Our Directors play a vital role in making sure that Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive achieves its core purpose. They oversee the overall management and administration of the organisation. They work to ensure that Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive has a clear strategy and that our work and goals are in line with our vision.
We are looking for two new Directors to join the Board to, respectively:
● Lead on finance (acting as Treasurer), and to assist and advise the board in exercising our collective responsibility to oversee the finances of the organisation; and
● Coordinate Board business (acting as Board Secretary) and support fellow Directors to fulfil their responsibilities in effectively governing the organisation.
Both these roles present excellent opportunities to develop existing and new skills, and contribute to the leadership and governance of an important resource for the LGBTQ+ community in Scotland.
Core Duties as Finance Director
● Oversee the organisation’s financial plans and budgets and monitor and evaluate progress.
● Chair and lead the Board’s Finance subcommittee.
● Stewardship of the organisation’s finances to ensure it retains sufficient funding to fulfil directors’ fiduciary duties.
● Review and approve the organisation’s financial statements.
● Ensure that payments are made and cash is received timeously and financial records updated appropriately
● Authorise payments within agreed levels of delegation.
● Oversee financial record keeping.
● Present financial reports, highlighting salient matters and answering questions at Board meetings.
● Liaise with the financial accountants, auditors or financial examiners to ensure the annual report and accounts are completed and presented to HMRC and Companies House within the annual timescales required.
● Ensure statutory returns are made to any relevant bodies.
As the organisation evolves, it is envisaged that the staff team will take more of a role in processing and recording the day-to-day financial transactions, with the Finance Director delegating authority to process payments and focusing more on oversight and providing assurance.
Core Duties as Board Secretary
● Coordinate the schedule of regular Board meetings, ensuring these are organised in a timely fashion, working with the Chair and other Directors to develop an agenda and papers
● Minute meetings and record decisions, retaining a proportionate action log to ensure the smooth delivery of Board business
● Liaise with the staff team on any reporting requirements or decisions needed for the Board
● Act as a co-signatory for relevant financial transactions
Wider Duties as a member of the Board
● Support and provide advice on the organisation’s purpose, vision, goals and activities.
● Approve operational strategies and policies, and monitor and evaluate their implementation.
● Ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation.
● Ensure that key risks are being identified, monitored and controlled effectively.
● Provide support and challenge to the staff team in the exercise of their delegated authority and affairs.
● Keep abreast of changes in the organisation’s operating environment, and support the organisation as it transitions to charitable status and seeks a diversity of funding opportunities.
● Contribute to regular reviews of the organisation’s own governance.
● Attend Board meetings, adequately prepared to contribute to discussions.
● Use independent judgment, acting legally and in good faith to promote and protect the organisation’s interests, to the exclusion of their own personal and/or any third party interests.
● Contribute to the broader promotion of the organisation’s objects, aims and reputation by applying your skills, expertise, knowledge and contacts.
As a small organisation, there is an expectation that trustees are actively involved beyond Board meetings. This may involve leading or participating in subcommittees which take on work delegated by the Board, scrutinising papers, supporting fundraising, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, being visible through attendance at events or engaging in other issues in which the trustee has special expertise.
What we are looking for
We are looking for people willing to bring energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the role, and who will broaden the diversity of thinking on our board. Experience of governance would be helpful but not essential, as we have material to support new members in their induction.
Personal skills and qualities sought include:
● For the Finance Director role: financial literacy and numeracy, and experience of managing the finances of a small to medium organisation.
● For the Board Secretary role: strong administrative and organisational skills.
● Willingness and ability to understand and accept their responsibilities and liabilities as trustees and to act in the best interests of the organisation.
● Ability to think creatively and strategically, exercise good, independent judgement and work effectively as a board member.
● Effective communication skills and willingness to participate actively in discussion.
● A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
● Enthusiasm for our vision and mission.
● Willingness to lead according to our values.
● Commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
Terms of appointment
● Once appointed, Directors would be expected to remain in the role for 3 years, with the option to seek election through governance processes should they wish.
● Board meetings are currently monthly or every other month, although we expect the rhythm of meetings to shift as our subcommittees meet as required and we make progress on securing charitable status and progress fundraising. We would like to have an annual strategy half-day. Meetings are a mix of virtual and occasional in-person at the organisation’s base (Edinburgh Palette).
● For the Finance Director role: depending on the extent of delegation of payment processing and financial record keeping, the current requirement of several hours per week would be expected to reduce over time.
Next steps
Interested individuals should send their CV and a short covering note setting out why they think they’re a good fit for the role(s) to the Chair, Trevor Owen at trevor.owen@lavendermenace.org.uk. Trevor would be happy to answer any questions or have an informal chat if helpful.
The deadline for applications is 3 July.
