ActionAid is an international charity that works with women and girls living in poverty. Our dedicated local staff are changing the world with women and girls. We are ending violence and fighting poverty so that all women, everywhere, can create the future they want.

We are recruiting for a volunteer Vice Chair to join the AAUK Board to help lead us as we deliver on our commitments.

We are keen to receive applications from those with a proven ability to work at a strategic governance level, with the ability to ask probing questions and to hold management to account. Previous Board experience is not mandatory, but would be an advantage.

In particular, the Vice Chair is responsible for: -

• Chairing meetings and undertake other responsibilities of the Chair as requested in the absence of the Chair.
• Supporting and assisting the Chair in carrying out Chair's functions as requested.
• In particular, support the Chair as requested in relation to Board governance, including Trustee appraisals and recruitment of new Trustees.
• Advises the Chair on appointing Trustees to Committees and to key leadership positions.
• Lead and coordinate the appraisal process to assess the Chair’s performance.
• Act as the designated ‘go-to’ person where any Trustee has a concern or complaint that s/he feels they cannot discuss with the Chair in the first instance.
• Chair the Governance and Relations Committee
• Provide leadership to the Board and ensure that Trustees fulfil their duties and responsibilities for the values, proper governance, sound strategy and financial sustainability of AAUK in line with our objects, strategy, legislation and policies.

We ask that all applicants passionately support our mission to create a world where women live free from violence and poverty. In 2019, we launched our My Feminist Behaviours to implement Feminist Leadership Principles into our workplace, in order to work towards a positive and inclusive use of power, to create an organisation which is capable of changing the world. We are therefore looking for people enthusiastic to see this work taken forward and committed to our approach (though previous experience in feminist leadership is not a requirement).

We are keen to increase the diversity of our Board because people from a BAME background, who have a disability, or who identify as LGBTQI are currently under-represented on our Board and this is something we are committed to changing. Therefore, we particularly welcome applications from candidates from these groups. 

Applicants must be in a position to commit the required amount of time to the role of Trustee. This includes attendance at four board meetings per year; in March, June, September and December, as well as several committee meetings per year plus preparation and advance reading for these.

The role is voluntary and therefore unpaid, but we do pay reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.

If you have the passion to work within an organisation committed to working with women and girls living in poverty to enable them to change their lives for good, we are keen to receive your application.

Interviews will be held virtually on:

• Thursday 26 August 
• Tuesday 31 August after 1pm
• Wednesday 01 September all day
• Thursday 09 September all day.

We are not able to offer any alternative interview dates due to the availability of our Trustees to take part in the interview panel. If you cannot make any of these dates should you be invited to interview we will endeavour to accomodate you although we would ask for you to be as flexible as possible.

If you have any questions about the application process please contact Lucy Farrington on Lucy.Farrington@actionaid.org, or the role, please contact Victoria Skinner, Company Secretary, on Victoria.Skinner@actionaid.org.