*Closes 14th November*

The Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, is seeking to appoint a Cabinet Office Lead Non-Executive Board Member (NEBM) to the Cabinet Office Board. The Lead NEBM is responsible for providing strategic oversight and leadership of the department’s NEBMs. They will support the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the Permanent Secretary by providing sound advice, challenge, and assurance.

Dear Candidate,

Thank you for your interest in this vacancy for a Cabinet Office Lead Non-Executive Board Member of the Cabinet Office Board. You may already have some idea about the important work of the Cabinet Office Board; the following pages will tell you more about the Cabinet Office Board its purpose, the nature of the Board and this Cabinet Office Lead Non-Executive Board Member role, as well as the application process. Please do also view the Cabinet Office Board website to understand their work: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office-board.
If, after reading the material, you have further questions about any aspect of this post you are welcome to speak to the Cabinet Office Governance Team via governance@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you have questions about the appointment process, you can contact the Cabinet Office Public Appointments Team via coappointments@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
If you believe you have the experience and qualities we are seeking, we very much look forward to hearing from you.
Cat Little CB, Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary

Role description

The Lead Non-Executive Board Member role is varied and covers a range of issues and agendas. No month will look the same but general activities include:

  • Working closely with the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the Permanent Secretary to support the effective delivery of their priorities.
  • Acting as a trusted sounding board to ministers and senior officials as appropriate, on apolitical considerations including operational delivery; financial management; risk appetite; talent/people; technology and management information.
  • Providing leadership and oversight of the department’s non-executive team, ensuring members are engaging on priorities effectively and providing support where appropriate.
  • Providing mentorship, scrutiny, challenge and advice about the operational implications of policy, delivery and transformation proposals by:
  • Reviewing the department’s business plans and challenging progress;
  • Scrutinising reporting from the department on performance and challenging the department on its appropriateness as well as progress.
  • Supporting and ensuring appropriate approval processes are followed, identifying and mitigating risks, and ensuring pragmatic governance is adhered to.
  • Undertaking deep dives into departmental risks and material delivery challenges.
  • Attending occasional government-wide meetings for lead non-executives to share best practice and to ensure the department learns from the successes and failures of comparable organisations.

Cabinet Office Lead Non-Executive Board Member

Number of vacancies x 1

Time commitment x 24 day(s) per annum

Remuneration £20000 per annum

Length of term 3 years

Application deadline Midday on 14 November 2024

 Organisation description

The Cabinet Office supports the Prime Minister and ensures the effective running of government. It is also the corporate headquarters for the government, in partnership with HM Treasury, taking the lead in certain critical policy areas.

We currently employ around 9,000 staff with our main offices in London and Glasgow, but we have staff based around the country. The Cabinet Office is supported by a number of arms’ length bodies.

We have responsibility for:

  • Supporting collective government, helping to ensure the effective development, coordination and implementation of policy
  • Promoting efficiency and reform across government through innovation, better procurement and project management, and by transforming the delivery of services
  • Supporting the National Security Council and the Joint Intelligence Organisation, coordinating the government’s response to crises and managing the UK’s cyber security
  • Promoting the release of government data, and making the way government works more transparent
  • Creating an exceptional Civil Service, improving its capability and effectiveness
  • Political and constitutional reform

Regulation of appointment

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the Commissioner’s website 

Person specification

Essential criteria

  • Board level senior experience in leading a large and complex organisation;
  • Excellent understanding of corporate governance with the ability to provide assurances to an accounting officer/ CEO equivalent and Board;
  • A good strategic awareness with the ability to recognise wider implications when providing advice;
  • A proven track record of delivering major programmes such as large scale corporate transformation programmes;
  • A collaborative working style with the ability to build effective and trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across a varied portfolio;
  • Ability to grasp complex issues at pace and provide strong challenge and advice to find solutions.

Desirable criteria

  • Excellent knowledge of government and public sector operations, reform, delivery and finances;
  • Experience of systems leadership and setting up big systems for success in complex environments (supporting the department’s mission delivery role); and
  • Previous non-executive board member experience on a public or private sector board.

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in.

Once you are logged into your account, click on ‘apply for this role’ and follow the on-screen instructions. To apply, all candidates are required to provide:

  • a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • a supporting statement
  • equality information
  • information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues

We will ask you to check and confirm your personal details to ensure your application is accurate.

You will also have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment request or apply under the disability confident scheme before you submit your application.