Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee

Inclusive Boards is delighted to be supporting St Hilda’s College Oxford in their search for an inaugural independent Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee. 

St Hilda’s College was founded by Dorothea Beale in 1893 as a Hall for Women Students. The College received its first Royal Charter in 1926 when it was incorporated under the title “Principal and Council of St Hilda’s College, Oxford”. In 1960, it became a College of the University, and since 2008 has welcomed the admission of male students.

The College is seeking to recruit an independent Chair for the newly-established Audit and Risk Committee to assist the Governing Body in fulfilling its governance and oversight responsibilities by monitoring and reviewing the following aspects of its work:

• Integrity of financial statements.
• Mechanisms through which the College ensures its financial sustainability and value for money.
• Effectiveness of risk management policies, processes and oversight.
• Effectiveness of internal controls.
• Mechanisms through which the College ensures ongoing compliance of the College with the conditions and principles of the Charity Commission, Office for Students and other legislation under which the College operates.
• Consideration and approval of plans for external and, where appropriate, internal audits.
• Effectiveness of arrangements for corporate governance and making recommendations about these to the Governing Body.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of the audit and risk function at St Hilda’s College. The person specification for this opportunity is as follows.

Essential:

• A good knowledge and experience of working in a senior finance role.
• Experience and an excellent understanding of audit and risk.
• Experience as a Trustee and a good understanding of the role and operation of an Audit and Risk Committee.
• Board level leadership experience with the ability to provide constructive advice and challenge in a manner which inspires confidence and enables a culture of continuous improvement.
• The ability to think strategically, analyse information and debate complex issues.
• The ability to work effectively as part of a team, to motivate and empower others to achieve desired outcomes.
• A commitment to the tenets of diversity, equality and inclusion.
• A commitment to the Nolan Principles.

Desirable:

• A good understanding of charity finance and accounting.
• Holds a CCAB qualification.
• Knowledge of the tertiary education sector.