p per mile, (15p per mile after 500 miles incurred annually) or the equivalent 2nd class rail fare, whichever is the lower.
• Any car parking fees associated with the travel.

Thank you for your interest in this important voluntary role.  For further information, please download the attached information pack.

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Trustee at Penny Brohn UK. For full details about the role, recruitment process and application requirements, please download the attached information pack and visit the Penny Brohn UK website, where you will find instructions on how to submit your application.

At Penny Brohn UK, we are committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion throughout the organisation.  We are proactively taking action to support EDI and Wellbeing to support our ethos of creating a diverse culture that is reflective of both our employees and the lived experience of all communities touched by cancer. We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

Non-Executive Director (Board member) 

Positive Money is a leading international think tank and campaign organisation working to redesign our economic system for social justice and a liveable planet. We publish research, advocate for our proposals with politicians, policymakers, and the press, collaborate with civil society, and mobilise our community of supporters with digital campaigns. We work across six key areas: racial economic justice, finance and democracy, green finance, the future of money, housing, and macroeconomics.

We are seeking up to 4 new Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) to join the board of Positive Money UK. Our board is a non-executive body responsible for the organisation’s vision, mission, strategic direction, finances and governance. These positions are voluntary and unremunerated. Our board meets four times per year at our office in Vauxhall, and NEDs also support the organisation via membership of occasional working groups, or in reviewing policies or other documents.

We are looking for people who will bring strategic insight and either have, or wish to develop, a good understanding of governance. At a time when the funding landscape for our sector is volatile, we are also seeking people who can bring insight, experience or new connections to our fundraising efforts. We are also seeking a candidate with a strong finance background to take over from our current Non-Executive Finance Director, who will be retiring at the end of his term by the end of 2027. We are not seeking all these attributes in each candidate, and recognise that different candidates will bring different strengths and skillsets. See our application pack (link below) for full details

We are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility and aim to dismantle oppression in all areas of our work. If you have any questions or considerations you would like us to accommodate in the recruitment process, please contact us.

Contract: Voluntary unremunerated position

Time commitment: Attendance at four board meetings annually, including at least three in person. NEDs may also be asked to review policies, proposals or other documents for the organisation or serve on occasional working groups. NEDs generally spend 3-5 hours per month on Board work.

Deadline: Closing date for applications is 9am Mon 7th Sept with interviews held on Wed 16th Sept

There will also be an open webinar on Wed 26th August at 6pm at which some current board members and Co-ED’s at Positive Money will speak a little more about the organisation and the role, and take questions.

Start Date: We aim to appoint new NEDs formally at our Dec board meeting. We may also invite successful candidates to attend some upcoming strategy development sessions this autumn, see application pack for dates and further details.

How to apply: Please visit our website vacancies page to view a full application pack and details of how to apply.