Opening...
Opening...
Seeks 2 new Trustees with expertise in areas strengthening the Board’s capability. In-person attendance at office encouraged but not essential. Trustees must serve up to 2 3-year terms, attend 3-4 annual meetings, and attend 1 overseas programme visit per year.
Last checked: 2 hours ago
Closing date: Sunday, 28 June 2026
Country: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Duty station: London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Contract type: Part time | Hybrid
Grade: Not specified
Applicant eligibility: Not explicit in source
Ad
Ad
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
IRC UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its global headquarters in New York. Our team in the UK works to deliver funding, policy and practice change, and programming. We are dedicated to supporting people across the arc of crisis – from conflict to refuge to resettlement – and since 2021, IRC UK has also provided integration services directly to refugees in the UK. We aim to centre the voice of our clients in all our work, including by working with a Community Advisory Board of 12 refugees and asylum seekers in the UK to ensure their experience and expertise shapes our UK programmes.
Our strategy
IRC UK’s Strategic Plan 2025-2028 outlines how we are advancing the goals of IRC’s global strategy, Strategy100, which serves as a guide for the organization until its 100th anniversary in 2033.
Our impact
Our annual report for 2025 highlights the impact IRC UK and our partners have had, including:
IRC UK’s Board of Trustees
Our Board of Trustees are responsible for overall good governance of IRC UK and supporting us to deliver against our strategic plan in areas such as programmes, fundraising, policy and advocacy, communications, people and culture, finance and operations.
As of May 2026, we have 11 Trustees with a broad range of experience and expertise across areas relevant to IRC UK’s work, ensuring as a collective they can perform their strategic, supervisory and governance duties well.
The roles
In 2025, we saw a dramatic collapse in international aid and a retreat from global cooperation, despite unprecedented levels of humanitarian need. This trend is continuing at pace in 2026 with rapidly escalating global conflict amplified by climate change and entrenched poverty. In the UK, we are working to protect the rights of refugees in an increasingly challenging media and political environment.
In this context, we are seeking two new Trustees to lend skills and expertise in areas which we have identified as critical to strengthening the Board’s capability for the years ahead. These will replace Trustees nearing the ends of their terms.
Trustee duties
As a Trustee of IRC UK, you will be asked to:
Time commitment
In terms of time commitment, Trustees are required to:
This amounts to between 8-10 days per year.
Trustees may serve up to two three-year terms. At the recommendation of the People & Culture Committee, the Board may vote to keep a Trustee (who wishes to stay) for a third term of one or maximum two years. All Trustees must rotate off the board after eight years.
What we’re looking for – person specification
We want to ensure that our Trustees collectively bring a diverse mix of skills, knowledge and experience (including lived experience of conflict and displacement) that align with and support our objectives and activities.
We are seeking Trustees with strong general governance and management experience. The successful candidate(s) will have:
Essential experience:
Desirable experience:
We are particularly interested to hear from candidates who can demonstrate any of the following:
Upholding the IRC Way
All International Rescue Committee workers and board members must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. The IRC Way describes our four core values of Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality, and helps staff around the world prioritise the safeguarding and wellbeing of our clients in everything we do.
The IRC Way ensures that we carry out our work following the ethical and moral principles that support our humanitarian ambitions. Upholding this code is a responsibility shared by all involved in delivering IRC’s mission, including IRC UK’s Trustees.
What we can promise in return
How to apply
The application deadline is 11:59pm BST, Sunday 28th June 2026.
To apply, please submit a CV and short covering letter.
Once the deadline has passed, all applications will be reviewed in a ‘blind’ process (that is, all personally identifiable information will be removed to reduce hiring bias) to arrive at a longlist prepared. This will be reviewed by members of the Board’s People & Culture Committee, and a shortlist of candidates for interview selected.
For those shortlisted, there will be a two to three interviews – which can be held remotely, or in-person in our London offices – for those selected, including one with members of the Board’s People & Culture Committee, and one with the Board Chair and IRC UK Executive Director. Interviews will likely take place in July 2026, and we aim to select up to two candidates by the end of July 2026.
While our teams cannot share feedback with all applicants due to capacity limitations, we will share feedback with those shortlisted for interview should they request it.
Equal opportunities
IRC UK strives to be an equal opportunities employer. IRC UK is committed to equality of opportunity and to non-discrimination for all candidates and employees, and we seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our board and workforce regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.
IRC UK welcomes applications from all candidates, including underrepresented groups and candidates who can bring lived or proximate experience of conflict or forced displacement.
We are also happy to receive applications with no prior experience of being a Trustee, providing you have experience relevant to the role and a willingness to learn.
IRC UK will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable adjustments to participate in the application and/or interview process. Please contact us if you may need such adjustments.
If you have any questions or need assistance with the online recruitment process, or would like to discuss the role(s) further before submitting an application, please contact: Esther Hodges, Director – Strategy and Delivery at Esther.Hodges@rescue.org
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.
Cookies: https://careers.rescue.org/us/en/cookiesettings
#li-1
Ad
Ad