The University Council is the governing body which contributes to the development of the University and plays an important part in shaping, determining and championing the University’s strategy and acts as an advocate for every member of staff and the student community. The Council has responsibility for the administration of the University, for managing its resources, and for supporting and guiding the senior management in the delivery of the strategy and achieving its bold ambitions.
As a Lay Member, you will contribute to the Council helping to ensure that the University’s senior management team are working effectively and in collaboration, you will be collectively responsible for overseeing the performance of the University and providing challenge, support and advice while respecting executive responsibility.
You will act as an ambassador for the University and represent it externally, contributing to its success as a member of various committees, which play key roles in the detailed governance and oversight of the University, such as Pension, Finance, Estates, and Infrastructure, and Remuneration Committees.
There are currently six Sub-Committees of Council:
– Nominations and Governance Committee
– Pensions Committee
– Remuneration Committee
– Audit and Risk Committee
– Finance Committee
– Estates and Infrastructure Committee
This individual is likely to join the Finance Committee.
As required by the Office for Students, all Council Members shall meet the “fit and proper person” test for members of the governing body of a registered provider of higher education.
Due to rotation on the Board, Francesca Barnes will be stepping down in July 2025 and the University of Southampton is therefore looking for a new Council Member with a finance background to strengthen the financial expertise on the Council. This person will bring scrutiny and advice to the executive team and wider Council and its Committees. They will be a sounding board, will be forward-thinking, have the ability to challenge constructively and influence decisions. They will help the University navigate through a challenging time for the sector.
The new Council Member will bring solid financial leadership experience and will have great attention to detail regarding various financial matters. They will ideally have Director / C-Suite level experience with financial planning and budgeting responsibility as well as risk mitigation in organisations of similar size or complexity. Candidates do not need to be a qualified accountant and though previous non-executive experience would be beneficial, this is not a requirement for the role. The successful candidate will bring strong commercial acumen and could have operated in either the private, public or non-profit sectors, ideally bringing a breadth of experience across more than one sector.
Above all, individuals will bring a commitment to the vision and values of the University which are: equality, transformational leadership, agility, collaboration and environmental sustainability. As women and those from an ethnic minority background are currently under-represented on the Board, applications from these individuals would be particularly encouraged.
To apply for this position, please contact:
Brigitte Stundner
The University of Southampton is partnering with Nurole, the leading board-level search specialist, to find a new Council Member (Finance / Commercial). You can find out more and apply here: https://app.nurole.com/roles/67375fefb5b23c68f8dc8055. To arrange an informal conversation or in case of any other queries, please contact Brigitte.Stundner@nurole.com.
