Sorry, this vacancy is now closed and applications can’t be submitted!

Chair of the Council of Trustees
asthma uk

Job Description

Chair of the Council of Trustees

London E1

Unremunerated (reasonable expenses paid)

minimum commitment of 2 days per month, with some flexibility

At Asthma UK we have a unique opportunity to make a profound, positive change to the lives of over 5 million people with asthma. There is nothing as frightening as being unable to breathe and sadly, despite treatment breakthroughs, still every 10 seconds somebody has a life-threatening asthma attack in the UK. Our mission is to Stop Asthma Attacks and Cure Asthma and through this role you can play a crucial part in making that change happen.

We have a strong heritage of funding world-class medical research and brokering innovative research partnerships. This is also a hugely exciting time for asthma. Experts believe a cure for some types of asthma may be possible within a generation, and digital health technology solutions underpinned by deep behavioural insights have the promise to transform self-management. We believe that we at Asthma UK have the insights, networks and the passion to harness these opportunities to make a real difference to the lives of people with asthma. In a connected world, our size - under £10million income and with around 80 people - is our unique advantage. We can be agile and strategic in our response to the constantly changing needs and behaviours of our beneficiaries, and the opportunities to partner with those who share our vision.

Our current Chair of Trustees, Professor Rob Wilson, will come to the end of his term as chair in mid-2018. As well as the commitment to excellent governance we expect in all Trustees, we want a Chair who can provide strategic leadership to ensure we can sustainably maximise our impact for people with asthma in a rapidly changing environment for charities, the NHS and our workforce.

For Asthma UK, the opportunities and potential risks presented by the growing availability of data and digital technology to personalise care and supporter experience is likely to be a major feature of Council conversations for years to come. If you have the skills, energy and enthusiasm to help shape the future for people with asthma, we want to hear from you.

How to apply

Closing date for applications is 8am on Monday 19th June 2017.

First interview will be held in July - Monday 10th or Thursday 20th July.

Second interviews will be held towards the end of August.

The successful candidate would be offered the opportunity to shadow the current chair for a 6-month period from December 2017 and will assume full responsibilities from June/July 2018.

You can view a full job profile on our website. If you wish to apply, a CV and covering letter should be emailed to our HR department via the link

For an informal and confidential discussion regarding Asthma UK or the specifics of this role, our Chief Executive, Kay Boycott, would be pleased to take your call. This can be arranged by emailing our HR department: hr@asthma org uk or calling 0207-786-4902. One of the team will also be happy to organise a more detailed conversation with the Chair of Nominations Committee or our current Chair, should applicants find that useful. 

If the role of Chair isn’t for you but you are interested in becoming a trustee, please do get in contact with us – we’ll have other opportunities later this year!