INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MEMBER
OF ABERDEEN HARBOUR BOARD?
Anyone with the required skills and experience to help shape Aberdeen Harbour's future by becoming a part-time, non executive member can now notify their interest at any time.
An initial acknowledgement will be followed up later in the year with information on the formal application process.
Board appointments are for an initial term of three years commencing 1st January. Three vacancies are advertised in September each year, with a deadline for applications the following month and appointments being confirmed in early December.
For details of how to notify your interest please see below.
Information for Prospective Board Members
These notes provide information for anyone interested in serving as a part-time non-executive member of Aberdeen Harbour Board and include an explanation of the Board's status as a trust port authority, the role of Board members and the qualities sought in applicants.
What is a trust port?
Trust ports are autonomous bodies, created by local Acts of Parliament, with responsibilities for regulating and administering harbour undertakings. There are approximately 100 such port authorities in the UK. These are not Government-owned and are not treated as part of the public sector.
All trust ports operate on broadly commercial lines, but are limited financially to operating from within their revenue, often supplemented by commercial loans up to borrowing limits set in their constitutions. They cannot raise venture capital, and any profits from their activities are reinvested in the port for the benefit of users. Trust ports are therefore statutory authorities operating in a commercial environment.
The harbour undertaking at Aberdeen is vested in Aberdeen Harbour Board as a corporate body. The powers and constitution of the Board are laid down in the Aberdeen Harbour Order Confirmation Act 1960, as amended, although the port has a recorded history dating back to 1136 AD.
Constitution of the Board
The Board consist of 12 members, comprising nine non-executive and three executive members. Non-executive members are appointed for a period of three years and may be eligible for reappointment for a further term subject to performance. Board members are expected to live and work in the North-east of Scotland and may not be a member of any other harbour authority.
About the Appointment
Non executive appointments are part-time, typically requiring a time commitment of up to two days per month, exclusive of any participation in induction training.
Board meetings last approximately two to three hours and are normally held on the last Monday of each month, with the exception of July when no meeting is held due to the summer recess. Board members are remunerated for attendance at Board meetings. Currently, this is £8,365 per annum paid monthly in arrears and is reviewed in April each year.
The Appointing Process
The Board are committed to an appointing process which encourages a diverse range of applicants and equality of opportunity. Interviewing and selection are carried out by an appointing panel on the basis of merit, with openness and transparency of process reflecting "Nolan" principles for public appointments and in accordance with the Guide to Good Governance for Trust Ports.
In making appointments the main purpose is to ensure that the Board continue to reflect a complementary range of qualities, skills and competencies, which will allow delivery of objectives positively and efficiently. It is therefore important that candidates demonstrate clearly, with examples, any specific knowledge, experience or abilities they consider would be of value to the Board. The principal skills and qualities being sought by the Board are described below.
Skills and Qualities Sought in Potential Board Members
The objective of the selection process is to provide the Board with an appropriate balance of skills, competencies and experience to ensure continued leadership and effective strategic direction for the future. Board members will be expected to offer:
| Specialist knowledge of subjects which are relevant to the port (e.g. financial, legal or operational); |
| Interest in the organisation of the port without becoming too identified with it; |
| Knowledge of relationships between the port and Central Government departments and the Scottish Executive; |
| An understanding of the legal and statutory framework within which the port operates and the duties and obligations this places on the Board. |
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| Candidates will also need to demonstrate the following personal qualities:- |
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| An ability to formulate and discuss strategic subjects in a boardroom environment in a coherent and structured way; |
| The ability to contribute effectively and impartially to group discussions involving a wide range of subject matter ad people, including specialists and professionals; |
| A depth of management or specialist expertise without personal bias towards any particular sector of activity. |
The Board are committed to incorporating the standards and objectives of the Guide to Good Governance for Trust Ports, which require the performance of the Board and individual members to be assessed annually.
Details of the publication "Modernising Trust Ports - A Guide to Good Governance" can be viewed on www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/shippingports/ports/trust
Still Interested?
To notify your interest, please write to Ian Jessiman, Board Secretary, Aberdeen Harbour Board, 16 Regent Quay, Aberdeen, AB11 5SS, or e-mail i-jessiman@aberdeen-harbour.co.uk., briefly setting out your reasons for wishing to be considered for appointment and what you consider are the principal qualities and skills you would bring to the Board.
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