Chair Or NEDS Appointment to the Name of Partner Organisation s2
Intellectual Property Office, Chair of Steering Board
Applicants pack
March, 2017
Vacancy Description
The Organisation:
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is an Executive Agency and a Trading Fund within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Its income derives from customer fees from patents, trademarks and designs. The IPO Steering Board is an Advisory Board whose remit it is to assist the Department in overseeing the performance and direction of the IPO.
As an executive agency of BEIS, the IPO is directed and controlled by corporate governance rules to ensure that it supplies public services to the highest quality, shares good ideas, controls costs and above all delivers on its stated objectives.
To ensure that the IPO acts within these rules, Ministers appoint independent Members to sit on a Steering Board. The Steering Board has no executive functions and its role is to advise Ministers and the IPO senior staff on strategic issue, performance levels, management of risk etc.
The IPO currently has seven Non-Executive Directors. There are two Executive Members of the Steering Board; the Chief Executive of the IPO and the Director General of Business and Science, BEIS (or his representative). Although not formally members, the Executive Directors of the IPO also attend steering Board Meetings as required. The Steering Board is quorate when at least half the total number of members are present, three of which must be Non-Executive Directors.
Additional information can be accessed at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/intellectual-property-office
The Chair:
The IPO Steering Board is responsible for advising the CEO and the Minister on the overall direction and policies of the IPO. It ensures the IPO delivers on its strategic priorities and that resources are allocated effectively for their delivery. The Steering Board also regularly reviews the management and performance of the IPO and ensures high standards of corporate governance are maintained at all times.
The role of the Chair is an important one and demands effective strategic leadership of the Board and the ability to speak on its behalf. The Chair will work closely with the full-time Chief Executive, who is the IPO’s Accounting Officer. We are seeking applications from individuals with senior strategic level experience from either the public or private sector with insight into, and experience of, leading a board of senior professionals ensuring a high level of engagement and performance.
The Role:
It is important that the successful applicant can demonstrate the ability and credibility to lead and chair the Board, encourage engagement and drive performance. In particular, the role demands:
· Board level experience in either a public or commercial sector organisation, including experience of risk management and governance at a strategic level.
· Strong strategic, analytical and commercial skills and judgement.
· The ability to think innovatively, to challenge the norm and support a culture of organisational and behavioural change.
· An ability to build relationships with executive colleagues and a clear understanding of the role of the executive versus that of non-executive.
· An excellent communicator to drive effective teamwork, challenge constructively and show diplomacy and independence with stakeholders at all levels.
In addition, it is desirable that the successful candidate has a general understanding and appreciation of the values and role of the public sector, the IPO, intellectual property and its contribution to innovation and growth.
Terms of Appointment:
The Chair of the Steering Board will work 22 days per year. Any additional days worked will be on a voluntary basis.
The Chair will receive remuneration at the rate of £450 per day, capped at £10,000 per annum. Reasonable travel and subsistence expenses will be reimbursed.
The Non-Executive Member will be appointed for a single term of 3 years, renewable for a further 3 years at the discretion of the Secretary of State.
The Non-Executive Member must demonstrate a high standard of corporate and personal conduct and should particularly note the requirement to declare any conflict of interest that arises in the course of the office’s operations and the need to declare any relevant business interests, positions of authority or other connections with commercial, public or voluntary bodies. These will be published in the annual report with details of all board members' remuneration from BEIS sources.
BEIS is committed to providing equal opportunities for all, irrespective of race, age, disability, gender, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, transgender and working patterns and to the principle of public appointments on merit with independent assessments, openness and transparency of process.
BEIS offers professional training courses on public sector finance and governance for those new to the public sector.
Selection Process:
Closing date: 17 April, 2017 at 23.00
Shortlist panel meeting: TBC
Panel interviews: TBC, taking place in London
Ministerial decision on whom to appoint: July, 2017
Successful candidate takes up post: 1 October, 2017
The selection panel membership is planned to be:
· Panel Chair: Michael Mire, Chair of Land Registry Board
· Paul Hadley, Deputy Director Business Innovation Directorate, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
· Independent panel member: Dr. Alison Fraser-Walker
How to Apply
The closing date for applications is 17 April, 2017 at 23.00
Late applications will not be accepted.
Please submit the following documents by email to
· A Covering Letter ☐
· A CV ☐
· Candidates Application Form ☐
Please ensure that you include “Intellectual Property Office (IPO), Chair of Steering Board” in the subject box.
Alternatively, you can send your application in hard copy to:
Public Appointments Team, 7th Floor, Spur 2, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET
Applicant packs can be provided in other formats upon request.
Conflicts of Interest
If you or a family member have any personal or business interest or potential conflict of interest with the activities of the Body you will be expected to declare this.
Any conflict will not prevent you going forward to interview, but may be explored with you during the selection process.
You will also be required to uphold the standards of conduct established by the Committee of Standards in Public Life, also known as the Nolan Principles (Please see last page).
Diversity and Equal Opportunities
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is committed to the principle of public appointments on merit with independent assessment, openness and fairness of process and to providing equal opportunities for all.
BEIS works with Government Departments to ensure they have the capacity to attract the widest field of candidates and to make the best possible appointments.
All applicants are asked to complete an anonymised Diversity Monitoring Form used for data gathering information only in order to ensure Departments are recruiting from the widest possible pool.
Making a Complaint
If you feel your application has not been treated fairly and you wish to make a complaint, you should initially send an email to:
Candidate Application Form
How did you find out about this vacancy?
Is this your first public appointment? Yes ☐ No ☐
Other public appointments currently held and any remuneration- please state below:
Body / Government Department Sponsor / Term of Appointment / Remuneration
Potential or Actual Conflicts of Interest
Please give details of any business or other interests or any personal connections which, if you were appointed, could present a conflict of interest holding this role. These could include financial interests or share ownership, membership of societies, activities, associations or employment of a partner or friend in the particular field in which the public body operates.
Any potential or actual conflicts of interest detailed here will not prevent you going forward to interview but may, if appropriate, be explored with you during your interview to establish how you would address the issue(s) should you be successful in your application. If there are no potential conflicts of interest, please write ‘none’.
Data Protection Consent
The Data Protection Act 1998 requires that those providing monitoring information must give their consent to it being used, even though the individuals are not identified.
Please mark the box below with an ‘x’ to show that you give your consent for information you provide to be used, anonymised, for publication of monitoring data.
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Diversity Monitoring Form
Public appointments are made on merit in accordance with the Cabinet Office Governance Code and the Public Appointments Order in Council. By completing the attached diversity monitoring form you will be helping us meet our public sector equality duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2012.
Your personal data will always be treated in confidence and when anonymised with data from other applicants will help compile the Annual Statistical Bulletin of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Your responses to sections 1 – 8 will never be made available to the panel considering your application.
1. Gender
What is your gender?
☐ Female
☐ Male
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2. Disability
Do you consider yourself to be disabled?
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☐ Yes
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☐ I prefer not to say
Under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme, if you are a disabled applicant (as defined under the Equality Act 2010) and you meet the minimum criteria for the role, you will be selected for interview.
Please put a mark [x] below, if you would like to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme.
☐ I would like to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme
3. Ethnicity
Please mark the box that most accurately describes your ethnicity:
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4. Age
Please tick the box that corresponds to your age band:
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What is your sexual orientation?
☐ Bisexual ☐ Gay man ☐ Heterosexual ☐ Lesbian ☐ Other
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6. Religion or belief
What is your religion or belief?
☐ Buddhist ☐ Christian ☐ Hindu ☐ Jewish ☐ Muslim ☐ Sikh
☐ Other ☐ No Religion or Atheist
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7. Where is your principal place of residence?
Please enter the County or City that you live in, along with the first part of your postcode. (For example, Dyfed SY23; London SE18)
County/City: Click here to enter text. Postcode: Click here to enter text.
8. What is your principal employment, if any?
Please describe your main employment and tick the occupational sector box that best describes you:
Employment: Click here to enter text.
☐ Mostly Civil Service
☐ Mostly Third Sector
☐ Mixed
☐ Mostly Private Sector
☐ Mostly wider Public Sector
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Only the information provided in section 9 (Political Activity Declaration) below will be made available to the panel if you are called for interview.
9. Political Activity Declaration
Have you undertaken any political activity for a political party in the past five years?
☐ No
☐ Yes
If ‘Yes’, please indicate the activity undertaken and for which party/parties:
☐ held office
☐ public speaking
☐ stood for election
☐ made donations to a party
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☐ any other political activity
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Consent to receive information on other appointment opportunities
All Public Appointments are advertised on the Cabinet Office’s Public Appointments website http://publicappointments.cabinetoffice.gov.uk and the Public Appointments Twitter feed @publicappts .
Please tick the box below if you are content for us to share your CV and contact details with the Centre for Public Appointments in the Cabinet Office. The Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Centre for Public Appointments will keep this on file and may contact you about other opportunities that may arise in the future. All information will be handled in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
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The Seven Principles of Public Life
In 1995, the Committee on Standards in Public Life defined seven principles which should underpin the actions of all who serve the public in any way.
Consistent with the Commissioner’s Code of Practice, applicants will be assessed on merit, and all candidates for public appointment will need to uphold the standards of conduct set out in the Seven Principles of Public Life. These will be tested as part of the selection process and the selection Panel must satisfy itself that all candidates for appointments can meet these standards; which are:
Selflessness
Holders of Public Office should take decisions solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or other friends.
Integrity
Holders of Public Office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might influence them in the performance of their official duties.
Objectivity
Carrying out Public Office business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit.
Accountability
Holders of Public Office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.