Join the Board
We are looking for new non-executive directors (board members) for our group of award-winning social enterprises. Our majority of unpaid (trustee-like) board members are central to ensuring Down to Earth’s impact continues to grow whilst maintaining excellent accountability and good governance.
Salary: Unpaid
Hours per week: 6 Board Meetings a Year
Reports to: Board of directors
Are you interested?
If you are interested, send the application form and CV to: jobs@downtoearthproject.org.uk
Deadline:8am Monday 4th December 2023
What are we looking for?
Being a non-executive director, we need committed and passionate people who believe we can create a better world together. As you’ll see in the Specification, we are looking for a range of skill sets for at least 2 new board members to join our board. We encourage different perspectives and backgrounds and people from different sectors.
Not business as usual
We are most definitely not “business as usual”. As a group of social enterprises, we operate on a non-profit distributing model but strive to make a healthy surplus to further our impact.
Expected hours and location
We hold board meetings 6 times a year in our hand-crafted Gower (Swansea) venues. Four board meetings are Friday mornings between 9am and 12pm and two board meetings are full Fridays. We are open to some virtual attendance but would prefer mostly face to face. Ad hoc input is also expected depending on project and business needs.
Our group of social enterprises
We have 2 social enterprises: Down to Earth Project (DTEP) and Down to Earth Construction (DTEC). Both are identical in their Article of Association and both are companies limited by guarantee. DTEC is a wholly owned subsidiary of DTEP. We are looking non-executive directors for both companies.
Benefits
The non-executive board member roles are unpaid, though we cover expenses and any necessary training. Board members are also able to use Down to Earth sites for personal and work purposes, as well as our EV charging facilities, for free.
Term of appointment
Board members are appointed on a 4 year term with the potential to renew up to 2 times.
Responsibilities:
As a non-executive director, you will be registered as a director with Companies House. Responsibilities include:
- Accountability and governance
- Advice
- Specific support to the team
Board member specification:
We are looking to appoint at least 2 new board members with experience in at least one of these areas:
- Construction – commercial development of sites for housing and public sector facilities
- Manufacturing – off site and modern methods of constructing panels for buildings
- Architecture – commercial design of housing schemes and public sector facilities
- Business development – direct experience in the growth of a successful business
- Impact investment and fund raising – commercial investment and grant based income generation for growth
Skills, Knowledge & Experience: Essential:
- Minimum 5 years experience in one of the areas in the specification
- Strong communication skills
- Passion to create a better world for people and nature
Skills, Knowledge & Experience: desirable
- Welsh language
- Board level experience
