Non-executive Director and Trustee
About the role
Role title: Trustee and Non-Executive Director (Board Member) of Bioregional
Role purpose: In conjunction with the other members of the Board, to help formulate, determine and direct the strategy of the organisation; to monitor and scrutinise performance and risk with regard to both normal operations and the delivery of the organisation’s overarching strategy; and to hold the Chief Executive and Team of Directors accountable for performance and compliance with all appropriate legislation, regulation and policies agreed by the Board from time to time.
Remuneration: The role is unpaid, although reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.
- Term: The normal term is four years, with the option to be re-elected for a second four-year term, with a maximum of eight years membership on the Board.
- Time commitment: Board Members are expected to attend board meetings four times a year which are typically two hours long with papers circulated in advance. Additional time commitment is flexible depending on the availability of the trustee, and may include strategy away days, training, staff events, and other meetings. The Chair will also be expected to meet virtually with the CEO on a monthly basis.
- Board meetings: These are held with the leadership team four times a year on weekday late afternoons, either at our offices or other central London locations or, virtually. As a sustainability charity, we naturally expect all trustees to have a good commitment to, and some understanding of, sustainability.
Deadline: Friday 28 February 2025 at 1pm
Bioregional is an award-winning sustainability charity and social enterprise.
We’re passionate about working on practical projects that make a real difference to people’s lives.
Our consultancy teams work with businesses, organisations, and local authorities, helping them implement cutting-edge sustainability strategies that respond to the climate and ecological emergency.
Your new role – what’s involved?
Are you looking for an impactful NED role in sustainability? Bioregional is a leading charity with a thirty-year track record of success. We want to grow our work and our impact as consultants to retail, product and real estate businesses, and with local and national policymakers. It’s a fast-growing market, and while nowadays every consultant offers sustainability, Bioregional can bring a greater depth of practical experience. We need to maintain and grow our position in the market and are seeking board members who can help us succeed in that.
Experience in the business sectors we work in - strategic, commercial, and financial planning and management, communications, advocacy, HR or legal - would all be welcomed, together with the commitment to sustainability to help us stay true to our charitable purpose.
We are committed to increasing diversity within our organisation and positively welcome applications from all. We are registered as both a company and a charity, and so the role is one of a Non-Executive Director, and Trustee of the charity. If you are new to being a trustee or NED, it’s a great opportunity to get this experience in a friendly and professionally run organisation.
The time commitment is for four board meetings per year, plus strategic and ad hoc support depending on the time you have available and your skills and abilities. It is a voluntary role with reasonable expenses reimbursed.
About Bioregional
Bioregional is one of the UK’s original sustainability consultancies. Founded in 1994, we have been winning awards and working with partners to create cutting-edge solutions to sustainability for 30 years.
As a purpose-led organisation, our mission is to help businesses and communities to respond to the climate and ecological emergency, and to create a world in which we can live happy and healthy lives within the limits of our planet’s resources.
We focus on real-world impact, acting as a ‘critical friend’ to our clients and challenging them to innovate at the boundaries of best practice. We have built our expertise, knowledge, and reputation by collaborating with leading industry players, from leading multinational retailers to housebuilders, real estate investors, pension funds, and local authorities.
We are a social enterprise. This means that unlike other consultants, we have no partners or shareholders. We use any surpluses we make to fund practical projects and educational resources that enable people to live more sustainably, and then share this learning with industry and policymakers to drive systemic change.
We are the creators of the One Planet Living framework, which provides a vision and a toolkit for creating healthy and happy lifestyles within the limits of our one planet, and which we make free to use by everyone. These principles have guided the development of exemplar projects across the world – in the UK these include BedZED, the UK's first large-scale eco-village, the sustainability strategy for London’s bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the UK's first eco-town, Elmsbrook, in Oxfordshire.
Testimonials
"I'm privileged to have been a Trustee at Bioregional since 2021, contributing to this vital organisation’s growth and success. In turn it’s supported my own development, helping me to hone existing skills and gain new ones. Supporting Bioregional gives me a great sense of pride, as I know I’m backing a spectacular team of experts on the frontline of the climate emergency."
Johann Van Dyke
Trustee
"I'm hugely proud to have served as a trustee of Bioregional. It has enormous legacy, real integrity, authentic leadership and huge amounts of energy and ambition at all levels. It is a pioneer in the space of sustainability consultancy and consistently 'walks the talk'. The trustee meetings are collaborative and collegiate and participation in the broader team is encouraged. My contribution and skillset has always been appreciated."
Zoë Arden
Trustee
"Serving as a Trustee and Chair of the Bioregional Board has been a rewarding and enjoyable experience. Bioregional does crucially important work, and it has been a privilege to be able to make a small contribution to it. It has also been a pleasure to work with the trustees and executive team, given their enthusiasm and positivity."
Jonathan Griffin
Chair of Trustees
"Serving as a trustee and treasurer for Bioregional over the last six years has been an incredibly rewarding experience. The role has allowed me to combine my financial expertise with my passion for sustainability, helping the organisation effectively manage resources while supporting its vital environmental and social mission."
Sarah Kemmitt
Treasurer
How to apply
Deadline: Friday 28 February 2025 at 1pm
Please send a cover letter and CV detailing your relevant experience and suitability for the role - including whether you are applying for the role of Chair or board member - to: sue.riddlestone@bioregional.com
Interviews for shortlisted candidates with the CEO and Chair will take place on Wednesday 12 March or Tuesday 18 March 2025.
References will then be sought for the final candidates.
Candidates recommended by the Chair and CEO will then meet the board and executive team at the next board meeting at 3pm on 25 March, as observers.
Successful candidates appointed will take up their role at the AGM and board meeting on 1 July 2025
Please let us know in your cover letter if you cannot make any of the dates noted above.
