Vacancy -- Chair - Sport Wales

Vacancy details

Sport Wales
Flexible
£337.00 per day
2
week

Function of body

Sport Wales is the national organisation responsible for developing and promoting sport and active lifestyles. Sport Wales is a Welsh Government Sponsored Public Body and is funded largely by grant-in-aid from the Welsh Government. It is also responsible for distributing funds from the National Lottery to sport in Wales.

Sport Wales was established by Royal Charter in 1972. The four objectives set down when the Sports Council for Wales (now trading as Sport Wales) are to: 

  • Increase participation in sport and active recreation;
  • Raise standards of performance and excellence;
  • Improve the provision of sporting facilities;
  • Provide technical information and advice about sport, recreation and active lifestyles. 

The full Royal Charter can be found here:  Sport Wales Documents. | Sport Wales

Sport Wales operates two national centres: the Welsh Institute of Sport in Cardiff, and the Plas Menai National Watersports Centre near Caernarfon.  

Sport Wales’ operational priorities and performance targets are informed by, and respond to, the remit letter from the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sports, which sets out strategic priorities, any specific policies and action plans, and the wider policies and priorities of the Welsh Government. 

Sport Wales subscribes to the Welsh Government's vision for a physically active and sporting nation, and aims to improve the level of sports participation at grassroots level but also to provide our aspiring athletes with the support required to compete successfully on the world stage. 

The wider policies and priorities of the Welsh Government are set out in our Programme for Government (Programme for government | GOV.WALES ) and the Well Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.  Together these set the framework against which Sport Wales’ specific goals are established, and require it to integrate all its work into supporting of all of the seven well being goals as well as the five governance elements of the Sustainable Development Principle. 

You can find out more about Sport Wales by visiting www.sport.wales

Role description

You will be accountable to the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport for Sport Wales’ performance and for the delivery of strategic priorities.  Developing and maintaining a close relationship with the Deputy Minister and key members of the Welsh Government is a crucial part of the Chair’s role.  

Leadership

  • Provide effective leadership to Sport Wales and its Board, defining and developing its strategic direction and representing the views of the Board to the general public.
  • Work with other members to discharge the functions of the Board which will comprise:

Relationship with the Chief Executive

  • Establish and build a strong, effective and a supportive working relationship with the Chief Executive, providing support and advice while respecting executive responsibility;
  • Conduct an annual appraisal to ensure the Chief Executive is held to account for achieving agreed strategic objectives.  Provide relevant training and development opportunities.  

Governance

  • Ensure that the governance arrangements are working in the most effective way. 
  • Build an effective Board, initiating change and succession planning for Board appointments through the OCPA regulated process;
  • Annually consult with and appraise Board members on their roles and assess their performance;
  • Plan, preside over, and facilitate Board and committee meetings;
  • Ensure Sport Wales’ commitment to equality and diversity. 

Communication and External Relations

  • Act as an ambassador for Sport Wales
  • Promote effective relationships between non-executive members, the executive team and staff within Sport Wales;
  • Develop, manage and maintain good relationships with interested parties both nationally and locally.  Interested parties include: 

     

    Welsh language skills

    The Welsh Government acknowledges the importance of developing and growing bilingual capabilities in public appointments in Wales, and welcomes applications from candidates who demonstrate their capability to work in both English and Welsh.  The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the recruiting body of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.
    Desirable
    No skills
    No skills
    Can understand parts of a basic conversation
    Can hold a basic conversation in Welsh

    Person specification

    Essential 

    • Experience of leading a high profile organisation and able to provide continuity and stability to an organisation.
    • An understanding of the benefits of sport and physical activity at all levels and a good knowledge of the sporting landscape in Wales.
    • Strong communication skills with the ability to build appropriate relationships with all stakeholders, including Ministers and Government, Board Members, the press and media, drawing on a range of perspectives and lived experience as appropriate.
    • A good understanding of Welsh public life and Welsh Government policies and values, in order to lead an organisation which delivers effectively for Welsh Ministers
    • Have excellent scrutiny and analytical skills to support and challenge the Executive effectively, to ensure that Sport Wales meets its aims, objectives and performance targets;
    • The ability to deliver an established strategy, supporting the values and behaviours of the Welsh Government and Sport Wales, including a strong commitment to the Well-Being of Future Generations principles;
    • Act in a way that promotes high standards of propriety and public finance, ensuring Sport Wales achieves value for money within a framework of best practice;
    • Lead the corporate planning process, including agreeing annual budget plans for operational programmes and corporate activities;
    • Have a clear understanding and commitment to Nolan’s “Seven Principles of Public Life’;
    • Committed to inclusive leadership and leading by example in a way which respects and promotes diversity and equality of opportunity. Ability to lead and foster an inclusive and diverse Board.

          Desirable 

          We would welcome applicants with experience in a related field, such as health, community development or education. 

           

           


          Interview dates

          14 January 2022
          21 January 2022

          Closing date

          13/10/2021, 16:00

          Additional information

          How to apply

          To apply for this role, click on the ‘Apply’ button below. The first time you apply for a post, you will need to complete a registration form for the Welsh Government’s online application system.  You will only need to register once, and you will be able to keep yourself updated on the progress of your application, and any other applications you make, via your registered account.

          Once you’ve registered, you’ll be able to access the application form.  To apply you will need to submit two supporting documents. The first, a document outlining how your knowledge, skills and experiences meet the criteria for the role as outlined in the information for candidates.  This document should be no more than 2 sides of A4.  Your application may be rejected if you exceed this limit.  The second document is a full, up to date CV.  The two documents should be uploaded to the ‘Reasons for applying’ section of the online application form.

          In your application, you will also be asked to provide details of any activities which have helped you to develop skills that would be useful in a public appointment role, and list the organisations for which you undertook these activities.  We also need to know about any political activity that you’ve undertaken over the last 5 years. 

          It is recommended that you register for an account and access the application form as soon as possible so that you see how the application form is structured, before starting to prepare your evidence.  You don’t have to complete the application form all in one go.  You can save your responses, and log in and out as required, until you’re ready to submit – just follow the guidance in the application form.

          If you’d like to apply for this opportunity in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

          If you need any further assistance in applying for this role, please contact the Welsh Government’s Public Appointments Team on  PublicAppointments@gov.wales.

          For further information about Public Appointments in Wales, please visit www.gov.wales/publicappointments

          Commissioner for Public Appointments logo

          This vacancy is closed to applications.