About Howden Foundation

The Howden Foundation is the independent corporate foundation of Howden Group, established in 2014 as a registered charity in England and Wales. With a vision of a world where everyone is resilient to the impacts of climate change, the Foundation channels Howden Group’s resources and expertise into supporting innovative, community-led solutions, particularly for those most exposed to climate risks in the Global South.

Since becoming a shareholder in Howden Group five years ago, the Foundation has doubled its assets to £30m, with over £6.5m donated to charitable partners and more than 340,000 people reached globally.
The Foundation operates with a clear mission: to equip vulnerable communities with the tools to prepare, adapt, and recover from climate shocks, focusing on solutions like risk assessments, early warning systems, sustainable infrastructure, and financial security tools such as insurance and pre-agreed finance.
Its approach is defined by people-first values, long-term partnerships, and a willingness to support both proven and pioneering models for systemic change. Notable initiatives include climate resilience insurance for women workers in India, regenerative agriculture in Zimbabwe, coral reef insurance in Hawai‘i, and clean energy projects for refugee communities in Kenya and Uganda.
Alongside its climate focus, the Foundation empowers Howden employees to drive charitable giving through its People First Fund, offering match funding and supporting annual charity awards for causes that matter to staff globally.
The Foundation’s leadership team and Board bring together philanthropic, insurance, and development expertise, ensuring agility, robust governance, and deep sectoral impact.

For further information on the Foundation, see Howden Foundation.

For a full candidate pack, please click here.

Role specification

In addition to the general responsibilities of a Trustee, the duties of the Vice Chair will include:

Work collaboratively with the Chair to provide leadership to the Foundation and Board, ensuring effective delivery of the Foundation’s mission and adherence to governance principles
Act as Chair in the Chair’s absence, leading Board meetings and representing the Foundation as appropriate
Represent the Foundation externally, acting as a spokesperson where required
Partner with the Chair and Chief Executive to plan the annual Board cycle, contribute to agenda setting, and oversee implementation of Board decisions
Support and challenge the Foundation’s policy-making, ensuring decisions are robust, inclusive, and forward-looking
Contribute to Board development, including induction, ongoing training, appraisal, and succession planning to maintain a high-performing governance structure
Work closely with the Chief Executive to maintain strategic oversight of the Foundation’s affairs, providing guidance and support as required
Lead or participate in the monitoring and appraisal of the Chief Executive’s performance and development
Undertake additional assignments at the request of the Board to advance the Foundation’s mission and effectiveness

The Vice Chair will play a visible and influential role in the next phase of the Foundation’s growth, helping to guide strategic direction, ensure best-in-class governance, and act as a critical friend to both the Chair and executive team.

Person specification

Knowledge and experience

Demonstrated experience operating at a senior, strategic level, ideally with prior Vice Chair or Chair responsibilities
Previous board-level experience in the charity sector, preferably within a corporate foundation or a UK charity with international reach
Strong understanding of charity governance, operations, and the regulatory environment
Insight into international development, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and the role of strategic philanthropy
Robust knowledge of climate science and/or relevant public policy, economic or social analysis

Skills and abilities

Strong leadership skills, with good independent judgement, impartiality and fairness
Able to demonstrate strong influencing skills, well developed interpersonal skills and ability to challenge effectively and appropriately
Ability to think creatively, demonstrating insight and vision

Personal attributes

Personal gravitas, leadership credibility and integrity
Strong networking capabilities
Comfortable working with corporate donor and solid understanding of corporate operations

Board composition

David Howden, Chair
Louise Cable-Alexander, Trustee
Mark Hudson, Trustee
Rebecca Scott, Trustee
Lucy Dormandy, Trustee
Heather Goodhew, Trustee
Anshu Mandal, Trustee
Louise Creasey, Trustee

Location

The Howden Group is headquartered in London (One Creechurch Place, EC3A 5AF). Board meetings are held primarily in person with the option to join remotely. Candidates should be based in the UK.

Terms of appointment

Trustees, including the Vice Chair, are appointed for an initial term of three years, renewable for up to two further terms of three years, subject to Board approval. This is a voluntary, unremunerated role; reasonable travel and out-of-pocket expenses will be reimbursed.

The time commitment is expected to include quarterly Board meetings (plus preparation), regular engagement with the Chair and Chief Executive, and participation in Board development activities as appropriate. A comprehensive induction programme will be provided.

Process

Nurole process

After we have closed the application window on the Nurole platform, our team of experts carefully assess your application against the criteria outlined in the role specification. We will select a group of the most suitable candidates to present to the organisation, who will then be able to view the full application. We will always get in touch to let you know the outcome of your application.

As the organisation will view the applications without edits, we therefore advise applicants to avoid using ‘see CV’ or ‘please call me to discuss further’ in your application as it may restrict your chances of progressing to the next round.

To read more about what to expect from the Nurole process, click here.

Take a look at Nurole guides on how to submit a strong application here.

Connected parties

This organisation has requested that candidates do not contact them directly. Instead, if you know someone at the organisation, please mention it in your Reason for Application. Nurole members who do not respect this may risk having their membership terminated.

Role timetable

Deadline for applications: Midnight on 13th October

Candidates can expect to be contacted by: 28th October

This position was originally posted by the Howden Foundation and has been curated by PurposePhil Career. To apply, please visit the original listing on the "apply" link below. We are not affiliated with the employer organization of this job ad or consultancy, and provide this curated listing as a service to our users.

Howden Foundation

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