Independent Non-Executive Director - Finance & Risk
Organisation: AI Quality Qualifications Academy Ltd (AIQQA)
Location: UK / Hybrid, with periodic meetings in London
Time commitment: Approximately 1 day per month initially, with additional involvement during key development, recognition and governance stages
Board fee: Competitive and commensurate with experience and commitment
Governance: Appointment to AIQQA's Governing Body / Board of Directors, subject to formal appointment and appropriate due diligence
AIQQA
AI Quality Qualifications Academy Ltd (AIQQA) is a new AI-focused awarding organisation being developed towards Ofqual recognition.
Our ambition is to establish high-quality qualifications and assessment standards for AI and related emerging technology disciplines, supporting learners, employers and education providers as demand for credible AI skills continues to grow.
We are now building the senior leadership and independent governance structure that will take AIQQA through its development and recognition phase and into operation.
The Opportunity
We are seeking an experienced Independent Non-Executive Director - Finance & Risk to join AIQQA's Governing Body.
The successful candidate will provide independent Board-level oversight of financial sustainability, organisational risk, assurance and resilience as AIQQA develops towards Ofqual recognition and future operation.
This is an opportunity to help establish the financial and risk governance of a new awarding organisation from the outset.
Working alongside the Independent Chair, fellow Board members and executive leadership, you will help ensure that financial decisions, organisational risks and resource assumptions are subject to appropriate scrutiny and challenge.
What You Will Do
As Independent Non-Executive Director - Finance & Risk, you will:
- Provide independent Board-level scrutiny of AIQQA's financial strategy and sustainability.
- Review and challenge budgets, forecasts, business plans and underlying financial assumptions.
- Provide oversight of cash flow, funding arrangements, financial resilience and resource planning.
- Support the Governing Body in assessing whether AIQQA has sufficient resources to meet its strategic and regulatory responsibilities.
- Provide independent challenge around major expenditure and investment decisions.
- Oversee the development and effectiveness of financial controls and assurance arrangements.
- Support the development and review of AIQQA's organisational risk framework.
- Ensure significant financial, operational and strategic risks are appropriately identified, assessed and monitored.
- Challenge management on risk mitigation, contingency planning and organisational resilience.
- Provide oversight of business continuity and financial contingency arrangements.
- Review arrangements relating to parent-company support, related-party transactions and shared services where relevant.
- Help ensure that commercial considerations do not compromise regulatory responsibilities or qualification standards.
- Provide oversight of audit and assurance arrangements.
- Contribute to the development of appropriate financial delegations and reserved matters.
- Support the Board in understanding downside scenarios and potential financial or operational stress.
- Contribute to relevant Board committees and potentially play a leading role in finance, audit or risk oversight as the committee structure develops.
- Provide independent challenge and advice to the Executive Director and senior leadership team on significant financial and risk matters.
What You Will Bring
We are looking for an experienced senior finance, risk or assurance professional with substantial Board-level or executive experience.
You will bring:
- Strong financial literacy and the ability to critically assess financial plans, forecasts and assumptions.
- Experience of financial governance, budgeting, forecasting and organisational sustainability.
- A strong understanding of risk management, internal controls and assurance.
- Experience of working with senior leadership teams, governing bodies or Board committees.
- The ability to challenge constructively and independently.
- Strong judgement and the confidence to identify where financial or organisational assumptions require further scrutiny.
- Experience of audit, assurance or financial control environments.
- An understanding of organisational resilience, contingency planning and business continuity.
- The ability to communicate complex financial and risk matters clearly to non-specialist Board members.
- A strong understanding of the distinction between Board oversight and executive responsibility.
Experience within education, awarding organisations, regulated businesses, professional bodies or other highly accountable environments would be particularly valuable.
A recognised professional accounting qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent would be advantageous, although substantial relevant Board-level finance and risk experience will also be considered.
Experience of group structures, parent-company funding, shared services or related-party arrangements would also be beneficial.
What Success Will Look Like
During AIQQA's development and recognition phase, the successful candidate will help ensure that:
- financial assumptions are realistic and subject to effective challenge;
- AIQQA has credible evidence of financial sustainability and organisational resilience;
- significant risks are clearly identified and actively managed;
- effective financial controls and assurance arrangements are established;
- Board oversight of funding and resource requirements is robust;
- appropriate contingency and business continuity arrangements are in place;
- parent-company and related-party arrangements are transparent and appropriately governed; and
- the Governing Body has sufficient financial and risk information to make informed decisions.
Why Join AIQQA?
This is an opportunity to establish the financial and risk foundations of a new awarding organisation rather than inherit existing arrangements.
You will have the opportunity to influence how AIQQA approaches financial sustainability, risk, assurance and organisational resilience from the beginning.
For an experienced finance or risk leader looking to make a meaningful contribution to the development of a new regulated organisation, this offers a distinctive Board opportunity.
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