Non-Executive Director SRH

Scottish Government; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 26,000; Part time

Job summary

A government-owned rail service provider in Glasgow is seeking a Non-Executive Director to provide independent oversight and strategic direction. The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of the rail industry, experience in the public sector, and exceptional leadership skills. This role entails attending board meetings and providing constructive challenge, ensuring high standards of governance, and supporting effective decision-making. A commitment of 70 days per year is expected with remuneration of £360 per day.

Benefits

Travel and subsistence costs reimbursement

Childcare or carer expenses support

Disability-related reasonable adjustments

Qualifications

• Excellent understanding and experience of the current rail industry.
• Ability to work with the executive team effectively.
• Strong organisational and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide independent scrutiny and challenge to the Board.
• Attend board meetings and present challenges on performance.
• Support risk management and governance practices.

Skills

Understanding of rail industry

Public sector experience

Change management skills

Education

Relevant experience and knowledge

Job description

Job Description

About Scottish Rail Holdings Limited.

Scottish Rail Holdings Limited is a limited company wholly owned and controlled by the Scottish Ministers. It was set up in 2022 and enables provision of the best possible rail service for Scotland.

The purpose of Scottish Rail Holdings Limited is to ensure that ScotRail Trains Limited and Caledonian Sleeper Limited connect people and places to help make Scotland a great place to live, work and visit.

Scottish Rail Holdings Limited is sponsored by Transport Scotland who act on behalf of Scottish Ministers as the strategic policy maker.

Responsibilities

Overall Accountability

The role will be part of the Scottish Rail Holdings Limited Board, bringing an independent voice to ensure the Board is as effective as possible, with healthy challenge as appropriate.

Non-Executive Director is one of five roles with three other Non-Executive Directors holding specific duties relating to people, safety and audit and risk. The Chair of the Scottish Rail Holdings Limited Board is also a Non-Executive Director.

All Non-Executive Directors provide an external and independent view on the running of the business, governance and best boardroom practice.

About the Appointment

The appointment is for up to 3 years.

The Non-Executive Director receives £360 per day for a time commitment of 70 days per calendar year working at least 7.5 hours a day. This will be pro rata when appointments commence part-way through a calendar year. It is expected that the number of days required will be up to 70 however this will be reviewed on an annual basis in line with organisational requirements.

• Reasonable travel and subsistence costs.
• Reasonable childcare or carer expenses.
• Disability-related reasonable adjustments.

Allowances at rates set centrally for any travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred on Scottish Rail Holdings Limited business will be reimbursed. The appointment is non-pensionable.

Qualifications

Key Duties and Responsibilities

In this post you will be required to give constructive challenge, strategic guidance, offer specialist advice and hold management to account. In particular, you will:

• Protect the assets of Scottish Rail Holdings Limited and its subsidiaries, demonstrating due skill, care and good faith in exercising fiduciary responsibility.
• Attend Scottish Rail Holdings Limited board meetings and may also be required to attend its subsidiaries' board meetings to ensure that the Board[s] obtain[s] assurance from, and presents challenge to Scottish Rail Holdings Limited and its subsidiaries. Possible attendance at the Alliance Board.
• Bring robust challenge to the performance of all aspects of Scottish Rail Holdings Limited and its subsidiaries, in particular through membership of one or more Board committees. Currently there are committees dealing with audit and risk, safety health and environment, remuneration and appointments matters and providing oversight to major procurements.
• Work with other Board members, bringing independent scrutiny and challenge, to ensure high quality decision making by Boards and Committees.
• Provide input to and scrutiny of draft business strategies and plans, and ensure all the businesses in the Scottish Rail Holdings Limited group deliver against them effectively.
• Support the Board as a whole to define its risk appetite and to operate within it and its Risk Management Framework.

Applicants for this post should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge, experience and criteria for appointment:

Essential Knowledge and Experience

• Excellent understanding and experience of the current rail industry.
• Constitutional devolution and how this affects the delivery of public services in Scotland.
• Public sector experience.
• Change management.

Desirable Knowledge

We are particularly interested in applicants with knowledge and experience of:

• Working with other rail company boards and associated good practice, and one or more of:
• Alliancing and collaboration arrangements;
• Business resilience and cyber security matters;
• Capital projects or fleet procurement;
• Retail or hospitality and leisure management and customer service excellence; or
• Safety, engineering and train service performance management

Criteria for Appointment

• Ability to contribute effectively as a Board member, advising on the running of the business, governance and best boardroom practice and provide constructive challenge.
• Strong organisational and leadership skills that will guide Scottish Rail Holdings Limited in its strategic development to achieve positive outcomes and an ability to interpret a wide range of information to underpin sound decisions, drive value for money, and ensure high standards of public sector governance in line with the Scottish Public Finance Manual.
• Ability to work with the executive team to support and develop in a manner that is appropriate to a Non-Executive Director and which best benefits the organisations.
• Ability to make a positive contribution to stakeholder engagement, including on interactions with Ministers, senior industry and supply chain figures and trades union representatives.

About how and when to apply

To apply for the role please click on the Apply Now button at the top of the advert. You will be asked to complete a Statement in Support of application, which should provide evidence of how you meet the required knowledge, experience and criteria for the role. There is a maximum word count of 1500 words. You will also be asked to attach a CV detailing organisations you have worked for, the roles/positions you have held, and any other information from your career and life experience that you feel would be relevant to the role.

The deadline for application is 13th January at 23:59.

In the event that there are more successful candidates than the post available, a reserve list will be kept for up to 12 months.

General information about public appointments and guidance to help you improve your applications is attached www.gov.scot/collections/public-appointments.

Accessibility to public appointments is a fundamental requirement and the public appointments process promotes, demonstrates and upholds equality of opportunity for all applicants. The Scottish Government will always give consideration to disability-related reasonable adjustments that an applicant might request to enable them to demonstrate their merit and participate fully in the selection process. If you require any of the application pack documentation in an alternative format, please contact HR Transport Scotland.