Chair: Eligibility, Experience & Skills

LEP Chair candidates will possess the following business experience, skills and attributes:

• You will work at a senior level in / be an owner of a private sector business operating within the WLEP area;
• You will have demonstrable association with and interest in the Worcestershire economy and possess extensive, credible business links and relationships within our county;
• You will be a strategic thinker with a proven track record of organisational leadership or change management in a leadership role and will be able to inspire those around you through your energy and enthusiasm, creating the right atmosphere and changing culture and attitudes to suit business goals;
• You will have an entrepreneurial spirit, demonstrating creative and innovative thinking to effectively contribute to Board discussions, identify alternative opportunities for the organisation and be capable of producing initiatives that maximise corporate opportunities, tackle issues and offer solutions;
• You will be a strong communicator with experience of using varied media tools, proficient in MS Office, possessing demonstrable tact, political sensitivity, diplomacy and levels of persuasion, able to act as our ambassador at a national/international level including with Government Ministers & Officials;
• You will have the proven ability to chair meetings seeking balanced and informed decisions, taking an independent view on key economic issues able to interpret and comment on, through systematic study, information contained in business reports;
• You will be a team builder with the proven ability to create a customer-focussed and empowering environment, applying the correct amount of accountability and support with any delegated responsibility, and to identify and initiate development initiatives that add value and cascade goals and objectives to be achieved;
• You will have resilience and the tenacity to see things through;
• You will have a wide experience of managing corporate governance and codes of conduct and experience of upholding the highest standards of integrity regarding perceived or actual conflict of interests in line with the Nolan Principles;
• You will have the proven ability to identify organisational key performance indicators and their short and long-term financial implications, reasons for good and bad financial performance and be quick to effect remedial action;
• You will be well informed on relevant legislation, imminent changes and be quick to ensure policy and initiatives are installed to address changes;
• You will have sound knowledge of and an ability to talk with authority on the local area and its industry, with a clear understanding of and an ability to accurately predict the challenges, opportunities and infrastructure needed to make WLEP prosper;
•  You will be a strong partnership worker, who places value on taking a collaborative approach to making things happen and have a successful track record of quickly building credibility with a wide range of stakeholders, demonstrating sound analytical skills and judgement and helping to resolve conflicts.

Important information

The Board meets bi-monthly and the role is likely to require 2-3 days per month on average on WLEP activities, plus attendance at an annual scrutiny meeting. The role will involve travel across the WLEP area and occasionally outside of Worcestershire to attend meetings. Board Directors give their time voluntarily, however extraordinary expenses for LEP commitments outside of our area can be claimed in line with our Expenses Policy. It is expected that each board member will do their best to support the Chair when assistance is required. For example, this might mean being available for a Ministerial meeting, which may be arranged at short notice.

This will be a two-year fixed term appointment initially, with potential for extension subject to future central and local government decisions on the devolution framework set out in the Levelling Up White Paper.

We are seeking to become a more diverse Board which is representative of the Worcestershire area and would therefore welcome applications from candidates that meet this brief.