Northern professionals encouraged to apply for top public sector jobs

Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, has urged professionals from across Northern England to apply for senior roles with public sector bodies.

The call for more Northerners to join the public sector comes was made at a speech address business leaders in Darlington on 28th September. Baroness Neville-Rolfe called for more people from the North to apply for senior jobs with over 300 institutions in a bid to improve the regional diversity of top officials in the public sector.

Appointments in need of more regional voices include local level roles, as well as leadership positions in national institutions such as the NHS, Natural England and leading museums.

As of September 2023, the Government has nearly 50 public sector appointments available across a range of sectors. The vast majority of these roles can be carried out from anywhere in the UK, requiring time commitments ranging from a few days a year, several days a month or just 2 to 3 days per week.

Speaking to over fifty business leaders at the Darlington Economic Campus, Baroness Neville-Rolfe said:

“Public appointees get the chance to improve vital public services, get more involved with their communities, work with a wide range of talented people and make a difference to society. They are extremely rewarding roles and can help accelerate people’s careers.

“People from all backgrounds and areas are essential to govern our public institutions in a way that works for the whole of the UK.”

Current senior roles on offer with public bodies include: Board Members of Natural England; Non-Executive Directors of Homes England; Members of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales; Non-Executive Director of the Insolvency Service; and Chair of the Senior Salaries Review Body.

Elizabeth Passey, Chair of The Rural Payments Agency, and past Board Member of The National Lottery Community Fund who also spoke at the event in Darlington yesterday (28th September), commented:

“I would offer enormous encouragement to anyone considering a role on a Public Board. The wide diversity of the UK is reflected across these entities, and the roles require local, national and, occasionally, international insight coupled with a large dose of common sense.

“These are skills which so many people acquire during their lives and have the potential to share via a public board, but perhaps don’t think to do so. They are hugely inspiring roles with the potential to help the many many lives which these entities serve. I would encourage anyone to consider what they can offer.”