Vacancy: Finance and General Purposes Committee - Independent Member

The British Geriatrics Society (BGS) is the professional association for NHS doctors, nurses and other healthcare specialists engaged in the treatment and care of older people across the UK, united by a mission to improve healthcare for older people. We have over 4,500 members who work in acute, community and primary care. BGS is a registered charity with an annual turnover of around £1.2million. BGS has three main income streams: membership subscriptions, income from professional development activities and events, and income from Age and Ageing Journal. BGS has an investment portfolio of around £4 million.

The role

We are seeking an Independent Member for the BGS Finance and General Purposes Committee (Finance Committee) to complement the skills and experience of current Committee members, who are recruited from our membership and the Trustee Board. The role of the Finance Committee Independent Member is to support the Finance Committee with knowledge, expertise, and experience to make decisions and advise the Trustee Board on BGS financial and operational matters.

Main responsibilities

  • Support and keep the Finance Committee informed about their financial duties and responsibilities including compliance with relevant legislation and Charity Commission guidance.
  • Support the Finance Committee on the financial implications of BGS activities, and its present and future financial needs. 
  • Support the Finance Committee with governance oversight on other operational areas such as Risk Management, Investment, HR, premises, and IT.

The candidate

The ideal candidate will be from a financial background, but also have broader management experience in areas such as governance, IT and digital strategy. The role will suit a qualified accountant who wishes to expand their Board and Governance experience.
 
The successful candidate will bring sound judgement and insight to the Finance Committee and will be prepared to scrutinize the work of the BGS on a range of topics.

Time commitment

Members serve for three years; the committee meets four times a year (currently virtually) and is chaired by the BGS Honorary Treasurer. Each meeting lasts around two hours and committee members need to allow some time beforehand to review papers, which cover financial matters, HR, IT infrastructure and other governance issues.

Expenses

The role is unremunerated, but any travelling expenses will be covered in accordance with BGS expenses policy if the committee meet in person (at the BGS London office in Farringdon).

Application process

Applicants are asked to send a CV and a statement of up to 400 words setting out why they are applying for this role and what they would bring to it. The deadline for applications has been extended to 10 am on Monday 6 June 2022. Applications should be sent to Mark Stewart at the BGS: m [dot] stewart [at] bgs [dot] org [dot] uk
 
Interviews will be held virtually on 8 June 2022. The start date for the role is likely to be July 2022 with exact details agreed with the successful candidate.
 
If you would like to have an informal chat about the role beforehand Janet Sarll, Director of Business Support will be very pleased to speak with you and answer any questions. j [dot] sarll [at] bgs [dot] org [dot] uk