KEUK Non-Executive Board Member

The Opportunity

The KEUK Board ensures corporate governance, stewardship of resources, steers company strategy and policies, and monitors implementation and performance of strategic plans and programmes. The company has entered its third decade with a new brand and renewed confidence to deliver its vision: to enable excellence in knowledge exchange.

As part of our regular Board rotation schedule, a number of non-executive vacancies have become available across the next financial year (starting 01 October 2026). We now invite applications for these roles.

Board members are expected to:

• act with independent judgement, using their skills and experience for the benefit of the company and its membership
• be committed to working in the best interests of KEUK and its members
• commit the necessary time to carry out the function of a Board member
• demonstrate a participative and team working ethos in Board discussions and decisions
• undertake such training as specified by the Board from time to time.

Responsibilities

Board member responsibilities include:

• preparation and participation in Board and, where applicable, sub-committee meetings.
• working collaboratively to develop the company’s strategic objectives
• monitoring company performance and risks.
• being an ambassador for KEUK in support of its strategic goals, including contributing to our annual conference and other events as appropriate.
• offering an independent and informed perspective on the overall running of the company.

This translates to roughly 12 days of commitment per year. Quarterly meetings are in-person at locations with good transport links.

Non-Executive Directors are Members of the Company and are authorised to act in line with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006.

About You

Applicants should share our commitment to delivering world-leading professional development for knowledge exchange, supporting our members as a community of practice, and raising KEUK’s profile and influence in the UK’s research and innovation sector.

The KEUK Board should reflect a diverse mix of skills, backgrounds and experience from diverse organisational types pertinent to our strategic mission and reflective of our membership across the four nations of the UK.

• Applicants will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of Board level strategic activity, be able to contribute to a member-centred organisation and know how to add value as a non-executive.
• Experience and/or demonstrable awareness of the research and innovation sector, and the role of knowledge exchange, is preferred.
• We welcome applications from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to represent better our UK-wide membership.
• We are passionate about creating a diverse Board and positively encourage applications from under-represented communities.

Experience Required

Following a skills audit across our current Board members, we wish to appoint individuals with expertise and professional knowledge in one or more of the following:

• Leadership, including Board membership, of a professional body or chartered membership association
• Human Resources and compliance
• Financial Management and management accounting
• Digital innovation/transformation, infrastructure, security and compliance
• Experience or oversight of professional development and accreditation programmes

Experience may have been gained in a higher education provider, public or private research setting, in commercial business or in the voluntary and charitable sector.

How To Apply

Applications should be by email with a letter addressed to the Chair of the Board, Amanda Selvaratnam, stating your suitability for the role and highlighting relevant skills and experience. Please also enclose a CV and the name and contact details of two referees. Referees will not be contacted until later in the process and with the candidate’s agreement.

Please send your application to recruitment@ke.org.uk.

Closing date: 12pm on Monday 27^th April 2026

Interview timetable and process

Applications will be reviewed and a shortlist drawn up for interview, which will be online via Teams. Interviews will be taken by the Chair, two colleagues from the Board, and the CEO. We expect interviews to take place in the period 11-22^nd May, with appointments from 1 October 2026 and January 2027.

Please address any questions regarding these appointments to the Chair c/o  recruitment@ke.org.uk

About us

Knowledge Exchange UK (KEUK) is the UK’s professional association for knowledge exchange. Knowledge exchange is a collaborative, creative endeavour that translates knowledge, know-how and research into economic and social impact. The organisation is based in Cambridge UK with global reach and connectivity through its members and partners in the international KE community.

KEUK’s mission is to is to enable excellence in knowledge exchange, empowering people and organisations across research, industry, government and the third sector to develop skills, to connect, collaborate and create impact worldwide. We promote knowledge exchange as an inclusive activity and a key element of the UK’s mission to deliver economic and social impact from its world-leading research base.

Our approach as an organisation is to be IMPACTful, through our values of:

• Inclusivity – we create a space to connect people, experience and ideas across the KE ecosystem
• Member-engagement – we listen to our members so their needs and aspirations shape our work
• Purpose – we are dedicated to making a positive difference to the economy and society through KE
• Advocacy – we promote the importance and impact of knowledge exchange, supporting initiatives that create societal and economic value.
• Collaboration – we are committed to partnering with others committed to furthering KE
• Thought leadership – we strive for innovation, shape industry direction, and share knowledge for positive impact

The company is limited by guarantee and governed by a Board of Directors. You can view our current Board members here. You can read more about our Executive Team, led by CEO Stuart Wilkinson, here.