Council Member

The Open University was founded in 1969 with the mission to: “promote educational opportunity and social justice by providing high quality education to all who wish to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential – open to people, places, method and ideas”. We are the only institution worldwide with such a single vision and purpose. We are distinctive and unique. Our mission is still as relevant today as it was then, perhaps even more so.

A world leader in open access, and with a commitment to open entry, today the OU delivers world-class, flexible education across the four nations of the UK, Ireland and worldwide. Over 200,000 students are currently studying with us, including 53,00 with a declared disability, 1,800 students in prisons and secure environments and over 2,700 on apprenticeship courses. We play a unique role in society, making higher education open to all and promoting social justice and social mobility. We are innovative, leading the learning revolution, placing innovation at the heart of teaching and research, continuously seeking new and better ways to inspire and enable learning, and conducting world-class research and teaching.

The University is overseen by Council, the governing body collectively responsible for supervising its strategy, future direction and fostering an environment in which the University mission is achieved. Council is underpinned by several committees which provide strategic advice in relation to their specific remit.

We are looking to appoint a non-executive member of Council.

For this non-executive Council role, we are looking to recruit a member with specific expertise within large and complex organisations, including experience in transformational change and culture. 

The University recognises the benefits of having a diverse governing body, and sees increasing diversity and breadth of experience on the Council and its committees as an essential element in delivering the OU's mission and its strategic plan. The University is looking to bolster gender representation on the Council and so, applications are particularly encouraged from female applicants.

Perrett Laver will conduct an executive search process in parallel with the public advertisement of the role.

Applications should consist of a full curriculum vitae detailing relevant qualifications and experience, full employment history and achievements. CVs should be accompanied by a covering letter describing briefly how candidates meet the criteria outlined in the person specification, why the appointment is of interest and what they believe they can bring to the role.

For further information and instructions on how to apply, please visit https://candidates.perrettlaver.com/vacancies, quoting reference 7470.

The closing date for applications is midnight (GMT) on Sunday 8^th September 2024.

Informal enquiries regarding this opportunity are welcome, and should be made to Research Associate, Arshya Dayal on arshya.dayal@perrettlaver.com or +44 (0)20 3928 7392.

Formal interviews with the Selection Panel will take place at the end of September/early October.

Should you require access to these documents in alternative formats, please contact Principal Project Manager, Simon Epsley on simon.epsley@perrettlaver.com.

If you have comments that would support us to improve access to documentation, or our application processes more generally, please do not hesitate to contact us via accessibility@perrettlaver.com.

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