Position Description

Successful candidates will help shape the future direction of the charity; improve YDMT’s support for people who visit or live in this special area; find new ways to protect and enhance the landscape of the Dales.

The trustee role is focused on the strategic direction of the charity and its effectiveness and accountability. Day-to-day operational decisions are delegated to the Chief Executive and Senior Management Team.

YDMT employs around 30 staff members, most of whom are closely involved with directly delivering our charitable projects. YDMT currently has 9 trustees, and we are looking to recruit three additional members to join the Board of Trustees. We are keen to
expand the collective knowledge base of the board to better reflect YDMT’s charitable activities and our beneficiaries.

We deliver our objectives through a number of Governance meetings, which are sub-committees of the Board of Trustees. Most committees meet five times per year, with the exception of the Remuneration committee, which meets once per year. Ultimate responsibility for decisions lies with the whole board. As a trustee, we also ask you to provide advice and assistance periodically in relation to other important areas such as new Trustee recruitment and onboarding, and to attend YDMT events to meet our supporters and beneficiaries

Selection Criteria

We are interested to hear from candidates who have skills and experience in:

• People & Human Resources to join our Finance and Resources Committee; as a growing charity we are developing a workforce strategy, a new leadership competency framework and a manager training programme. This builds on our successful Investors in People accreditation as we aim to have the best employee engagement, development and wellbeing.
• Health and Safety to join our Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee; delivering a range of complex projects for multiple beneficiaries and vulnerable groups we want to ensure we have the highest standards in place to support our staff and clients.
• Experience in land management; we work in partnership with farmers and landowners to create space for nature and connect more people to the Dales. We pride ourself on being a trusted partner, providing expert advice for our communities.
• Senior business leader; we are award winning at delivering corporate partnerships that support ESG objectives and keen to continue growing our income from the private sector across the region.

Person Specification:

• Commitment to YDMT’s values, ethos & aims. Relationships: ability to build strong stakeholder relationships, including with the YDMT Leadership team and external stakeholders.
• Experience: a track record of delivery within the private, public, or voluntary sectors.
• Knowledge: an understanding of the work, priorities, and challenges of the organisation, and the context within which it operates.
• Collaboration: ability to work closely with trustees and other key stakeholders, providing support, constructive challenge, and assurance as appropriate.
• Judgement: effective decision-making skills with the ability to critically analyse a wide range of information to make clear and objective evidence-based recommendations to support the delivery of YDMT’s objectives.
• Communication: strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to listen, accept challenge, and constructively challenge others in discussions with clarity and respect.
• Understanding and acceptance of the responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship.
• Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to trustee duties.

How to Apply

Please email Governance@ydmt.org with your CV and a covering letter explaining why you would like to be considered for a trustee position at YDMT