The Coal Authority Body within the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of HM Government has an exciting opportunity to lead our board. This is a key strategic role at an exciting time for us as we work to support government priorities across the UK around the green recovery.

Our new chair will play a pivotal role in making strategic projects – such as our work on mine energy – a reality. Mine energy has the potential to heat a substantial proportion of homes and businesses in the coalfields by using the warm water that sits deep in the country’s abandoned coal mine network – providing the UK with clean energy from the coalfields.  They will also help us move forward our exciting new sustainability programme, to further protect Britain’s environment for the future and contribute to the UK’s Net Zero ambitions.

As part of our commitment to be a great place to work, we’re looking for someone who’s committed to inclusive leadership of our board – and who’ll help us drive forward our EDI agenda. We’re committed to being a more actively anti-racist organisation and are keen for our leadership to be representative of that.

The Chair has the following leadership responsibilities:

• Effective, cooperative and inclusive leadership of the Board that will provide sound strategic direction. This includes enabling a high standard of discussion; helping to steer the Coal Authority by collaborative working across Government; and ensuring that systems are in place to provide Board members and the Executive team with the support they need to carry out their roles;
• Working with the Board to ensure that they and the Executive team have an appropriate and diverse range of skills, experience and outlook;
• Offering support and counsel to the Executive team while holding them to account and providing constructive challenge on the delivery of the Coal Authority Business Plan; and,
• Maintaining clear and effective channels of communication with internal and external stakeholders and acting as an ambassador for the Coal Authority.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

We wish to attract high calibre applicants from diverse backgrounds who have the ability to provide strong leadership and direction to the Board.

Your application should demonstrate all the following:

• How you would develop a Board and provide strategic and innovative leadership through a complex economic, commercial and political environment;
• Your ability to manage Board members as a team to meet common goals, scrutinise governance and delivery, and ensure best outcomes for the organisation;
• A willingness to learn financial and commercial accountability;
• Effective communication and influencing skills including an ability to maintain a sense of perspective and to pick out critical issues, listen sensitively, debate constructively, decide independently, and persuade others of their view;
• Familiarity of public sector corporate governance;
• Understanding of community and customer focused delivery or the willingness to learn; and,
• An energy background.

The successful candidate will be expected to make a time commitment of 5 days per month. Any additional days worked will be on a voluntary basis.