Chair Designate

Delt Shared Services Ltd.; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 19,800 - 24,200; Part time

Job summary

Delt Shared Services Ltd. is seeking a Chair Designate to lead the Board, ensuring high standards of governance and effective decision-making. The role requires strong independent leadership and a deep understanding of public and private sector dynamics.

The ideal candidate will have significant board experience and be capable of overseeing executive performance, contributing to Delt’s strategic development while maintaining a clear separation from operational decision-making.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience serving on boards in complex organizations.
• Ability to lead effective decision-making while balancing commercial and public-sector needs.
• Experience overseeing executive performance and strategic influence.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership to the Board while ensuring strong governance.
• Scrutinise performance, finance, risk, and controls.
• Act as an ambassador for Delt with partners and stakeholders.

Skills

Strong independent leadership

Board governance

Public-private collaboration

Communication with stakeholders

Performance scrutiny

Job description

The Chair provides leadership to the Board, enabling constructive challenge, high standards of governance and effective decision‑making, both in and beyond the boardroom. We are looking for candidates with strong chairing capability and significant board experience in complex organisations. Given Delt’s position as a public‑sector‑owned company operating with commercial discipline, experience working across public/private sector and/or within shared services would be desirable.

Shared focus and responsibilities

AllNon‑Executive Directors are expected to:

• Share Delt’s values, objectives and work collaboratively towards “helping people do amazing things”
• Provide independent judgement and constructive challenge
• Scrutinise performance, finance, risk and controls
• Support strong governance and ethical standards
• Contribute to the development of Delt’s strategy and long‑term sustainability
• Act as general ambassadors for Delt with partners and stakeholders
• Identify, assess, and inform the Board of Directors of internal and external issues that affect Delt

Key skills, attributes and qualities

In addition, all candidates applying for this position should be able to demonstrate their ability to:

• Provide strong, independent leadership to the board and across public–private boundaries: lead effective collaborative decision‑making, and balance commercial opportunity with public‑sector purpose in a complex and changing environment.
• Maintain a clear separation between governance and executive leadership, focusing the Chair role on board effectiveness, securing robust assurance on performance, risk and controls, and holding the executive to account without straying into operational decision‑making.
• Act as a credible ambassador for Delt, championing customer and public‑sector outcomes and building strong, trusted relationships with shareholders, partners and wider stakeholders.

The Chair is also responsible for overseeing and appraising the performance of the Chief Executive and other Board and Committee members.

The Chair Designate role will operate in parallel with the current Chair for an anticipated transition period of approximately six months before assuming the full Chair role.

Remuneration and terms

£22,000 per annum; time commitment: approximately 4 days per month.

The Chair appointment is for an initial three-year term, renewable subject to performance and governance requirements.

How to apply

Please refer to our How to Apply page for guidance, including recommendations on arranging conversations with our Executive Search Partner, Anna Jay, MD of Public Leaders Appointments, the Chair, and the Chief Executive Officer, before submitting your application.

• a supporting statement (maximum two pages), clearly indicating the Chair Designate role and answering the below questions.
• What motivates you to apply for this board role and what about Delt resonates with you personally and professionally?
• How would you contribute to Delt’s continued success and public impact?
• Describe how you have or would maintain a clear separation between governance and executive leadership, while holding executives to account for performance, risk and assurance.
• Describe how you have or would provide strong, independent board leadership and balance commercial opportunity with public‑sector purpose.

Please also provide contact details for two professional references. Referees should be people who can comment authoritatively on you as a person and as an employee or board member and will not be contacted without your prior consent.

Equality, diversity and inclusion are all integral to our organisational ethos and values. It is critically important to us that every Delt employee works in an inclusive environment which has a culture of mutual regard and respect. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

Interested in this role?

Find out how to apply and what you’ll need to do before submitting your application.

Delt Shared Services Ltd. is the shared service provider of choice in the South West of England.

Delt Shared Services Ltd.

Building 2

Derriford Business Park

Plymouth

PL6 5QZ