Vacancy: Chair of Finance & Governance Committee

The Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) is seeking a suitable volunteer to carry out the role of Chair of the Finance & Governance Committee.

The Finance & Governance Committee (the committee) is a sub-committee of the ICOS board of directors and the committee reports to the board, under the delegated powers assigned by a terms of reference.

The chairperson will act as an independent chair of the committee and will not form part of the board itself.
 

The role benefits:

• You will be helping a small charity to ensure it is operating within the Charities Governance Code.
• It is a great opportunity to connect with a small organisation having an impact in society.
• Develop and enhance leadership skills.
• Gain knowledge and experience of the Not-For-Profit sector.
• Gain a knowledge about international education, social justice and migrant rights.

The Finance & Governance Committee is responsible for:

• Making recommendations to the Board on the appointment of external auditors.
• Monitoring the external auditor’s independence, objectivity and effectiveness.
• Reviewing the accounting policies, financial management and internal controls across the organisation.
• Reviewing with management and the External Auditors the results of audits.
• Ensure that there is an ongoing formal risk assessment process in place in the organisation, and that risk management and risk avoidance arrangements are established.
• Advising the board of directors on measures to be taken to counteract risk.
• Reviewing all governance matters, and in particular, review the continuing compliance with The Governance Code, with an annual review report to be provided to the Board.
• Making recommendations to the board on the adoption of or amendment to any internal ICOS policy documents.
• Reviewing periodically whether financial control measures, including the delegation structures are suitable and make recommendations.
• Reporting to the board on funding and expenditure matters, i.e. robustness of income streams, income generation, value for money, staff remuneration policy, cost effectiveness, etc.
• Overseeing and assessing the process for setting annual budgets, and provide advice to the Board.
• Developing, reviewing, and reporting to the Board on large capital & unbudgeted expenditure, in line with ICOS’ Finance Policy.
• Seeking any external professional advice, with prior notification to the Chairperson, that the Committee deems necessary to carry out its functions.

Meetings of the Committee:

• The Committee will meet a minimum of 5 times per year, in advance of board meeting.
• The Committee may meet in person or by teleconference (Zoom / Skype).
• Only the Committee Chairperson and its members are entitled to attend Committee meetings. Invited guests may attend at the Chairperson’s invitation.
• No meeting of the Committee will be valid unless there is in attendance a quorum of two directors.
• The Executive Director will furnish the committee with relevant information to assist in decision-making.

Person Specification

A committed and professional individual is sought and the following attributes are desired.

• A background in finance with a qualification of at least NFQ level 8.
• An interest in migrant rights, internationalisation, development or social justice.
• Previous experience of serving on a board or committee.
• Good organisation skills.
• The capacity to volunteer for at least 15 hours per annum outside of meetings.

To apply

Please send a CV and cover letter to Laura Harmon, Executive Director at lharmon@icosirl.ie.

For informal conversations regarding the role, contact Laura at the above email address to arrange a phone call.

ICOS may carry out shortlisting and an interview process.