Nominations now open for Trustees to the Science Council Board 2025

Science Council

• Contract type
• Voluntary role
• Location
• -
• Closing date
• 1 Oct 2025
• Salary
• -

Welcome to the Science Council

Tackling the most pressing global challenges will require a diverse science workforce and ever-deepening interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists and society. As an interdisciplinary membership organisation connecting professional bodies from across science, and upholding the standards across our profession, the Science Council plays a unique and valuable role in building a stronger, more connected, and more influential scientific community, ensuring that every science professional has the opportunity to thrive in an ever-changing world.

You will be joining us at an exciting time, as we continue to focus on delivery of our new strategy, which runs from 2025 to 2028. Over this period, we will continue to focus on what we do best: upholding high professional standards, facilitating knowledge exchange, and strengthening connections across the science community and beyond. We will continue to widen our engagement with employers of scientists and, through our continued relationship with the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, continue to increase awareness of careers in science and participation in apprenticeships and T Levels through our technical pathways project.

This is your opportunity to join the Board of an ambitious and well-run organisation. We are looking for new trustees who can work collaboratively to support the Science Council and support our continued growth into an increasingly respected, influential, and financially sustainable organisation. In this recruitment round, we are looking for three people to join the Board from within our membership. This means that you will need to be an employee or a member of one of our Member Bodies. That notwithstanding, we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and levels of experience to provide strategic leadership and direction to help us navigate the challenges facing the charity and the science community more broadly.

Whether you are looking to take on your first trustee role or are an experienced trustee, if you have the time to commit to the role, we want to hear from you.

Who are we?

The Science Council is a registered charity and was granted a Royal Charter in 2003. We are a collaborative, interdisciplinary community of over 30 professional bodies and learned societies across the breadth of science. We work together to inspire, develop and support scientific professionals.

We are committed to professional recognition of the diverse range of people working in myriad roles across the breadth of scientific disciplines and applications. We believe that, by raising standards of practice and encouraging innovation, professional registration benefits the individual, their employer and society.

We work with employers, policymakers and organisations that shape and deliver the education and training landscape for the science workforce, and other organisations that focus on science and the scientific workforce. We pursue high quality workplace learning to support scientific excellence and innovation, and the recruitment and retention of the workforce our nations need.

Our Vision, Purpose and Guiding Principles

Our vision is a diverse and growing science profession that is trusted, respected, innovative and equipped to meet regional, national and global challenges.

Our purpose is to connect the science professions and offer professional recognition for scientists, science technicians and science teachers.

Our guiding principles

We work across the breadth of science and uphold interdisciplinary approaches, collaborating with people and organisations to advance common goals and achieve greater impact.

In all that we do, we aim to embed EDI principles for the benefit of everyone.

We aim for and expect to find integrity, professionalism, ethical decision-making, respect and kindness within the high standards we set for ourselves and seek in other people.

We aim to use resources as effectively and efficiently as possible.

We aim to be, and to help others to be, innovative and adaptive for changing contexts, both predictable and unpredictable

Our three-year focus

Over the 2025-2028 period, our goal is to elevate the science workforce for public good in multiple ways. This includes recognising the skills and experience of science professionals and encouraging their continuing professional development through our registers; increasing awareness of careers in science through our technical pathways project and wider engagement activities; raising the quality of workplace learning for scientific roles and focusing on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI); enhancing policy-makers’ and other stakeholders’ perceptions of the contributions and potential of the Science Council community; and being the ‘voice of science’ on matters of shared interest.

Our priorities for this strategic period

Professional recognition and professional standards

We will provide scientists, science technicians and science teachers with professional registration that is attractive, accessible, and trusted by employers and the public.

Supporting and growing our community

We will support and connect our Members, potential members, partners, employers, policymakers and delivery agencies. We aim to increase the numbers and diversity of Registrants and volunteers, and enhance their sense of belonging to our community.

Strategic enablers

We will support the growth of professional recognition and professional standards and our community by fostering a shared commitment to our purpose; developing new streams of income, including through relationships with a wider range of employers; and reviewing our digital architecture, prioritising investments that improve efficiency and performance.

The role of the Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees sets the strategic direction for the charity and ensures that it operates within its objects and delivers public benefit. It has responsibility for the overall governance of the charity, its financial health and the responsible and efficient use of resources. Collectively and individually, trustees have a legal, regulatory, and moral obligation to enable accountable, effective and efficient and leadership of the Science Council. The role of a trustee1 is to:

• Act in the Science Council’s best interests, ensuring that it carries out its purposes for the public benefit

• Ensure that the Science Council complies with its legal and regulatory requirements.

• Act with reasonable care and skill, making use of your skills and experience, and giving sufficient time, thought and energy to your role.

• Act as guardian of the charity’s assets, both tangible and intangible, and ensure the financial stability of the Science Council.

• Monitor and hold management to account.

• Be accountable to its constituent Members in the delivery of the Science Council’s strategy

Term of office

The term of office is for an initial 3 years.

Time Commitment

Formal Board meetings are held quarterly and set around our financial reporting cycle. Board meetings last approx. 3 hours and usually alternate between morning and afternoon meetings during the week. Half of Board meetings are held online.

The Board has three subcommittees: Finance, Audit and Risk Committee; Nomination Committee: and the Registration Authority. Each of these meets approx. 4 times per year, meeting predominantly online. Trustees are expected to serve on at least one of these subcommittees.

The Science Council normally holds two General Meetings per year, one of which is the Annual General Meeting. Trustees are encouraged to attend General Meetings so that they can meet with representatives from across the membership and with Science Council staff. General Meetings are normally held online.

In addition to formal meetings, you will need to dedicate time to reading papers in advance of meetings. Informal meetings between trustees, the Chair and the Chief Executive may be held as required. These will be held online or by electronic communication. There may also be additional time required for ad-hoc work to support the activities of the Science Council.

Induction

When new trustees join the Board, they will receive a thorough induction so that they can start their role with confidence. This will include a pack of our main governing documents providing information on how we operate, our financial climate and future plans. You will also have opportunities to attend Committee meetings and meet with members of the Senior Leadership Team, to get a better understanding of our work and how you could make a difference in your new role.

Payment

Trustee roles are voluntary. Trustees will be compensated for reasonable expenses incurred in the performance their role, in line with the expenses policy for volunteers.

Location

Our offices are located near Old Street in London, but we offer a fully flexible and hybrid working culture. We hold half of our Board and committee meetings online. Where meetings are held face to face, these will be in central London.

Please do not exclude yourself from consideration by virtue of where you live and work. The role is a voluntary non-executive role, and you will be compensated for reasonable expenses incurred in the performance your role. However, we do require trustees to be UK-based so that they can attend in-person meetings at short notice.

There may also be opportunities to represent the Science Council at conferences and events. Trustees will be compensated for any costs incurred by them in respect to travel arrangements in accordance with our volunteer expenses policy.

Age requirement

We require trustees to be 18 or over. Despite this, we are keen to hear from people of all ages, and particularly younger people and those young-in-career to apply because their experiences will bring a much-needed diversity of perspective and lived-experience to the Board.

Who are we looking for?

The Science Council aims to have a Board that is comprised of individuals who collectively have the right level and mix of skills, knowledge and experience necessary to fulfil their role on the Board. We are always looking to have a diversity of perspectives on our Board, for example in terms of neurodiversity, age, gender, background, ethnicity and experience.

We are looking for our Members to elect three new people onto our Board who will bring a commitment to the Science Council’s vision and purpose and complement the range of skills and experiences of our Board. We are looking for trustees who are strategic thinkers, can provide support and constructive challenge to management, are effective communicators and can contribute to a positive and effective board culture.

It is not necessary to have previous board/trustee experience as support and development opportunities will be available. If you believe that your background and experience could be useful to us and you are interested in joining our Board, we want to hear from you.

How to apply

Please include an up to date CV (which should be no more than 2 pages in length). Please note that we will not accept applications that do not include a CV. You will also be asked to provide details of one referee.

Key dates

The closing date for applications is midnight (BST) 2 nd October.

Following the closing date, the Nominations Committee will consider the applications and agree the candidates to go forward for election. Candidates’ information and supporting statements will then be circulated to all Science Council Members, who will vote for candidates to fill the vacant positions.

Voting will open on 13 th October and close at midnight on 10th November. The results will be announced at our General Meeting on Thursday 13th November. Successful candidates will take office at the end of the Meeting. The induction of new trustees will be arranged post-election.

Equality of opportunity

The Science Council is strongly committed to equality of opportunity in the provision of its recruitment, selection and employment procedures.

Monitoring is recommended by the Codes of Practice for the elimination of discrimination. In order to monitor this policy, we request that applicants complete an Equal Opportunities Form, which would be used for this purpose and will form no part of the selection and interview process.

Applicants must also satisfy statutory requirements in order to become a trustee as detailed below:

Before you apply, you should check with the Charity Commission whether you are disqualified by law from acting as charity trustee.