Imperial War Museum Army Trustee

Introduction
Imperial War Museums (IWM) wishes to appoint a new Army Trustee. IWM traditionally has a Trustee on its Board from each of the three branches of the armed forces.

This appointment is made by the Prime Minister.

DCMS is committed to eliminating discrimination and advancing equality of opportunity in its public appointments. We particularly encourage applicants from underrepresented groups, those based outside London and the South-East and applicants who have achieved success through non-traditional educational routes. This ensures that boards of public bodies benefit from a full range of diverse perspectives and are representative of the people they serve.

Appointment description
Members of the Board have corporate responsibility for the general management and control of the Museum, subject to the terms set out in the Imperial War Museum Acts (1920 and 1955), subsequent amending legislation and other governing documents. It is their responsibility also to ensure that the Museum complies with any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds. Specifically, the Board:

Determines the general policy of the Museum;

Appoints the Director-General of the Museum, with the approval of the Prime Minister;

Monitors and oversees the Director-General’s management of the Museum. The Director-General is the Board’s chief executive and the Accounting Officer of the Museum;

Has legal responsibility for the buildings, collections and financial assets of the Museum and their care and management;

Approves the Museum’s Strategic Plan;

Monitors the process of Risk Management within the Museum; and

Publishes an annual report and account, audited by the Comptroller and Auditor-General.

Trustees are expected to understand and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life as defined by the Committee on Standards in Public Life. Individual Trustees should therefore also be aware of their wider responsibility as members of the Board – namely to comply at all times with the Code of Practice for Board Members of Public Bodies as adopted by the IWM; and with the rules relating to the use of public funds and to conflicts of interest; and to act in accordance with the requirements of Charity law where this applies.

Trustees must be positive advocates for the Museum. They will exercise drive with due tact and discretion as members of a corporate body with a collective and strategic role.

Organisation description
IWM’s remit is global and inclusive in its exploration of war’s impact on the lives of men, women and children, from 1914 to the present day.

Our collection of over 33m objects covers all aspects of conflict involving Britain, its former Empire and the Commonwealth, and includes art, film, photography, printed material, documents and sound.

Through our family of five museums in London, Cambridgeshire and Manchester, off-site programmes, and digital content, we explore the causes, course and consequences of war and promote understanding and empathy, by connecting diverse audiences with human stories of ingenuity, courage, sacrifice and resilience.

The Museum’s strategic objectives, as set out in the Corporate Plan are to:

Grow and diversify our visitors

Increase our reach, impact, sustainability and resilience

Broaden engagement with our Collections

Be a fantastic place to work

More information can be found on the Museum’s website www.iwm.org.uk. Specifically, the IWM Corporate Plan and annual report and accounts are published at http://www.iwm.org.uk/corporate/reports
Board composition
https://www.iwm.org.uk/corporate/trustees
Person specification
Essential criteria
Knowledge: a clear understanding of the work, priorities and challenges of the Imperial War Museum and the context within which it operates.

Governance: the ability to operate at board level, demonstrating effective decision-making skills, a focus on performance monitoring, and strategic thinking.

Relationship building: ability to build strong stakeholder relationships at executive level and senior stakeholders, including with Ministers and Senior Government officials and external stakeholders.

Communication: strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to listen, accept challenges and constructively challenge others with clarity and respect

Collaboration: ability to work closely with the executive board and other key stakeholders, providing support, constructive challenge and assurance as appropriate

Judgement: effective decision-making skills with the ability to critically analyse a wide range of information to make clear and objective evidence-based recommendations to support the delivery of the Imperial War Museum’s objectives.

Applicable Experience: a track record of delivery within the Army with the ability to apply this experience to the responsibilities you will fulfil at the Imperial War Museum.

Desirable criteria
The successful candidate will be a serving or retired officer of the Army with the rank Major General or above, with:
Experience operating at a senior strategic level within the British Army, with insight into defence policy, operational planning, and the broader societal impact of conflict.

A strong understanding of the interaction between defence, diplomacy, and public engagement, particularly in relation to the Commonwealth and the armed forces community.

Operational experience of recent conflict would be an advantage.

Museum Website: https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/9127#about-the-appointment