Non-Executive Director

Health Jobs UK; Wolverhampton; On-site; GBP 11,700 - 14,300; Full time

Job summary

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Non-Executive Director to serve on the Board as Audit Chair. You will collaborate with the Chair, executive and non-executive colleagues and with the Council of Governors to hold the board to account for performance and governance.

You will bring governance and financial expertise, strategic leadership, and independence, with experience in mergers, acquisitions or complex commercial transactions supporting the Trust's public service

Qualifications

• Governance, financial oversight and audit committee leadership experience.
• Strategic leadership experience at board or senior management level.
• Commitment to public service values and public accountability.
• Independence and ability to constructively challenge and influence.
• Demonstrable experience in mergers, acquisitions or complex commercial transactions.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to setting the Trust's strategic aims and provide independent judgement on strategy, performance and governance.
• Chair the Audit Committee or contribute actively to committee work and board discussions.
• Ensure robust financial reporting, risk management and internal controls.
• Support and mentor senior executives, and provide accountability to stakeholders.
• Represent diverse communities and uphold high standards of probity and governance.
• Assist in defining remuneration and ensuring compliance with statutory duties.

Skills

Governance

Financial Expertise

Audit Committee

Strategic Leadership

Public Service Values

Independence

Mergers & Acquisitions

Job description

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is growing and changing. We provide specialist mental health, learning disability and community services across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. We're looking for people who care about others, take responsibility, treat people with respect and have the confidence to speak up and shape what comes next.

We're focused on the future, with a clear Trust Strategy and our Best for the Black Country programme driving improvement across our services and communities.

What we do

• Adult and older adult mental health
• Children and young people's mental health
• Specialist learning disability services
• Community healthcare for children, young people and families in Dudley

Why join now

We've got real momentum. Clear priorities and our Best for the Black Country work mean things are moving in the right way, fast.

Our culture is built around being compassionate, accountable, respectful and empowering each other - you'll see this in how teams support patients and colleagues every day.

You'll be looked after. Flexible working, family-friendly policies, supportive teams, proper wellbeing support and opportunities to learn and develop.

There's room to grow. A wide range of services, space to try ideas and a voice that's heard.

It's a great place to live. Diverse communities, good transport links, strong schools and green space, with a lower cost of living than many city regions.

What it's like to work here

You'll join friendly, skilled teams who look out for each other. We plan together, share pressures and celebrate wins. You'll be encouraged to take ownership, speak up and learn from experience. New starters get a warm welcome and clear induction; early careers colleagues have preceptorship and buddying; experienced staff can lead, teach and innovate.

Who we are

We're 4,000+ colleagues from many backgrounds, committed to improving health and wellbeing for our communities and for each other.

Job overview

Non-Executive Director - Audit Chair

The Non-Executive Director will work with the Chair and other Executive and Non-Executive colleagues as a voting member of the Board. You will also work in partnership with the Council of Governors who are charged with holding the Non-Executive Directors to account for the performance of the Board of Directors.

You will need to have a genuine commitment to patients and the delivery of high quality care to all service users. You will be someone who is passionate about representing the needs of the diverse communities across the Black Country.

We are seeking a person with

• Governance, Financial Expertise and Audit Committee Leadership
• Strategic Leadership Experience.
• Commitment to Public Service Values
• Independence and Constructive Challenge
• Demonstrable experience in mergers, acquisitions, or complex commercial transactions, with the ability to provide strategic insight and challenge in relation to organisational partnerships, structural change, and commercial development.

Closing Date: Friday 23 October 2026

Interview Date: Friday 6 November 2026 (face to face - must be available for this date)

Stakeholder Panels: Friday 6 November 2026 (face to face - must be available for this date)

Salary: £13,000 per annum

Main duties of the job

Governance, Financial Expertise and Audit Committee Leadership

• Strategic Leadership Experience.
• Commitment to Public Service Values
• Independence and Constructive Challenge
• Demonstrable experience in mergers, acquisitions, or complex commercial transactions, with the ability to provide strategic insight and challenge in relation to organisational partnerships, structural change, and commercial development.

Working for our organisation

We are recruiting for a Non-Executive Director to serve on the Board at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. This is an excellent opportunity to share your expertise and skills to make a positive difference to the communities we serve.

The Non-Executive Director will work with the Chair and other Executive and Non-Executive colleagues as a voting member of the Board. You will also work in partnership with the Council of Governors who are charged with holding the Non-Executive Directors to account for the performance of the Board of Directors.

You will need to have a genuine commitment to patients and the delivery of high quality care to all service users. You will be someone who is passionate about representing the needs of the diverse communities across the Black Country.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Commit to working to, and encouraging within the Trust, the highest standards of probity, integrity and governance and contribute to ensuring that the Trust's internal governance arrangements conform with best practice and statutory requirements;
• Provide independent judgement and advice on issues of strategy, vision, performance, resources and standards of conduct and constructively challenge, influence and help the Executive Team develop proposals on such strategies;
• in accordance with board procedure, monitor the performance and conduct of management in meeting agreed goals and objectives and statutory responsibilities, including the preparation of annual reports and annual accounts, including the quality reports and accounts, and other statutory duties;
• obtain comfort that financial information is accurate and that financial controls and risk management systems are robust and defensible;
• obtain comfort that information about the quality and safety of services is accurate and that the associated systems are robust and defensible;
• contribute to the determination of appropriate levels of remuneration for Executive Directors and other very senior managers;
• participate in and if required chair the Trust committees, as well as take an active part in other committees established by the Board of Directors to exercise delegated responsibility;
• as a member of board committees, appoint, remove, support, encourage and where appropriate 'mentor' senior executives;
• bring independent judgement and experience based on expertise from outside the Trust and apply this to the benefit of the Trust, its stakeholders and its wider community;
• assist fellow Directors in setting the Trust's strategic aims, ensuring that the necessary financial, human and other resources are in place for the Trust to meet its objectives, and that performance is effectively monitored and reviewed;
• assist fellow Directors in providing entrepreneurial leadership to the Trust within a framework of prudent and effective controls, which enable risk to be assessed and managed;
• assist fellow Directors in setting the Trust's values and standards and ensure its obligations to its stakeholders and the wider community are understood and fairly balanced at all times;