As our new Chair, you will lead the Board in providing effective governance, strategic oversight and support for the Chief Executive and senior leadership team.

You will help ensure Refugee Action remains bold and principled in a complex and often hostile environment – steering us through challenge, opportunity and change while staying true to our mission and values.

This is a voluntary role, with expenses reimbursed, and will require the equivalent of around two to three days a month, varying with Board and organisational activity.

We are also open to applications from those who may wish to apply as co-Chairs, bringing complementary skills, experience, and perspectives.

Key priorities for the next Chair include:

• Governance leadership – ensuring our governance remains inclusive, effective and adaptive, with clarity on the respective roles of Board and executive.
• Championing lived experience and anti-racism – supporting our continued journey to centre lived experience in decision-making and embedding anti-racist practice at every level.
• Strategic partnership with the Chief Executive – building a relationship founded on trust, openness and constructive challenge.
• Navigating political and funding pressures – helping us make clear, values-led choices in a shifting external landscape.

Experience and skills:

• Governance experience at Board level.
• Sound judgement and the ability to navigate sensitive, high-stakes issues.
• Experience of working in politically or operationally challenging environments.
• Strong relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders.
• Lived experience of forced displacement due to war, invasion, persecution or human rights abuses. This also includes British nationals living/working overseas who have been forced to leave due to war, invasion, persecution or human rights abuses.

Personal qualities:

• A deep commitment to refugee and asylum rights, racial justice, and broader equality, diversity and inclusion.
• The confidence to lead with compassion, humility and resilience.
• The ability to listen, hold space for differing perspectives, and build consensus.
• A willingness to learn, adapt and guide the organisation through change.