Trustees

Key Responsibilities

• Uphold and adhere to the highest standard of charity governance as set out by the Charity Commission. 
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the charity.
• Monitor the performance of the executive against the organisation’s strategic and operational plans. 
• Participate in meaningful challenge and discussions. Apply sound judgement and scrutinise appropriately to make informed decisions.
• Commit to difficult decisions when required.
• Identify and monitor risk.
• Maximise your networks and identify opportunities that will benefit Blood Cancer UK. 
• Act as an ambassador and an advocate at all levels for Blood Cancer UK, with patients, researchers, politicians, policy makers, volunteers, fundraising partners and the world at large. 
• Adopt an open, curious approach, willing to learn and improve. Be able to confidently challenge the Board, Executive and the Board’s advisers constructively and welcome challenge back.
• Build constructive, positive relationships with other Trustees and staff.
• Be responsive to a changing world, actively engaging with and learning about developments in the charity sector and beyond.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Clinical, research and NHS experience: If you have experience of working in one of these settings and have the ambition to help us grow our mission, we would love to hear from you. We would be especially interested in talking to to people who have worked in the fields of childhood cancer, lymphoma or myeloma or with a strong understanding of data in a research or clinical setting.
• Brand and/or fundraising: You could be a fundraising or marketing director but most important is the ability to provide effective strategic challenge and support at a time when we’re committed to growing our awareness and reach with people affected by blood cancer when they need us the most.
• Financial management and/or investment experience: We have big plans to grow Blood Cancer UK’s impact and fundraising in the coming years. We need robust financial plans to underpin this growth and need to appoint a trustee who is either a qualified accountant or who has direct financial experience. We would also like to hear from candidates with experience of managing a portfolio of investments. 

About
HOW TO APPLYWe ask you to send us a CV and cover letter. In your cover letter, we'd like to know why you're interested in working with us at Blood Cancer UK. It's also helpful if you tell us why you think you are a great candidate for this role based on the skills, knowledge and expertise section above. Your cover letter doesn't have to be too long, 1-2 pages is ideal. Please don't add photos or graphics to your CV, as we use blind shortlisting at this stage of the process.Full details about our recruitment processes, including how we use blind shortlisting and what to expect at each stage of the process can be found on our website. Sometimes we close our vacancies early, usually because we have had a lot of great applicants, so we’d always encourage you to apply early rather than wait until the deadline.WHY WORK AT BLOOD CANCER UK?We're the 9th best charity in the UK to work for according to Best Companies 2021! We started because of Susan, we’ll get there because of you.Blood Cancer UK was started by one family who lost their daughter, Susan, to blood cancer, and that history and sense of family continues to shape who we are today. When you join Blood Cancer UK, you don’t just become an organisational employee – you become part of a collaborative community dedicated to funding research into beating blood cancer that includes some of the most inspiring people you’ll ever meet. And we’re not that far away from beating blood cancer. We’re confident we can do it within the next generation, and this makes us hugely ambitious and gives us a sense of real urgency. It also means we’re changing quickly as an organisation as we constantly challenge ourselves and strive to become more and more effective. This pace of change means working here isn’t for everyone. But if you’re excited by the chance to work in a fast-paced, agile and supportive environment with the focus and ambition to beat blood cancer this could be the place for you! We focus on results rather than time spent at a desk, so we deliver more for people affected by blood cancer.Blood Cancer UK offers the chance to work for and with people affected by blood cancer, and the opportunity to advance your career and develop your skillset whilst taking on exciting new challenges and making your mark. EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSIONWe are committed to actively promoting equality, diversity, and inclusivity. Read our statement which reflects our strong drive to change in this area. To this end we would welcome approaches from individuals from underrepresented groups, including minoritised communities, and applicants with a disability, to better reflect the community we serve and help broaden our perspectives. You can read some examples of how we can support you through the application and interview process here.