Board Member Vacancy
About the role
Women’s Pioneer Housing has an extraordinary legacy, we were founded in 1920 by women and men who understood the link between providing women with good quality affordable accommodation and the wider fight for women’s equality. We have always held true to this mission and after a 100 years since our formation, gender inequality remains a huge issue. The need for an organisation that understands and champions women’s housing needs has never been more relevant.
A safe home is the foundation in supporting our residents’ independence. A women’s life is a journey and we need to be able to support our residents along the way. We do this in many ways. We house women of all ages and we are the largest provider of sheltered housing in Kensington and Chelsea. We work closely with our residents to review and continuously improve our homes and services.
These are exciting times for Women's Pioneer Housing, we have an ambitious development programme achieving planning permission for two major developments in 2023. In 2024 we received a prestigious award for Planning for Affordable Housing for our flagship development scheme which recognised the most impactful efforts in increasing the provision of affordable housing for single women, significantly improving access to below market cost homes. The award also recognised environmental quality and the innovative approach and dedication to address housing affordability which set a benchmark in the industry. This success realises our continuing efforts to be a leading voice on women’s housing issues, raising awareness of gender inequality and intersecting inequalities linked to race, sexuality, disability, age etc. In 2024 the need to address women’ diverse housing needs is perhaps greater than it was in 1920.
We have a strong management team and in Tracey Downie, our chief executive, we have an inspirational leader who has infused energy into our organisation and inspired our people to embrace change. Our Board is diverse and incredibly committed. We have a robust governance structure in place, essential as we undertake new opportunities, prepare for our growth and respond to increasing regulatory expectations.
As a Board Member you will support and contribute to what is an exciting period of change and growth for us. We are specifically looking for professionals or work experience drawn from HR employment law, finance or audit and risk and governance. What matters is your ability to demonstrate confident leadership in achieving collective strategic decisions and working creatively with others. Ideally you will have had some experience of working with boards or committees and we especially welcome interest from candidates with lived experience of, or a personal connection to our founding purpose and values. If what we say and do inspires you, we hope you apply.
Ruth Buckingham, Board Chair
Your application
To apply you should submit:
- An up-to-date CV which shows your full career history – we recommend that this is no longer than three pages.
- A supporting statement explaining why you are interested in this role, detailing how you are a good candidate for this post and how you fulfil the person specification – we recommend that this is no longer than three pages.
- The diversity form – completion of the diversity form is not mandatory, this is requested for monitoring purposes in line with our commitment to equality and diversity.
Please note that applications can only be considered if all the documentation is complete.
Closing date
Applications must be sent to hr@womenspioneer.co.uk by midday on Monday 2 September 2024.
Selection dates
Interviews for this role will likely be held during the weeks commencing on 9 and 16 September 2024. If you wish to have an informal discussion about the role or our organisation, or you have any questions you would like answered to help you decide whether to apply, please contact me for a confidential discussion at susan.bernard@womenspioneer.co.uk.
Susan Bernard, Head of HR & Corporate Services