We are on a mission to challenge the root causes of economic and social exclusion to strengthen communities across the UK. We're looking for Finance and Service Design and Delivery specialists to join our board of management.

Renaisi is a social enterprise that has helped people and places to thrive since 1998.

We are leaders in place-based change and experts in using learning to drive change and understand the intersecting and complex nature of social challenges.

We support change by:

·       helping people experiencing economic and social exclusion

·       enabling organisations – from community groups and charities to local authorities – to understand and improve their impact

·       supporting funders to learn about the value and role of their investments

·       working with businesses to be more inclusive employers

·       encouraging place-based organisations and practitioners to strengthen their approaches

We truly care about making big ideas accessible. Not only do we help others to improve their work – we are equally dedicated to bringing about change ourselves.

Why join us?

Renaisi has a clear social purpose and we're proud of the impact and change we have fostered, locally and nationally, over 25 years.

In 2023 we are pushing boldly into a new strategic direction, that will challenge us and our stakeholders.

If you believe, like we do:

-        that despite incredible effort and commitment from so many we’re not seeing the depth of change needed to turn things around

-        that we must do something different, re-think how we work, who we work with and what we expect of each other.

It’s an exciting time to join us.

As a social enterprise we reinvest any profits back into our programmes and services to forward our mission.

Our values reflect how we behave and our work.

We value strengths rather than picking at weaknesses, and we make time to understand and hear people. When it comes to taking responsibility for our work and our mission, we own it, and we are curious about people, learning, and the issues we work on.

Renaisi does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, gender, age, disability, or any other protected class. We support workplace diversity and are working hard to increase diversity in our team and encourage you to be part of it. We are committed to making our roles and culture inclusive. We can make reasonable adjustments throughout the application process and on the job. If you have particular accessibility needs, please get in touch and let us know any requirements you may have.

Our strategic direction: let’s push things forward  

Locking people out of society leads to poverty, poor health and wellbeing – and the cost is economic, as well as social. Yet despite incredible effort and commitment from so many, we’re simply not seeing the depth of change needed to turn things around.

Through our work with hundreds of social sector organisations, thousands of marginalised people and a growing pool of inclusive employers, we’ve learned that exclusion is a product of:

·       people being marginalised by political, ideological, economic and structural forces

·       a social sector struggling to create lasting solutions after years of austerity

·       systems that hardwire injustice into the fabric of society – especially in places

Something is broken.

Renaisi has both the potential and the responsibility to play a more impactful role in exploring the deep fractures and challenges that exist within our social fabric.

Real change isn’t driven by individuals or organisations or grand strategies. Real change is achieved together – through collective vision and work. Piece-by-piece, layer-by-layer, and with those at the heart of the issue playing a central role.

Over the coming years we aim to:

• Empower people facing economic and social exclusion.

• Enable social and private sector organisations to tackle socio-economic exclusion.

• Challenge the systems that perpetuate and entrench socio-economic exclusion and marginalisation.

• Interrogate our own role in preventing change and perpetuating harmful systems.

Your commitment

Our Non Executive Directors play an active role in the development and continuing success of Renaisi.

We’re looking for individuals with the time to commit their energy and enthusiasm beyond attendance at Board meetings. While retaining your independence as a Non Executive Director, we want you to feel you have a part to play; using your networks, your experience and your skills to evidence your commitment to our mission.

While recognising the need for flexibility to meet professional and personal circumstances, the commitment will typically include:

·       Attendance at Board meetings 4 times a year, on average each lasting around 2 hours.

·       Attendance at an annual away day to focus on Board effectiveness and strategy.

·       Your participation as a member of a Board sub-committee such as finance and risk or governance. These meet up to 4 times a year.

·       Activities with our staff where you can use your specific skills and knowledge to make improvements to our business.

·       Ad hoc support to senior leadership team, e.g., coaching and knowledge exchange.

Roles and responsibilities

·       Upholding and adhering to the highest standards of governance.

·       Ensuring that we meet our financial and legal responsibilities.

·       Contributing to our strategic direction, applying your experience and expertise

·       Scrutinising performance and holding the Executives to account for delivery against agreed strategic objectives and our annual business plan.

·       Contributing to our financial sustainability, by challenging growth plans and budgets

·       Being an ambassador for Renaisi and bringing relevant intelligence to us to enable us to capitalise on opportunities.

·       Contribute to the overall culture and success of the organisation whilst retaining integrity in your role as and NED. This may look like, attending events, promoting Renaisi through social media and your networks.  

About you

We’re looking for someone with the relevant skills, knowledge, and experience who wants to support Renaisi to make a difference to communities, social organisations and places. 

We're looking for a financial specialist alongside other board members with more generalist experience that meet the values and specification listed below. We’d love to have non-executive board members who are eager to go above and beyond attending board meetings and want to use their skills and experience to build organisational capacity, supporting and encouraging our wider leadership team to develop and grow.

We want to talk to people who are excited by our mission, work and strategy. Most of all we are looking for someone who can challenge and support us to keep improving.

More specifically, we are seeking the following in our Non Executives:

Values

It goes without saying that we’re looking for people who share Renaisi’s values:

·       We value strengths.

·       We make time.

·       We own it.

·       We are curious.

Alongside these we're also looking for:

·       A team player who can leave their ego at the door and work collaboratively with the rest of the Board, providing constructive challenge where necessary.

·       Willingness to share skills, experience and networks to support organisational development, anything from providing advice to our project teams or running a ‘lunch and learn’, to coaching one of our leaders.

·       Inclusive, making space for and respecting others' views, which may differ to theirs

·       Passionate about partnerships and relationship building and the importance of this in the social sector.

 Specification

All Non-Executive Directors:

·       Understanding of organisation strategy and impact on the social sector

·       An appreciation of governance, and an ability to judge how to effectively manage the boundaries between Non Executive and Executive roles and responsibilities

·       Strong strategic business development skills.  Knowledge of fundraising approaches also desirable e.g., developing advisory boards to support innovative delivery models.

·       Strong and well-developed professional networks that you are willing and able to bring to Renaisi, to help deliver the strategy

·       Ability and appetite to play a proactive NED role, supporting SMT and the wider leadership team to deliver the strategy

·       Excellent networking, influencing and communication skills Knowledge of statutory regulations and guidelines in relation to Renaisi’s delivery area(s)

·       Knowledge of statutory regulations and guidelines in relation to Renaisi’s delivery area(s)

·       A desire to increase knowledge and understanding and a commitment to Renaisi’s purpose

·       We are also extremely keen to hear from anyone with embodied experience of structural and institutional marginalisation

Finance Specialist

·       Experience and skills in strategic finance relevant to voluntary sector organisations, including finance and investment approaches of relevance to Renaisi's business model

·       Stimulates and drives strategic conversations on Renaisi's financial strategy and approach, alongside the ability to communicate financial policy and decisions to non-specialist trustees

·       Experience of what robust and proportionate financial governance and reporting looks like

Service Design and Delivery Specialist

·       Knowledge and experience of social innovation/service design with an understanding of how social change happens

·       Record of designing scalable and viable services and social interventions to tackle complex social challenges, with people, agency, accessibility, and impact at the heart.

·       Experience of securing investment for viable approaches

• Real world experience of implementation and delivery

For further info:

If you have any questions about the application process please contact Marie Nichols (Head of People and Learning) m.nichols@renaisi.com.

If you would like to have an informal chat about the role of our Board members then please contact Natsayi Sithole (Deputy Chief Executive) n.sithole@renaisi.com

https://renaisi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Non-Exec-Directors-Role-Profile-March-2023-1.pdf