Board Member - Person Spec

Board Membership:

  • All board members will meet the Universal criteria
  • 2 members with accountancy and/or treasury skills
  • 2 members with local knowledge of Soho HA operating areas
  • 2 members with experience from the public sector (local authority, health, education, policing etc.)
  • 1 member with knowledge of property development
  • 1 member with knowledge of contract management
  • 1 member with knowledge of the social housing sector
  • 1 member with corporate services experience (including legal)
  • Chief Executive – depth of experience in social housing

Universal criteria

All board members must have the following:

  • Complete alignment with Soho Housing's mission statement
  • An ability to take a detached view of the interests of Soho Housing, free from self interest
  • An ability to take impartial decisions based on written or oral briefing
  • An ability to exercise respect and courtesy towards other Board members, team members and residents
  • Willingness to commit to attending a demanding schedule of meetings
  • Willingness to act as an advocate for the organisation and communicate a positive view of it's work
  • Be at ease with the social objectives of the organisation and its customer facing ethos
  • Act with probity, integrity and honesty in all dealings with Soho Housing business

On occasions we recruit for more specific skills when there are skills gap in the collective board members:

Communities and customers

  • Knowledge of the social housing sector in Soho and all other areas where Soho Housing operates.
  • Board membership and governance of a housing association, community mutual or customer-led organization
  • Knowledge/experience of working on local economic development, financial exclusion, community safety or employment and training initiatives
  • Equal opportunities and diversity
  • Knowledge of other sectors (health, education, policing, early years or other)
  • Knowledge/experience of customer engagement (housing/non-housing)

 

Business, finance and governance

  • General (non-housing) commercial business, business planning financial & management skills. 
  • Accountancy and audit, strategic finance, knowledge of statutory requirements (including tax and vires), treasury management
  • Contract management, and monitoring financial and service performance.
  • Risk management and mitigation, assurance 
  • Performance management and continuous improvement
  • Governance, chairing Board / Committee meetings
  • Business strategy, policy development and change management
  • Organisational development/HR/staff engagement 
  • Communications, marketing, fundraising and public affairs
  • IT, technology and social media
  • Corporate services

 

Housing, property and development

  • Housing management and maintenance of social housing
  • Management, leadership and strategy in a housing context
  • Regulation of social housing (or a similar regulated area)
  • Public policy and politics as relating to the wider social housing sectors
  • Funding, planning and development for housing across a range of tenures
  • Property, asset management, development, surveying etc. 
  • Environmental sustainability, in terms of reducing energy use, pollution or carbon impact from development or other property matters
  • Partnership working with local authorities, other government and statutory bodies and third sector organisations
  • Knowledge/experience of new business generation and commercial development including local land markets, housing for sale and market rent (including from outside housing sector)
  • Knowledge of private sales and management of private rented housing