Non Executive Director – Port of Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne

Welcome to the Port of Tyne. As the largest UK trust port, we are an independent statutory body governed by our own unique local legislation. Playing a significant role in the UK economy and infrastructure, our primary duty is to manage, maintain, develop and improve the Port for the benefit of an increasingly wide stakeholder community. We are also the custodian and steward of the River Tyne.

As a major deep-sea port and a vital trading gateway to world-wide markets, the port itself has operated on the Tyne since Roman times. We became a trust port, constituted by Act of Parliament in 1968 and we have no shareholders or owners. Instead, we are governed by an independent Board of up to eight non-executive directors, appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport, and up to four executive directors, including our CEO, currently Matt Beeton.

The Board has a long-term strategy in place, Tyne 2050. This is fully aligned with the national strategy, Maritime 2050, and the North East Economic Plan, which focuses on the development of long-term commercial sustainability and growth through technology innovation and customer partnerships. The Port is also integral to the growth strategy of the regional mayor, Kim McGuiness.

Day to day, our business employs a staff of 330. We have a £70m turnover and £17m EBITDA. The business also has a £100m funding line from the National Wealth Fund and Pricoa (a US infrastructure fund). The Port is run on a commercial basis and receives no Government funding. We simply reinvest our profits back into the business for stakeholder benefit.

Under our current Chair, Lucy Armstrong, we have undergone a sustained programme of diversification, development and investment to ensure the Port’s future as a vibrant, sustainable business, able to respond to changing customer needs. Our customers currently include major players such as Equinor. Port of Tyne is also one of the UK’s largest car exporters and we have increasingly supported activity within the renewables sector, operating as the maintenance base for the world’s largest wind farm at Dogger Bank. The Port hosts the International Passenger Terminal for cruises and ferries; it has a successful estates portfolio, and a significant container and storage operation. The Port also established and hosts the UK’s first maritime Innovation Hub and remains the only UK port in the global Connected Ports initiative.

We also take our responsibility to the community seriously and play an active role in the region. In 2024 we added £680m to the GVA of the regional economy of the North East and supported 12,000 jobs. Plans for a £1 billion investment were recently announced, with a further 150 acres now planned for development, which will bring further major opportunities.

As Lucy completes her third term of office in June 2026, we are seeking a credible, influential and trusted successor to lead our Board through the next era of investment and development. During her tenure, the Board has overseen a major turnaround of the Port from a loss-making organisation to the stable, ambitious and successful operation it is now.

Our next chair will therefore build on the strong foundations in place by supporting longer-term Investment, JV and partnerships with a range of funders and public agencies and ensuring large scale innovative funding structures are in place to underpin major projects. Good relations are critical for the Port, and you will provide continuity in our relationships with customers and both national and regional government.

As the next phase of development will see the Port underlining the role of the Innovation Hub as an engine for true sector growth and change, this will become a further focus for the Board. Finally, we have an exceptional Executive in place driving national and international projects; however, some management succession is likely over the coming years, and our Chair will ensure continuity of operation through a strong and motivated senior team.

You will be a confident, clear-sighted and skilled strategic leader who understands the value of the Port as an increasingly significant part of our industrial, social and economic fabric, not just in the North East but in the UK and globally. Sound judgement, personal presence and strong team leadership skills are naturally essential for this appointment.

If you can offer Port of Tyne the experience and qualities we are looking for, we look forward to hearing from you.

The Port of Tyne’s primary duty is to manage, maintain, develop and improve the Port and its operations for the benefit of all its stakeholders which comprise customers, employees, the business community, government and the local community.

Non-executive Directors are expected to act with independent judgement and use their skills and experience for the benefit of the Port of Tyne and its stakeholders. They devote the necessary time and undertake such training as is required to carry out their responsibilities.

The role of the Non-executive Directors is to provide independent judgement and perspective on key issues of company strategy, business performance, issues of risk and use of resources. They exercise influence on Board sub-committees to which they may be appointed, and they uphold the highest standards of conduct and integrity. They utilise their own skills, experience and successful track record of achievement to generate valuable ideas and guidance for the benefit of Port of Tyne and its stakeholders.

These are public appointments made by the Secretary of State for Transport. The DfT is committed to the principles of appointments based on merit with independent assessment, openness and transparency of process. In particular, the Department is committed to addressing the underrepresentation of women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities who have the required skills and experience.

Candidates must demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Senior operational finance and commercial skills gained in a large global engineering, oil & gas or related organisation;
• Senior operational experience gained in transport, logistics or process automation – as part of this, we are interested in people who can offer expertise in health & safety in environments characterised by similar risks;
• External stakeholder management;
• Emerging technologies and AI;
• Experience of HR;
• People with a regional connection.

Skills and behaviours:

• Analytical skills: ability to make decisions, problem solve and prioritise.
• Ability to make a positive contribution to and engage in Board discussions whilst demonstrating integrity in all personal and business dealings.
• Communication skills to establish effective relationships with stakeholders and influence, challenge and persuade others.
• Ability to manage complex issues within statutory guidelines commercially and acts independently in the best interests of the Port.

Candidate’s suitability for the role will be assessed against criteria above. Any applications submitted after the closing date, or that are missing any of the following documents, will not be accepted.

To apply, you must provide:

• CV or equivalent biographical information (maximum two sides A4, minimum 12 font) setting out your career history and including details of any professional qualifications.
• Provide a summary of why you are interested in the role and how you meet the specification and essential criteria. This can be in a form that allows you most ably to present your interest and credentials, for example a short, bullet-point slide presentation, a short video (no more than 2 mins) or supporting letter (no more than two A4 pages, minimum 12 font). Make sure you refer to the contents of this document and provide specific examples.

If you wish to provide your supporting summary in video format, please contact DfTpublicappointments@dft.gov.uk in advance of the closing date. You will also be asked to provide diversity data, and to declare any potential conflicts of interest or reputational issues. We will ask you to check and confirm your personal details to ensure your application is accurate. You will also have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment request or apply under the disability confident scheme before you submit your application.