Committee Member – Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland in Manchester

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is a non-departmental public body established by the Equality Act 2006, working independently from Government and recognised as an authority on equality and human rights law, evidence, and analysis. We employ approximately 210 employees across four office locations: Manchester (Head Office), Cardiff, Glasgow, and London.

Our role is to make the country a fairer place by enforcing and upholding the laws that safeguard everyone’s right to fairness, dignity, and respect. We enforce the Equality Act 2010, which makes it unlawful to discriminate against or harass individuals based on the nine protected characteristics. We use the full force of our legal powers to defend people from unfair or unequal treatment and to challenge breaches of the law. We are the first port of call for policy makers, public sector bodies, and businesses who require authoritative guidance on equality and human rights law. We work with employers, governments, parliament, and a wide range of organisations to promote understanding of equality and human rights and support them to make improvements in practice. We are also ready to hold them to account and take enforcement action if they fall short. We conduct inquiries to uncover barriers to progress and make recommendations for improvement.

As a National Human Rights Institution, we promote awareness, understanding, and protection of human rights, and encourage public bodies to comply with the Human Rights Act. We are charged with protecting those most at risk of human rights abuses and monitoring human rights in Britain, reporting our findings to the United Nations and to government. In Scotland, we share our human rights mandate with the Scottish Human Rights Commission. Our strategy for 2022-25 sets out how we use our powers to protect and promote equality and human rights, identifying the main challenges in society where we can make a difference in our role as a regulator.

Being a Committee Member offers you a unique opportunity. You will work with dedicated and expert colleagues to influence the equality and human rights agenda in Scotland, supporting the important work of our Board of Commissioners and the wider Commission. We are looking for our new Committee Member to bring knowledge and understanding of the equality and human rights agenda in Scotland, governance experience, and skill in bringing constructive challenge to the Commission’s work. To ensure we have the right balance of skills and expertise across the Committee, we are particularly interested in hearing from people with experience of operating at a senior organisational level, and who have knowledge or personal experience of the barriers faced by those with protected characteristics, such as disability or ethnic minority.

Person specification

• Significant experience of operating at a senior level, with experience of regulation being an additional benefit.
• Proven knowledge of the context of equality and human rights across Britain, particularly in Scotland.
• Practical understanding of the social, economic, cultural, legal, and political context in Scotland.
• Proven ability to work impartially and non-politically, in a sensitive and sometimes politically charged policy agenda.
• Ability to assimilate complex information and participate fully in Committee deliberations and strategic debate across the whole range of the Commission’s work.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills, demonstrating an ability to work collaboratively, identify key issues, and reach balanced conclusions.
• Ability to work in partnership and engage with a wide range of people and organisations in Scotland to promote and explain the work of the Commission.

Knowledge, skills and/or experience in one or more of the areas listed below:

• Communities and Civic Society
• Public sector
• Economy, Academia, Legal or Business
• Third sector, Charity, or Voluntary Sector
• Experience of how a regulator operates.
• Human Rights
• The barriers facing those with protected characteristics
• Experience in representing an organisation or community group
• Understanding of and commitment to good governance
• Knowledge of the barriers facing those with protected characteristics

How to apply

To apply, please send an up-to-date Curriculum Vitae and supporting statement of no more than 1,000 words in total, outlining how you believe you meet the essential and desirable criteria. Where you give examples, these can be taken from any aspect of your life that you consider most relevant. Wherever possible, however, we would recommend that you use an example of a recent event, ideally within the last 2 to 3 years.

As well as the CV and supporting statement, please also complete the recruitment information pack, where you can:

• Provide details for two referees.
• Complete the monitoring information form.
• Complete the Guaranteed Interview Scheme declaration, if applicable.
• Provide details of any reasonable adjustments, if applicable.
• Complete the declarations.

Completion of the monitoring information form is not mandatory. If you choose to complete this form, you will assist the Commission in monitoring our efforts towards achieving an inclusive and diverse workforce, and it may be used as part of the selection process in instances where it is lawful to take positive action. Completed forms will be treated in accordance with Data Protection Legislation and the Commission’s privacy notice – EHRC Privacy Notice.

Please send your completed application to: scotlandcommissioner@equalityhumanrights.com by 5pm on the closing date, 27th September 2024. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date and time unless exceptionally agreed.