Independent Chair of the Board

Organisation: British Ice Skating
Salary: Voluntary
Location: Mainly Online - Occasional attendance in Sheffield
Contract type: Volunteer (Part time)
Closing date: 31 July 2025
Interview date: 11 August 2025
Job Description: ROLE OVERVIEW

Term of Office: Four years.
Remuneration: The Chair role is voluntary. It is unpaid, though expenses will be refunded in line with the BIS Expenses Policy.
Time Commitment: Minimum of 20-30 days per annum.

KEY RESULTS AREAS
Chair meetings of the Board facilitating open discussion and debate bringing impartiality and objectivity to the decision-making process and ensuring a focus on strategy, added-value and accountability for the Executive.
Ensure that the Board fulfils its duties and responsibilities delivering effective governance, including the clear delegation of matters where appropriate.
Provide leadership of BIS and its Board ensuring that the Board sets the overall strategic direction of BIS.
Appraise the performance of the Board and its members on an annual basis and act on the outcomes.
Ensure that Board members are fully engaged and that decisions are taken in the best, long-term interests of BIS and that the Board takes collective ownership.
Foster and maintain constructive relationships with and between the Board members.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP & GOVERNANCE
Develop BIS’s strategic aims and objectives in accordance with its constitution, in partnership with the Board and the Chief Executive Officer.
Act as an ambassador for BIS’s strategic direction and promote its success. Ensure effective communication to BIS’s members and stakeholders.
Develop the knowledge and capability of the members of the Board, addressing and resolving any conflicts that may arise.
Ensure that the Board has a regularly reviewed succession plan and incorporates the right balance of skills, knowledge and experience needed to govern and lead BIS effectively.
Set and uphold the organisation’s values, driving a positive and constructive working culture.
Liaise with the senior independent director on appropriate agreed matters.
Ensure that the Board is able to regularly review major risks and associated opportunities, and satisfy itself that systems are in place to take advantage of opportunities, and manage and mitigate the risks.
Ensure that the Board fulfils its duties to ensure sound financial health of BIS, with systems in place to ensure financial accountability.
Ensure that any conflicts of interest at Board level are kept to a minimum and handled appropriately in line with BIS policy.
Lead the Board performance review and implement an appropriate action plan.

COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
Work closely with the other Board Directors and the Chief Executive to agree the Board agendas and ensure that the Board meetings are well planned.
Along with the Board, monitor the implementation of decisions taken at Board meetings.
Develop and maintain an open and supportive relationship with the Chief Executive including having regular contact and being an active partner.
Ensure that the Chief Executive has the opportunity for professional development and has appropriate external professional support, including carrying out their annual appraisal.
Facilitate periodic strategy discussions to ensure alignment between the Board's objectives and the long-term vision of BIS.
Actively participate in establishing external partnerships and fostering relationships that align with BIS's strategic goals and vision.
Maintain close relationships with key stakeholders and influencers such as UK Sport, the International Skating Union and the Home Nations’ Sports Councils.
Represent BIS at external functions, meetings and events, acting as an ambassador for BIS at all times and a spokesperson when appropriate to promote the Association and the sport of ice skating.

GENERAL DUTIES OF DIRECTORS
COLLECTIVELY AND INDIVIDUALLY WITH THE BOARD:
To provide leadership of BIS as a company within a framework of prudent and effective controls which enable risk to be assessed and managed.
To set the company’s strategic aims, ensuring that the necessary financial and human resources are in place for the company to meet its objectives, and to review management performance.
To set the company’s values and standards and ensure that its obligations to its members, to the sport and to other stakeholders (including funders and all its statutory obligations) are understood and met.
To exercise all reasonable care and judgement, and uphold the highest standards of integrity and probity, to safeguard the name and reputation of the company.
To constantly seek to establish and maintain confidence in the conduct and performance of the company.
To ensure the company accounts present a true and fair reflection of its actions and financial performance, and that the necessary internal financial control systems are put in place and monitored regularly and rigorously.
To constructively formulate, debate and implement the company’s aims and develop strategic proposals.
To scrutinise the performance of operational management in meeting agreed goals and objectives and to monitor the reporting of performance against agreed strategic and operational plans and budgets.
To develop a constructive working relationship with the Directors, CEO and Executive Team, providing support and guidance in areas of particular expertise and knowledge.
To uphold the values of the company as an appropriate role model and to ensure, as a Board member, that they promote equality, diversity and inclusion for all its members, staff and other stakeholders.
To proactively operate as a member of the Board in the decision-making process to ensure that full and complete consideration is given to all options during the process.
Together with fellow Board Directors and the Chief Executive Officer to report to the association's membership annually.
To attend BIS events and to represent the company externally where appropriate.
To sit on such Board or other committees or working groups as shall be decided from time to time either by the Board and that fit his/her experience; and, if appointed to such a Board or other committee or working group, to adhere to the relevant terms of reference.
To take responsibility for their own personal development, including maintaining a broad current knowledge of the work of BIS and undertaking training where appropriate.
To declare any interest in any proposed transaction or arrangement, to avoid conflicts of interest, and not to accept benefits from third parties.
To attend all Board and relevant Board Committee meetings unless exceptional circumstances prevail (please note: there are usually a minimum of four Board meetings each year).
To attend BIS events and wider UK sports sector conferences, seminars and functions as required. To comply at all times with the Board Code of Conduct and relevant BIS policies.
How to apply: Full details available on https://www.iceskating.org.uk/work-with-us If you would like to have an informal chat about the role, please get in touch with our CEO Maggie Still at maggie.still@iceskating.org.uk When you are ready to apply, please send a copy of your CV and a covering letter outlining how you meet the requirements of the role, plus a completed copy of the BIS Equality Monitoring Form, to maggie.still@iceskating.org.uk