Non Executive Director and Credit Oversight Committee Chair

Salary: The Non-Executive Director/COC Chair will be paid an honorarium of £6,850 per annum. Government officials, civil or public, are not permitted to receive payment.

Hours: It is expected that the successful candidate will provide 20 days’ contribution in total per year across the two roles.

Contract Type: An initial period of up to three years.

Location: Non-Executive Directors participate in approximately five formal meetings per year. Meetings usually take place in either London or Swindon. However, from time-to-time other locations may be used to enable members to gain a greater understanding of IUKL. Whilst attendance in person at these meetings is advantageous, virtual attendance is also considered where required. It is essential that the successful candidate can commit the required time and attention to the role and have the full support of their employing organisation to do so.

Closing Date: 14th April 2026

Interviews: 30th April 2026

About Credit Oversight Committee: The COC is a formal committee of the IUKL Board. It advises the board on strategy and arrangements for the award of innovation loans. It also oversees performance of the innovation loans products portfolio and effectiveness of the award process, recommending any changes to approach to the board for its consideration and approval. The COC responsibilities are set out in the terms of reference (Annex 2). The COC comprises up to 10 independent Credit Committee members, from the weekly Executive Management Credit Committee that has delegated authority for lending decisions on new and existing exposures. All other committee members will be selected to ensure that there is an appropriate mix of skills and experience required to discharge the responsibilities of the committee. Members are normally appointed for three years but may be extended up to six years.

Responsibilities: Non-executive directors are recognised as playing a key part in good governance in terms of independent oversight of board decision making. As a board member, non-executive director members will exercise their role through influence and advice, supporting as well as challenging the executive, and covering such issues as:

• Making timely and valuable contributions to inform the board’s work, including sharing opinions, insights and experience.
• Engaging openly with other board members and the Executive team in discussions and debates, recognising that decisions are usually made through consensus, and supporting the agreed position of the board.
• Building and maintaining respectful and constructive working relationships with IUKL’s Executive team and other staff.
• Preparing for all meetings and remaining up to date with IUKL’s work and priorities and sector developments.
• Contributing to and/or leading specific areas of work, including becoming Chair or a member of one or more board committees, as required.
• Representing IUKL and its interests as required, including with stakeholders.
• Exercising reasonable care, skill and diligence at all times.
• Declaring all interests and ensuring that the Register of Interests is kept up to date in order that any potential conflicts can be identified and managed appropriately.
• Leading by example and complying with the IUKL Board Code of Conduct at all times.
• Contributing to board effectiveness by undertaking induction and ongoing learning and development as required, and supporting board evaluations and individual performance reviews.

Board and COC meetings take place quarterly and COC, each lasting up to three hours. In addition, time is required for pre-reading of papers that are circulated three working days in advance. Additional meetings may be convened at the request of the Chairs. Detailed responsibilities are contained in the terms of reference.

About You: We recognise that a variety of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences enriches our work environment and therefore we actively welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates. All members are required to have the ability to contribute to the range of activities undertaken by the committee. Therefore, we are seeking to complement the current members by appointing candidates that can demonstrate the following experiences and attributes:

• Extensive experience in credit risk, loan origination, portfolio oversight, or investment — ideally with exposure to SME lending, venture finance, innovation funding.
• Committee Chair and Non Executive experience in a public sector and/or financial services organisation.
• Understanding of financial products and services.
• Understanding of SME innovation/research commercialisation.
• Oversight of public sector and/or financial services organisation risk management framework.

Desirable:

• Operating in public sector finance and control environment.
• Managing relationships with Stakeholders.
• Managing organisational performance.
• Managing financial crime, market abuse and insider trading.
• Understanding of regulatory requirements in accordance with the Financial Conduct Authority.

Application Guidance: How to evidence the criteria: We encourage you to use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) in your cover letter to clearly demonstrate how your experience meets each of the ‘person specification’ criteria outlined in the job description. Please ensure your CV and cover letter are no longer than two A4 pages each, using a minimum font size of 11. Once submitted, your application cannot be edited via your careers website; however, if you encounter any issues or need to update your documents, please contact us at SeniorRecruitment@ukri.org.

Other information: We have the right to redraw the application early. If you would like to have an informal chat about the role before applying, you’re welcome to get in touch with us at seniorrecruitment@ukri.org.