Board Members (Estates & OD/HR)

Company: West London College
Location: London
Specific Location: Ealing, Hammersmith & Southall
Employment Type: Voluntary 
Reports to: Chair of the Board    
Responsible for: Governance
Industry/Sector: Further Education    
Number of positions: 2    
Duration of appointment: 3 years        
Commitment: 20/30 hours per year

West London College is seeking to appoint two strategic leaders to the Corporation Board as Board Members, to bring significant experience in either estates management or People/Organisational Development, along with the recognition of the difference that further education and the college makes in changing the lives of thousands of students within their communities.

Who we are looking for:

We are seeking to engage strategic leaders with the capacity to support our Corporation Board and Executive Leadership Team in achieving the objectives as set out in our 2019-2024 Strategic Plan and beyond, particularly in the areas of;

Estates – For this coming academic year, there is a key focus on the development and delivery of the Estates Strategy and the Board is keen to engage a strategic leader with the experience and expertise to support and advise the Executive Team on the realisation of the associated milestones and act as a critical friend in the successful delivery in providing state of the art facilities for the benefit of the students, staff and local communities.

Organisational Development/People – Culture change and organisational development is a key topic for the Corporation Board; they are keen to engage an exceptional strategic leader with experience of change management, OD and culture change.

About the Role 

With West London College, you will work as part of the Corporation Board, led by an experienced Chair – Ian Comfort. You will join other governors in overseeing the strategic direction and pace of the College, ensuring effective oversight of an economically focused and employer-led curriculum offer, whilst ensuring organisational finances are well planned and risk is well mitigated.

The Board is ultimately accountable for the proper use of the public funds entrusted to the College.

Board Members, whether in a formal meeting or in situations where they are representing the College group as an ambassador, must ensure they give sufficient time to their duties and undertake the role with rigour, acting as a critical friend to the Principal & CEO, Karen Redhead, and her Executive Leadership Team.

There is an important distinction to be drawn between these responsibilities and those of day-to-day management of the College. The Board establishes and maintains the framework within which the College functions, holding the Principal & CEO and other executive leaders to account for the effective management of the College and the execution of the strategy.

The strategic direction of the college’s development should inform the decisions of the Board in exercising its powers and undertaking the specific duties summarised below:

  • determining the educational character and mission of West London College
  • overseeing its activities
  • the effective and efficient use of resources
  • the solvency of the institution and the Board, and safeguarding their assets
  • the appointment, grading, suspension, dismissal and determination of pay and conditions of service of holders of senior posts
  • setting the framework for the pay and conditions of service of all other staff


These roles offer a fantastic opportunity to join an ambitious and committed Corporation Board, and genuinely have an impact on the future success of the College and its students.

This is an exciting time to join the Corporation Board, as they work towards securing the finances, improving the quality of provision and developing the estates strategy.  West London College has ambition for its future of the college with the forward-looking strategy, ensuring a continued and positive contribution to the communities that they serve.

Closing date: Monday 18th October 2021 

Please click ‘Apply’ to be directed to the Peridot Partners website and to contact the advising consultants to discuss this role in more detail.


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