Lay Trustee

Lay Trustee – Digital Transformation, Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS)

Location: Hybrid, with attendance at London meetings Remuneration: Unremunerated (expenses covered)

Type: Non-Executive / Governance Role

About the Royal College of Surgeons of England

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) is a historic and globally recognised professional body, dedicated to advancing surgical practice, improving patient outcomes, and influencing healthcare standards worldwide. With 26,000 members and a mission that touches clinicians, students, policymakers, and the public, the College plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of surgery.

RCS is partway through an ambitious programme of digital modernisation. Following significant recent investment in platforms, infrastructure, data systems and digital capability, the College is entering a new and exciting phase: turning strong digital foundations into genuine organisational transformation.

This is a rare opportunity to influence digital strategy at national level within an institution committed to modernising, becoming more agile, and expanding its impact across the health landscape.

What You Can Look Forward To

As a Lay Trustee on the Digital Committee, you will help shape the future digital direction of a high-impact organisation at a genuine turning point.

You will:

· Guide and Influence Strategic Digital Transformation

· Provide Robust Challenge and Expert Insight

· Champion a Confident, Ethical and Forward-Thinking Approach

· Coach and Encourage Teams Driving Change

· Shape the Digital Culture of a National Institution

Why This Role Matters

· The organisation is at a pivotal moment.

· Your expertise will directly influence national impact.

· You will support an organisation genuinely trying to evolve.

· You will be part of a warm, committed and mission-driven Board.

About You

The College is seeking a strategic digital leader who can challenge constructively, inspire confidence, and bring fresh perspective.

Skills and Experience

· Strong grounding in digital transformation, either from a “hard tech” perspective (systems, data, infrastructure) or “soft digital” (web, UX, content, CRM engagement) - ideally with appreciation for both.

· Understanding of data strategy, CRM value, and digital member/user engagement.

· Awareness of cybersecurity, technology resilience and digital risk.

· Knowledge of responsible and ethical AI, with a positive and future-oriented outlook.

· Experience in membership organisations, B2C digital engagement, or resource-constrained environments is highly advantageous.

· Ability to operate confidently at Board level, providing high-quality governance oversight without becoming operational.

Personal Attributes

· Strategic, visionary and ambitious - yet pragmatic about scale and resources.

· Empathetic, relatable and skilled at building trust.

· A natural coach and mentor who builds confidence in others.

· Comfortable challenging senior stakeholders constructively.

· Values-driven, collaborative, and motivated by public-good impact.

Recruitment Timeline

To ensure equitable access to information and uphold the RCS’ commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, the charity will be hosting a Q&A webinar in place of individual informal calls. We encourage all interested candidates to submit questions in advance, which will be addressed during the session. Please register your interest in attending this webinar on Wednesday 22nd April 2026 and we will send you a link.

Application Deadline: 5pm Friday 8th May 2026

Interviews: w/c 25th May 2026