Job Description

Humanimal Trust Trustee or Committee Member

Join Humanimal Trust as a trustee or committee member and help improve the health of both humans and animals. We have several exciting vacancies and wish to expand Board and committee skills, experience and diversity.

I care - We care - Do you?

• We care about One Medicine – that humans and animals should benefit equitably from groundbreaking medical progress and not at the expense of an animal’s life.
• We care about all human and veterinary medical, and research professionals learning from and with each other, throughout their education and career, for the benefit all humans and animals.

We show we care through our ICARE workstreams

Influence - We care about bringing together everyone who knows and cares about One Medicine to create a road map for change in public policy and at the clinical coalface.

Collaboration - We care about creating opportunities to bring together human and veterinary professionals and students to learn from one another by demonstrating One Medicine at work.

Awareness  - We care that everyone should know about benefits of One Medicine for humans and animals, about non-animal alternatives to laboratory models and about how much human and animal medicine can learn from one another, helping one day to make animal testing obsolete.

Research - We care about One Medicine research – funding it, encouraging it, supporting it, shouting about it – to benefit humans and animals.

Education - We care about every child learning what connects humans and animals; about veterinary and human medical students learning together and from one another; about professionals learning from their peers.

Whether you are an experienced trustee or considering your first trustee/committee role, we would love to hear from you. Our ambition is to promote an inclusive environment and demonstrate our commitment to celebrate and promote diversity.  Therefore, we particularly welcome applications from people with diverse  backgrounds and experiences.

Trustees:

We are especially looking for one or more of the following, with a view to filling 2-3 trustee roles:

• Significant experience of charity governance, as a trustee or as a senior employee who has worked closely with charity Boards.
• Education sector.
• Legal background, particularly in Charity Law, probate, human or veterinary medicine and/or intellectual property.
• Digital marketing and communications, particularly fundraising.
• Volunteer recruitment, support and coordination.
• Human medical/clinical practice.
• Human or veterinary nursing.

Trustees are required to attend bimonthly evening Board meetings, an annual Away Day and occasional ad hoc meetings with the Chair of Trustees or senior staff.

Income Generation, Finance and Audit Committee

(Provides trustees and staff with opportunity, expertise and supplementary oversight in financial strategy, planning and management; income generation oversight and development; audit and risk)

We are particularly looking for the following with a view to filling 2-3 committee roles:

• Digital marketing and communications, particularly fundraising.
• Broad direct fundraising experience, both strategic and tactical, across a range of income streams.

IGFA Committee members are required to attend bimonthly evening meetings. and occasional ad hoc meetings with the Chair of Trustees, Treasurer or senior staff.

Humanimal Trust Board Role Description

The trustees of Humanimal Trust are the ultimate accountable body for the organisation. They are responsible – and accountable – for the organisation’s adherence to Law and to its own Constitution, charitable purpose and objects. Its role can be described in terms of conformance and performance and also incorporates expectations of trustee behaviour.

Conformance:

The Board is expected to:

• Conduct itself in line with the values of Humanimal Trust, and  the Board’s Code of Conduct.
• Set and champion the mission/purpose and strategic direction of the Trust, with advice from staff, and ensure that the organisation works within its objects, remit and the law.
• Ensure that the activities of Humanimal Trust, and the policies to support those. activities, are in line with the mission, aims and objectives, and are kept under continuous review.
• Involve and take into account the views of all stakeholders as appropriate when defining strategic direction and managing risk.
• Develop and approve clearly defined financial management, control and expenditure policies and procedures for the purposes of ensuring transparent and authorised use of resources. This will necessarily include the setting of appropriate expenditure limits, which will be subject to periodic review.
• Approve and ensure effective corporate governance arrangements are in place, and that these are fit for purpose.
• Ensure that Humanimal Trust follows governance best practice.
• Review and assess the effectiveness and impact of governance arrangements on an ongoing basis.
• Ensure that Humanimal Trust meets all of its statutory and legal requirements, and that it acts in accordance with its constitution document .

Performance:

The Board is expected to:

• Provide leadership and oversee the delivery of results.
• Drive strategic planning and review in accordance with Humanimal Trust constitution and defined values.
• Ensure effective planning and control takes place, approve the annual business plan and budget, agree targets, including financial, and monitor performance against these.
• Ensure that board members have the appropriate suite of skills to understand and use financial and governance information they are asked to review. The board should enable this through appropriate recruitment, induction and development processes.
• Ensure that effective audit takes place at an appropriate level and approve the annual accounts prior to publication.
• Select and remunerate the CEO, and ensure good management.
• Ensure that adequate finance is in place, and that productive relationships are maintained with representatives of any financial support organisations.
• Ensure that the public is adequately informed of the work of Humanimal Trust, through the media, annual report etc.
• Ensure a high standard of corporate governance and personal behaviour throughout Humanimal Trust, including approving policies and procedures, and overseeing an appropriate risk management system.
• Board members should always be clear about the most significant strategic risks facing Humanimal Trust, and ensure mitigation steps are in place. They should receive regular reports on risk management, and ensure board input to the process.
• Review and approve strategic partnerships with other organisations.

Humanimal Trust Board Members Role Description

Each board member has the following responsibilities, and is accountable to the board:

• To provide leadership to Humanimal Trust by setting and championing the vision, mission/purpose and strategic objectives
• To attend punctually and contribute to board meetings. Where attendance is not possible, to submit apologies in advance, remembering that board members are expected to attend all meetings other than due to illness or exceptional circumstances
• To prepare for, and contribute to board meetings. To suggest matters for discussion as part of the agenda (in advance) and to adhere to the agenda at meetings
• To maintain respect for the confidential nature of issues designated as such by the chair at meetings
• To question appropriately, challenge respectfully and respond honestly but to share collective responsibility for decisions
• To be well informed about Humanimal Trust purpose, brand, services, strategies, and operating environment
• To challenge and support the CEO appropriately
• To undertake other functions as required (e.g.) selection panels, working groups
• To represent Humanimal Trust and speak on its behalf if asked to do so by the chair
• To ensure balance is maintained between strategic and operational management in the organisation, and ensure that board members do board level work only and maintain the boundary between governance and management
• To develop and maintain appropriate relationships with key stakeholders of

Humanimal Trust, in particular the staff and volunteers.

• To act with due care and diligence in discharging all legal, regulatory and organisational duties required of a board member
• To avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, and to disclose any possible conflicts to the chair immediately
• To act as a full member of the board, and not as a representative of any stakeholder
• To uphold and promote the values of Humanimal Trust

Humanimal Trust Income Generation, Finance and Audit Committee

Terms of Reference

Purpose of Committee:

To provide the trustees and staff of Humanimal Trust with opportunity, expertise and supplementary oversight in the following areas:

• Financial strategy, planning and management
• Income generation oversight and development
• Audit and risk

To provide insight and access to knowledge and networks appropriate to the development of long term income generation.

Tasks of Committee:

• To review financial performance on an agreed regular basis, initially quarterly, in advance of full Board meetings, providing commentary and recommendations as appropriate.

• To propose, scrutinise or review existing and possible future opportunities for income generation.

• To provide access to expertise and networks likely to enhance income generation and/or governance capability.

• To review the adequacy of the trust’s risk register, internal controls and governance and offer assurance or recommendations to the Board.

• To offer advice and expertise in the above defined areas to staff colleagues.

Practical and Governance Arrangements:

The trust’s Trustees will appoint a Chair of the Committee who will in turn report to the Board as required.

Membership of the Committee is by invitation of the Board. Potential members will be identified by staff or trustees and considered by the Board. Prior to appointment, all potential members will be interviewed by one or more trustees, including the Chair, with the support of staff colleagues.

There is no specific required number of members. However, an initial membership of 4-6 will be targeted based on identified skills and experience.

The Trust will designate an administrator of the Committee who will be either a member of staff or appropriate agent/consultant. The administrator will organise meetings, draft and circulate agendas and minutes, provide and/or distribute papers and maintain ongoing contact with members of the Committee between meetings.

The Committee is not a representative body. Members of the committee serve as individuals in their own right and are not representatives of any groups of which they may be members or associates. Members’ actions taken and decisions are made within the context of the best interest of the trust and members are expected to abide by all policies, procedures and guidance, including completion of a Conflict of Interest return. They will always act in accordance with any decision of the committee or the Board.

The Committee does not hold any governance accountabilities on behalf of or in place of the Board. The Board has not delegated governance accountabilities to the Committee. The Committee’s role is advisory only.