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BBC

Non-executive Board Member

Part timeHybrid · London, UK

HOW TO APPLY

The BBC is being assisted by Russell Reynolds in the recruitment process and queries on the process can be directed to them at [email protected]. Please be aware that your application will be managed by Russell Reynolds, who will have access to your CV and personal details for the purpose of this vacancy only.

This appointment is made by the Board, following a proposal by the Nominations Committee. Although not a formal public appointment, the process will be guided by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice.

OVERVIEW & CONTEXT

The British Broadcasting Corporation is the world’s leading public service broadcaster and occupies a special place in the cultural life of the UK.

The BBC’s mission is defined by Royal Charter: to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain.

It does this by delivering five public purposes:

1. To provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them

2. To support learning for people of all ages

3. To show the most creative, highest quality and distinctive output and services

4. To reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom’s nations and regions and, in doing so, support the creative economy across the United Kingdom

5. To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world.

The BBC is independent in all matters concerning the fulfilment of its mission and the promotion of the public purposes. It is funded primarily by the licence fee and seeks to deliver distinctive content that serves all audiences. It does this through:

  • a portfolio of television services, including the UK’s most popular channel BBC One, the 24-hour News Channel, acclaimed channels for Children and young people, as well as national and regional television programmes and services across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales;
  • ten UK-wide radio networks, providing the best live music and speech broadcasting in the UK, catering to all audiences;
  • two national radio services in each of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, catering to both English and indigenous language audiences, as well as 39 local radio stations across England and the Channel Islands, all of which provide a unique and local service to listeners;
  • award-winning and industry-defining digital products including iPlayer, BBC Sounds, apps for News, Sport and Weather, Children’s online services, as well as our vast digital archive; and
  • by providing trusted and impartial news for audiences across the world, delivered through the BBC World Service on television, radio and online in more than 40 languages.

In addition to this, the BBC’s Commercial operations – including the producer and distributor BBC Studios – generate additional revenue for investment in new programming and services for UK audiences.

The BBC has an annual income of c.£5bn, made up of licence fee and commercial revenues. It employs over 20,000 people and has bases across the UK and in 59 countries globally.

Each year the BBC is required to publish an Annual Plan, setting out details of its creative remit for the forthcoming year, and an Annual Report and Accounts, reporting back on performance in the previous year. Copies of these can be found here and here.

CURRENT OPPORTUNITY

Collectively, Board members are responsible for ensuring the BBC effectively, efficiently and independently exercises its functions as set out in the BBC’s Royal Charter and Framework Agreement.  These are, to:

  • Uphold and protect the independence of the BBC.
  • Ensure that the BBC fulfils its mission and promotes its public purposes.
  • Act in the public interest, ensuring that the benefits of decisions relating to the fulfilment of the mission and promotion of its purposes outweigh the costs.
  • Set the BBC’s strategic direction and budget.
  • Set a performance assessment framework and monitor delivery against it.
  • Set the BBC’s editorial and creative direction, and standards.
  • Ensure the proper handling of complaints about the BBC.
  • Ensure the effective and efficient management of the BBC and its commercial subsidiaries.
  • Exercise rigorous stewardship of public money, securing the effective and efficient management of the BBC’s finances.
  • Ensure that the BBC complies with its legal obligations including those set by the Royal Charter.
  • Consider proposals for material changes to the BBC’s UK Public Services, non-service activities, trading activities and commercial services.
  • Observe high standards of openness and seek to maximise transparency and accountability.
  • Appoint, and hold to account, the management of the BBC.
  • Monitor the BBC’s engagement with, and reporting of performance to, its stakeholders, in particular to licence fee payers, and ensure it is assessing and meeting the needs of the diverse communities of the UK.

JOB DESCRIPTION: MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Non-executive directors have particular responsibility for:

  • Bringing an external perspective to bear on the business of the BBC and contributing to the development of effective strategy and organisational change.
  • Ensuring that the Board’s decision-making is in the public interest informed by the best interests of the audience and with appropriate regard to the impact of decisions on the wider media market in the UK.
  • Providing an independent, objective viewpoint on the Board to test and constructively challenge management.
  • Playing a key role in ensuring that the BBC maintains the highest standards of corporate governance, particularly with respect to financial reporting, internal controls and risk management
  • Being a personal role model for, and taking an active and engaged interest in, a strong, positive and inclusive culture within the BBC.

ARE YOU THE RIGHT CANDIDATE?

As a non-executive member of the BBC Board the candidate should demonstrate the following essential skills and experience, as well as other desirable criteria.

Essential skills and experience

All candidates must be able to demonstrate a commitment to the independence, mission and public purposes of the BBC, as well as demonstrating they meet a majority of the following criteria to a high degree:

  • Experience of top-level leadership within business, the UK Government or the wider public sector, with insight into the dynamics and drivers of Government decision making and public service at the highest level.
  • Experience of sitting on and/or chairing main boards of organisations of significant scale as a non-executive director.
  • An understanding of the key challenges, changes and opportunities facing media organisations in both the UK and the broader global commercial sector, and the impact of these on audiences.
  • A proven ability to think through complex issues strategically, independently and imaginatively, across a wide range of subjects.
  • Experience exercising strong financial stewardship and securing value for money.
  • Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship management skills, and the ability to represent the BBC capably to a wide range of stakeholder groups, including audiences, parliamentarians and the media.

Additional desirable criteria

In addition to the essential skills and experience listed above, in order to ensure the required mix of skills on the Board experience in some or all of the following areas is considered to be desirable for candidates to demonstrate:

  • Experience of advancing technology innovation in their organisation or more broadly.
  • Experience of managing or overseeing a large scale UK arts, cultural or educational organisation.

PACKAGE DESCRIPTION

The majority of Board meetings will be held in London, although meetings of the Board (including committee meetings) can be held at any BBC site, generally within the UK.

All members of the Board will be required to attend Board meetings as well as some committee meetings. The chairing and membership of committees is determined by the Nominations Committee.

Time Commitment

The core time commitment for non-executive directors will be a minimum of 3-4 days a month, though more may be required for members who also Chair Board Committees. This includes:

  • A minimum of 6 formal Board meetings a year, plus informal Board calls in other months, committee meetings and preparation for meetings as necessary.
  • Studying Board papers and other written material, and providing advice.
  • Ad-hoc meetings with members of BBC management, audiences and stakeholders.

Applicants should be aware that, during periods of significant activity and change, they may need to devote more time to the role. Candidates will need to be able to demonstrate that they have the capacity and flexibility to undertake additional duties and to commit additional time, as required.

Fees

The fees for non-executive directors are set by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and are as follows:

  • The base fee for all non-executive directors is £33,000 per annum.
  • A committee chair fee of £5,000 is paid on top of the base fee for chairing one of the permanent committees of the Board.

Term of appointment

It is expected that the appointment will be for a period of up to four years, with the possibility of renewal for one additional term.

INDEPENDENCE OF MEMBERS

The BBC requires that all non-executive directors are not politically active whilst serving on the Board.

Additionally, in accordance with best practice in corporate governance the majority of non-executive directors of the BBC Board will be required to be demonstrably independent of the Corporation. Independence will be assessed at the point of appointment and also annually by the Board itself.

The criteria by which independence will be assessed will include whether a candidate:

  • has been an employee of the BBC, or BBC Group, within the last five years;
  • has or has had within the last three years a material business relationship with the BBC either directly, or as a partner, shareholder, director or senior employee of a body that has such a relationship with the BBC;
  • has received or receives additional remuneration from the BBC apart from a Director’s fee, or is a member of the BBC's pension scheme; or
  • has close family ties with any of the BBC's advisers, directors or senior employees.

CODE OF PRACTICE

In carrying out these responsibilities, all members will be expected to conduct business openly and transparently and in accordance with the highest standards of corporate governance.

The Board has established a Code of Practice in line with the Nolan Principles of Standards in Public Life; all members will be expected to abide by these.