Non-executive Director (Early-Career Scientific)

Joining the current nine-member Board, the Directors will help determine eLife’s strategic priorities and provide effective challenge to the eLife Senior Management Team. They will also assist in developing policy, and maintaining high standards of probity within eLife.

We are looking for a practising Early-Career Research Scientist with experience of leading open science projects and making a positive change to the research community. We define Early-Career Researchers as being Postdocs or within 0-5 years of running an independent research group.

Experience and attributes

The ideal candidate should:

• Be a practising research scientist with understanding of scholarly communications though editorial or reviewing roles and a strong desire to change the current system
• Have a track record of active leadership in open science and achieving positive change

Specific responsibilities

Strategy

• To provide advice, judgement and feedback to the Board of Directors on business planning and Company strategy.
• To support the Board of Directors in establishing clear objectives for delivering and achieving strategic and business plans.
• To assist the Board of Directors in setting challenging objectives for improving organisational performance.
• To contribute towards the leadership, planning and implementation of change.
• To provide an external perspective to constructively challenge and analyse the development of Company strategy.

Financial

• To ensure that financial information is accurate and that financial controls are robust and defensible.
• To provide the approval of business plans and annual budgets at Board level.

Performance

• To participate in the analysis of the performance of management in meeting agreed goals and objectives and in monitoring the reporting of performance.

Governance

• To ensure that the Board operates in line with accepted good practice in terms of corporate governance.
• To ensure that systems of risk management are robust and defensible.

Board activities

• To attend Board meetings approximately three times a year and, additionally as needed, to be a member of Board sub-committees and other ad hoc meetings of the Board of Directors.
• Preparation for Board meetings including reviewing papers and providing 1:1 feedback to the Executive Director in advance of each meeting.
• To offer advice and guidance in a consultative capacity to the Executive Director as well as Senior Managers as required.
• To make recommendations to the Board on the appointment or removal of senior management, on succession planning and on the remuneration of Directors and senior management.
• To act as an unbiased, objective and impartial member of the Board, ensuring that all decisions taken are in the best long-term interests of the Company, its stakeholders and employees.

Terms and conditions

Term of office
A period of 3 years, plus 1 time extension (subject to re-election).

Remuneration
Board Members receive a small stipend for their time, currently $7,500 per annum, plus expenses for travel to in-person meetings.

To apply
Please submit your application using the link and upload your CV and accompanying letter explaining your interest, along with a brief description (500 words max) of past activities demonstrating leadership in open science that have resulted in positive change.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday, 17th December at 5pm (GMT). Interviews will be arranged remotely via GoogleMeet or Zoom video-call.