Overview

Board Director – Remote, unpaid role; expenses paid. Voluntary. Join our Board. We\'re looking to expand our Board of Directors as we embark on our new four-year strategy.

About Us

Just Treatment organises patients to overcome corporate power and win equitable, universal access to the quality healthcare we all deserve. We work with people directly affected by health injustice and support them to step up into leadership roles, steering human story-centred campaigns that win systemic reforms. As we embark on an ambitious new four year strategy, we want to build on our powerful track record and evolve our proven theory of change so we can keep delivering winning patient-led campaigns in an increasingly hostile political, social, and economic context. Vital to realising our new strategic goals is the expansion of our board to add in diverse expertise, capacity, and support for our brilliant team at this exciting and challenging time for our work.

Purpose of the role

The purpose of the Board of Directors is to provide leadership, guidance, checks and balances on the structure and operation of the organisation.

The Board of Directors

• Fulfils the duties and responsibilities of Company Directors
• Advises on and approves strategic plans, annual roadmaps, and budgets, and any changes to these
• Identifies any risks to the organisation and advises on these
• Advises on and approves organisational policies and commitments, including grant and commercial agreements
• Advises on and approves organisational structure, including the structure and composition of the Board and any other Boards and Committees it deems necessary
• Provides oversight on the Executive Director, including their appointment, performance reviews, remuneration decisions, and delegated powers

“Our dedicated Directors form a great team that I love being a part of. We really care about the work and staff team, and we\'re keen to add value through our expertise as well as being eager and open to learning. Through mutual respect and listening to each other our meetings and interactions are really fruitful. I know I get a lot out of being part of this team and the opportunity to support the great work of Just Treatment.”

Adina Claire, Chair

“We’re very excited to be adding new Directors to our young board. So many of our rights are currently under attack, it feels incredibly important to be part of a team working intersectionally on the fight to secure health justice for all. As we’re launching into our next four year strategy we need to build our board to create a team that can help us meet this moment. The leadership of people with lived experience of the injustices we’re battling is central to our approach so we’re particularly keen to hear from people who have been personally impacted by the issues we work on.”

Diarmaid McDonald, Executive Director

The Practicalities

Time commitment:

• We have four full board meetings per year. Three of these are online and last for two hours, and one longer full day meeting is in person (likely in London). All costs will be covered. Directors are expected to attend these, and come prepared, having read all board papers in advance.
• We have additional committees such as Finance and Governance, and Directors will be expected to join a committee. There may be other events that Directors are invited to attend, and other opportunities to get involved.
• We also expect that Directors will provide ad hoc support based on their expertise and available time. We estimate the time commitment to be up to half a day per month.

What qualities should our board members have?

Our Board members are diverse while all having:

• Alignment with Just Treatment’s values
• Commitment to Just Treatment\'s mission

Our Board includes people who have:

• lived experience of the issues we work on
• experience leading and growing non-profit organisations in the UK, including leading their strategy and planning cycles, and fundraising efforts
• experience with different organisational forms and governance structures
• experience with shaping organisational cultures, policies and processes
• knowledge of health policy and health justice
• understanding of campaigning, advocacy, and organising practice

We are looking specifically to appoint up to three more Directors, and are seeking expertise in the following areas to add to our board:

• Finance - such as small company or charity accounting, financial policies and systems.
• People and Ops - such as safeguarding, HR policy and law, good practice and people development, progressive and anti-oppressive practice.

Accessibility

We encourage applications from people who are disabled or who face other oppressions or barriers. As a health justice organisation we encourage people with lived experience to join us. We also recognise the barriers that have traditionally stopped some people from getting involved with boards. Whilst this is an unpaid post, we will cover expenses such as travel or care costs that you may incur as a board member. We will also work with you to make this recruitment process as accessible as possible.

The Process

If you are interested in these roles and would like to discuss it further please email jobs@justtreatment.org and we will contact you to arrange an informal conversation at a convenient time during October. This will take place online and be one to one.

If you would like to apply please send your CV and a short statement(max 500 words)telling us why you would like to be a Director at Just Treatment and what you would bring to the board and team to jobs@justtreatment.org by midnight on the 26 October.

We’re also happy to accept alternative formats, like video or audio files (up to five minutes). Panel interviews for shortlisted candidates will be arranged during November (likely between 10 and 20 November), and will take place online, where you will meet other board members. A further interview may be possible, but we hope to appoint candidates at the board meeting on 11 December.