Overview & Context

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a world-renowned public service broadcaster with a mission to inform, educate, and entertain. The BBC seeks a new non-executive member to join the BBC Board. 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.

The BBC has engaged an executive search firm, Egon Zehnder, to manage the selection process for this role. Your application will be handled by Egon Zehnder, who will have access to your CV and personal details solely for this vacancy. Please confirm your consent for this by selecting YES or NO. If ‘NO’ is selected, we will be unable to progress the application.

Current Opportunity – Responsibilities

• 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 responsibilities include:
• 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 licence fee payers, and ensure it is assessing and meeting the needs of the diverse communities of the UK.

Role Specific Responsibilities

• 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 on the wider UK media market.
• Providing an independent, objective viewpoint to test and challenge management.
• Maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance, particularly with respect to financial reporting, internal controls and risk management.
• Being a personal role model for a strong, positive and inclusive culture within the BBC.

Are You The Right Candidate?

As a non-executive member of the BBC Board, candidates should demonstrate the essential skills and experience listed below, as well as additional desirable criteria. All candidates must demonstrate a commitment to the independence, mission and public purposes of the BBC, and meet a majority of the criteria to a high degree.

Essential Skills And Experience

• Experience working at the highest level of public service or commercial life in the UK.
• Experience of sitting on and/or chairing main boards of organisations of significant scale.
• Understanding of the key challenges, changes and opportunities facing public service broadcasting in the UK and global media.
• Ability to think strategically and independently across a wide range of subjects.
• Experience exercising strong financial stewardship and securing value for money.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship management skills, with the ability to represent the BBC to diverse stakeholders.

Additional Desirable Criteria

• Experience of top-level leadership within the UK Government or wider public sector.
• Experience of advancing technology innovation in an organization.
• Experience of managing or overseeing a large-scale UK arts, cultural or educational organization.
• Understanding of local and regional issues in under-represented parts of the UK.

Package Description

Meetings of the Board are predominantly in London, with the possibility of meetings at BBC sites within the UK. All members are required to attend Board meetings and some committee meetings. Time commitment is a minimum of 3-4 days per month, with more time may be required for those who chair committees. The core duties include:

• At least 6 formal Board meetings per year, plus supplementary meetings and preparation time.
• Studying Board papers and providing advice.
• Ad-hoc meetings with BBC management, audiences and stakeholders.

Applicants should be aware that periods of significant activity may require additional time, and candidates should demonstrate capacity and flexibility to undertake extra duties as required.

Fees: Base fee is £33,000 per annum. A committee chair fee of £5,000 is paid on top of the base fee for chairing a permanent committee. Term of appointment is up to four years, with the possibility of one renewal term.

Independence Of Members

The BBC requires that all non-executive directors are not politically active while serving on the Board. The majority of non-executive directors will be independent of the Corporation, assessed at appointment and annually by the Board, including checks on potential conflicts such as prior BBC employment, material business relationships, additional remuneration, or close family ties with BBC personnel.

Code Of Practice

All members are expected to conduct business openly and transparently and abide by the highest standards of corporate governance. The Board’s Code of Practice aligns with Nolan Principles of Standards in Public Life.

Disclaimer

This job description outlines essential characteristics and principal accountabilities. It is not a complete, detailed account of all duties involved. Employment screening checks will be conducted if offered the role, including references, eligibility to work, safeguarding and adverse media checks as applicable. Any offer is conditional on satisfactory checks.

For general queries, please contact: bbchr@bbc.co.uk