Board Chair vacancy

The Chair works closely with the Chief Executive to provide support and advice. The key responsibilities of the role are to:

• Chair the Board meetings, ensuring all members’ views are taken into account.
• Ensure that all Board members play an active part in strategy setting.
• Monitor performance of Board members, raising concerns where appropriate, and ensure active engagement of members. 
• Represent the NC3Rs externally and engage with the NC3Rs’ funders and other stakeholders including at high level committees, workshops or international events, as appropriate. The Chair may also be required to speak for the NC3Rs in the media or in the political arena.
• Chair the 3Rs Prize Panel and Gateway Advisory Board.
• Appoint NC3Rs Board members (including Chairs of the NC3Rs Funding and CRACK IT Advisory Panels).
• Review with the Board annually the performance of the NC3Rs Chief Executive, reporting to the MRC Executive Chair and Chief Operating and Finance Officer.

The Board is a non-executive body which provides advice to the Chief Executive on the NC3Rs vision, mission, strategy and on major policy and spending decisions. Specifically, the Board:

• Monitors delivery against strategy and objectives.
• Advises on the scientific and regulatory environment in which the NC3Rs operates, highlighting potential opportunities and risks to the Centre.
• Agrees the annual budget and reviews financial forecasts and controls.
• Is consulted on major policy and spending decisions.
• Reviews the performance of the Chief Executive.

The Board acts as the custodian of the NC3Rs mission. Board members are not involved in the day-to-day business of the Centre but have a central role in contributing to the development of strategy, monitoring and evaluating delivery, and ensuring that financial planning and risk management is robust.

The Board acts as a single body, with all members sharing collective responsibility for all of its advice. In providing advice and guidance the Board is required to:

• Take account of emerging science and technology, national and international regulations and policies relating to animal use.
• Ensure a balanced portfolio of research to support the delivery of NC3Rs’ objectives.
• Seek expert advice where necessary.

The Board delegates specific responsibilities to the NC3Rs Funding Panels, which include members independent of the Board. Each Funding Panel has delegated powers of decision-making over recommending new awards to fund within its remit and budget. As primary funders of the NC3Rs, the BBSRC and MRC have permanent membership of the Board.

The NC3Rs is UK-based with core funding provided via the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), which in turn are part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). With an annual budget of approximately £10 million the NC3Rs works with organisations across the bioscience and biomedical sectors in the UK and internationally including universities, industry, research funders and regulatory authorities.

The NC3Rs is an independent scientific organisation with responsibility for setting and delivering its strategy and for the use of its resources. Its independence and objectivity is integral to its ability to operate effectively across its wide stakeholder base, building strong collaborations nationally and internationally and in maintaining its reputation with the public whilst securing confidence and support from the scientific community.

For logistical reasons, the NC3Rs operates under the umbrella of MRC as part of UKRI. While independent in function, the NC3Rs is not a legal entity in its own right and is required to act within the same legal framework as the MRC as part of UKRI. 

Vision and mission

The NC3Rs works to pioneer better science through advancing the 3Rs in research and innovation. Its mission is to: 

• Support the discovery and adoption of predictive, reproducible and cost-effective alternatives to the use of animals.
• Improve standards where animal use is necessary, optimising model selection and study design and minimising suffering as far as possible.
• Promote the importance of the 3Rs across the scientific community, nationally and internationally, by providing training and embedding the 3Rs in policy, practice and regulations.

To achieve this, our activities are divided between our role as a research and innovation funder and our internal programmes led by NC3Rs scientific staff which focus on providing advice and guidance, facilitating data sharing and knowledge exchange both nationally and internationally, and collaborations with industry.

The successful candidate will have:

• Experience to professorial level or equivalent.
• A first-class record in conducting and leading internationally respected research in the biosciences sector including success in obtaining major grant funding over a number of years.
• A commitment to the mission and objectives of the NC3Rs.
• A vision of the priorities and opportunities for the 3Rs across the biosciences as a whole.
• Excellent communication skills and an ability to act as an advocate for the NC3Rs.
• Robust leadership skills and an ability to take part in difficult discussions with energy and diplomacy.
• The ability to command the respect of the academic community, clinicians, industrialists and major funders.
• Experience of strategy development and delivery.
• Proven ability to exercise judgement across a broad spectrum of policy and research issues.
• Experience of interacting with Government departments and policy-makers at a senior level.
• Proven ability to work effectively within the public sector’s requirements for accountability and openness, and within financial constraints.
• Demonstrable experience of successfully operating within a complex landscape of stakeholders.
• Experience of research leadership in the private sector in an area relevant to the NC3Rs and a broad understanding of the commercial/academic interface is desirable.
• An understanding of how to deliver significant external cultural change is desirable.

Please complete the application form and submit a short CV of no longer than two A4 pages by 18 May 2023.  

If you have any queries, or you would like further information about the role or application process, please email recruit@nc3rs.org.uk.

Candidates for this role will be assessed against the criteria listed in the person specification using the information provided in the application form and CV.

The Appointment’s Panel will be chaired by Professor Ian Kimber OBE, with interviews taking place on 21 June 2023 in central London. A shortlisting stage will be held prior to interviews and all candidates invited to interview will meet with the NC3Rs Chief Executive.

All reasonable expenses incurred in connection with attending an interview will be paid. 

The NC3Rs is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from all. Applications from women, those with a disability, and members of minority ethnic groups, who are currently under-represented at senior levels in some sectors of the research and innovation community, are therefore especially encouraged.

Basis of appointment

The NC3Rs Board meets up to four times a year with meetings held both virtually and face-to-face. The Board Chair is typically expected to commit ten days a year to NC3Rs business. The appointment will be from 1 January 2024 for three years in the first instance, with the possibility of an extension for up to a further two years. 

It is essential that individuals should be able to commit the necessary time and attention to the role and have the full support of their employer and organisation in doing so.

Remuneration

An honorarium of £5,000 per annum is currently paid. All reasonable travel and subsistence expenses are also reimbursed. 

Induction

The newly appointed Chair will have the opportunity to meet with the Chief Executive, the senior team and the outgoing Board Chair prior to their tenure beginning. Additionally the new Chair will be requested to attend up to two Board meetings as an observer prior to 1 January 2024.

Declarations of interest

The appointee is expected to abide by the principles set out in the ‘UKRI Conflicts of Interest Policy’ and is required to declare any private, professional or commercial interests that might, or might be perceived to, conflict with the NC3Rs interests. Declarations of interest are published on the NC3Rs website.

Privacy notice

The NC3Rs is an independent scientific organisation which for logistical reasons operates under the umbrella of the Medical Research Council (MRC) which in turn is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

All personal data provided to the NC3Rs will be processed in accordance with current UK data protection legislation. The information you provide will be retained and used to manage recruitment in accordance with UKRI’s retention policy.

The appointed individual’s Conflicts of Interest information (including name and institution) will be published on the NC3Rs website under the NC3Rs Board members webpage.

Information on how we use personal data can be found in the UK Research and Innovation Privacy Notice.