Leadership & Organisational Development (OD) Board Membership

Background:

NFCC is looking to recruit individuals to join the Leadership & Organisational Development (OD) Board. The Leadership & OD Board reports to NFCC’s People, Culture and Leadership (PCL) Committee which, in turn, informs and makes recommendations to the Fire Chiefs Council.

The Leadership & OD Board sits alongside two other Boards responsible for delivering the PCL Strategic Plan (People; Equality Diversity and Inclusion) and also links closely with work to support health and wellbeing which is overseen by a new Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee.

The Board is chaired by CFO Matt Cook, NFCC Lead for Leadership & OD. It meets four times per year to oversee and set direction on a range of Leadership & OD-related projects and workstreams which supports achievement of the four priorities set out in the PCL Strategic Plan:

Respect and psychological safety: Providing evidence-based resources and support for creating and sustaining respectful and inclusive working environments where colleagues feel safe to raise concerns.

NFCC leadership development opportunities: Ongoing identification of learning and development needs for UKFRS leaders at every level, which informs the continuous improvement of NFCC leadership development offers.

Competence: Developing and embedding a consistent, sector-wide approach to competence in order to meet the long-term needs and challenges facing UKFRS.

Talent and accelerated development pathways: Developing good practice guidance for career progression and staff development opportunities.

There are two types of Board membership roles:

  • Board member. This is a standard membership role which has voting responsibility
  • Developing member. NFCC has recently established a new ‘developing member’ role. Its purpose is to help open doors for talented individuals and help grow the next generation of leaders in the fire and rescue sector. The Developing Member role is open to all individuals who are not currently working at Area Manager (minimum) or equivalent level of their FRS, who wish to develop national Board-level experience and can demonstrate aptitude and readiness to participate. Developing member positions have voting responsibility.

We particularly welcome applications from women and individuals from a minority ethnic background and other minority characteristics, as we recognise these are currently underrepresented in senior leadership roles in the UK Fire and Rescue sector. All appointments will be made on merit.

 

The responsibilities of an Leadership & OD Board member:

  • To demonstrate NFCC values and follow the Core Code of Ethics
  • To contribute your experience and insight to Board discussions and decision-making
  • As a voting member of the Leadership & OD Board, contribute to the strategic direction of the Leadership & OD Board and the development of products delivered by the NFCC PCL Hub
  • Maintain a strong understanding of developments within the field of leadership & OD, including horizon-scanning and across related subject areas
  • Ensure that you maintain good communication and constructive relationships with fellow Board members, NFCC colleagues and NFCC networks, as appropriate
  • Attend the Leadership & OD Board on a quarterly basis (on MS Teams) on a voluntary basis
  • Undertake sufficient preparation in advance of each Board meeting, such as reading Board papers
  • Board members may also be invited to participate in or lead working groups, which take place outside of Board meetings, to support the development of new products/workstreams

We are looking for applicants who:

  • Have a good understanding of current policy, strategy, opportunities and challenges in leadership and OD, PCL and related areas, where appropriate, at a local and/or national level
  • Have experience of sharing views and expertise, underpinned by evidence-based insight, to inform the development and deployment of products and services which help to shape and improve organisational culture
  • Board members. Are currently working at an Area Manager level or equivalent senior leadership level in their FRS, with responsibility for influencing which policies and interventions their FRS will adopt and implement across all teams, including whole-time and on-call
  • Developing Board members. Can demonstrate their aptitude and readiness for the position, and can explain how their experience and insight will contribute positively to the Board’s overall effectiveness

Please note that this is a voluntary opportunity to be undertaken alongside the ‘day job’ and, as such, applicants should consider their individual and organisation capacity to fulfil the requirements listed above. They should also seek agreement from their line manager/CFO prior to submitting an application.

If you would like to discuss this opportunity please contact Abigail Hopewell, Head of the People Culture and Leadership Hub or Andy Morford, Senior PCL Specialist: Leadership & OD directly by email, or via the PCL Hub email address pclhub@nfcc.org.uk

Please find the Role Profile linked below:

NFCC LOD Board membership – role profile v1

 

To apply, please complete this form by the closing date of Tuesday 26 May, midday.

Please note, we are unable to accept any other form of application.

In your supporting statement, please specify if you are applying for a board member or developing member position.

A selection panel will score each application independently against the person specification. The panel will meet to review and compare individual scores to identify the strongest candidates for selection.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to participate in a short, informal interview to support the panel’s decision-making process.

NFCC will contact all candidates by email to inform them of the outcome of their application.

Should you have any queries, please email: adverts@nfcc.org.uk