FCDO Services is seeking two Non-Executive Directors specialising in either Risk and Audit or Technology

These roles will require approximately 21 days a year for a 4 year term with a remuneration of £17,000 per annum

FCDO Services is an Executive Agency and Trading Fund owned by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Our mission is to provide services which support the diplomacy, defence and development goals of the UK Government, particularly FCDO, and our global partners. We are a successful, commercially driven organisation that competes for business; our annual revenues are about £250m. Like all commercial organisations we need to strive for excellence not only in the services we provide but also by being accountable, streamlined and efficient.

We have a developing customer base that includes the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office and some friendly foreign governments, and are also home to the UK’s National Authority for Counter-Eavesdropping, the country’s technical security experts in this field.

Our work is varied both in content and location – from building and maintaining embassies to hosting secure servers for government customers, and from providing logistics support to the UK Government’s network of more than 250 diplomatic missions in 168 countries, to delivering highly secure radar and communications installations for the Ministry of Defence.

The organisation is unusual in its combination of commercial disciplines with a strong sense of mission in supporting our nation’s interests all over the world. Security is at the heart of what we do and successful candidates will either have or be willing to undergo Developed Vetting (DV).

Use your high calibre business skills as you support our global mission.

When you join the FCDO Services Board as a Non-Executive Director, you’ll bring either a strong financial or technology background. You will also play a key part in helping to shape our organisation in an increasingly competitive commercial environment. The Board will hold the executive to account in a collaborative but searching way and will work with the Chief Executive to chart a strong strategic future for the organisation.

We will want the new non-Executive Directors to play a pivotal role in our audit and risk assurance committee or to share their expertise in technology and data. In either role you will help mentor members of the leadership team, provide strategic advice and support robust approaches to our work. We’ll also expect you to offer commercial challenge and guidance to the Chief Executive and Executive Team and apply specialist knowledge to the operation of our business, both in the UK and globally.

Work with a wide range of customers, senior staff and other NEDs

With strong commercial acumen and international business experience you’ll have a well-developed understanding of the strategic challenges of operating in some or all of property services, logistics, security or technology markets in government. We’ll also look for experience of working with Whitehall customers, and a thorough understanding of the workings of the public sector.

For our Audit and Risk NED we would prefer that you have previous Board and risk/audit experience and knowledge of the role of public sector non-executives. Your strong analytical skills and straight-forward, open approach will allow you to absorb complex information and provide constructive support and challenge as you guide assessment and performance.

For our Technology NED it is important that you have experience of the application of new technology, a track record of programme delivery and especially an understanding of the challenges in cyber.

For either role, you should also understand the operation of Executive Agencies and Trading Funds, be skilled at mentoring and developing your colleagues, and be capable of working collegiately on an advisory basis with Executive Directors and senior staff of our organisation, the FCDO and your fellow Non-Executive Directors.


More information can be found in the candidate pack