Cheshire and Warrington Enterprise Partnership
Job Description
Job Title: LEP Board Director
Date: December 2014
Purpose
To provide expertise and knowledge from the perspective of the business community on the economic needs of Cheshire and Warrington and to actively engage in the strategic direction of the LEP.
Principal Accountabilities
Bringing independent sound judgement, Board Directors will be expected to:
• Actively contribute to the strategic direction and purpose of the LEP.
• Contribute to and have influence over challenging goals and objectives, and ensure that the strategic aims are delivered through appropriate mechanisms bringing about the economic, social and physical transformation of Cheshire and Warrington.
• Understand and work with other Board members from business and local authorities to make decisions about a range of economic priorities.
• Act as an ambassador for Cheshire and Warrington at regional, national and international levels.
• Actively engage with stakeholders to capture and engage their interest and facilitate their activity in Cheshire and Warrington, and bring messages back to the Board.
• Bring the views and experience of your sector to Board discussions, including seeking information from sector partners, where appropriate.
• Promote the LEP and its activities in an advocate role, and feed back into your sector.
· Help ensure effective planning, management and financial control procedures are in place to ensure that all relevant legal and statutory requirements are met.
· Ensure the LEP meets its responsibilities in relation to the Local Growth Fund and European Structural and Investment Plan.
· Contribute to developing the LEP’s business and activities in line with best governance practice and guidance.
• To participate fully in Board meetings, providing expert advice, guidance, insight and challenge to Board discussions.
Person specification
Collectively the Board will meet the full specification below, individual members will be expected to meet some and not all of the criteria.
• Directors will represent a cross section of the Cheshire and Warrington business community – from small businesses to large corporates and across a variety of sectors.
• Representation will include the education sector, both FE and HE.
• Well connected with demonstrable links to other businesses and networks to represent the views of the wider business community.
• Directors will be representative of the geography and diversity of Cheshire and Warrington.
• Demonstrate strategic vision, excellent communication and leadership skills and an understanding of the drivers of economic prosperity.
• Experience of working in a partnership environment with a strong commitment to collaborative working.
• Proven track record of success in influencing decision making and developing high quality thinking in a business context.
• Highly motivated, with resilience and tenacity.
• Experience of effective handling of the media.
• Knowledge of and a passion for Cheshire and Warrington – its people, communities, businesses, organisations and infrastructure.
Conduct and Probity:
Board Directors must act in what they believe to be the best interests of the LEP and Cheshire and Warrington, and not in their own interests or those of any person or company.
Board Directors will work in accordance with the Nolan Principles contained within the Code of Conduct for Board Members of public bodies issued by the Cabinet Office.
Board Directors will recognise that they have responsibility for large sums of Government funds and therefore they must be prepared to adhere to the highest standards of transparency and accountability.
Directors shall declare any personal or prejudicial interest in any matter to be considered at a meeting; if a declaration is made, they may be asked to withdraw from the meeting while the item is considered.
All Directors of the Board will maintain confidentiality of Board business where that is expressly required.
Directors will be expected to have a minimum attendance level of 70%.
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