Action Against Hunger UK works at the forefront of the fight against hunger, striving towards a future where no one suffers from the devastating effects of food insecurity. Its mission is to save lives by eliminating hunger through the prevention, detection, and treatment of malnutrition, especially during and after emergencies. As a leader in the space, the charity aims to ensure that communities have access to clean water, food, healthcare, and other essential services to support their overall well-being.

Founded in 1979, the international Action Against Hunger network operates in over 45 countries, providing life-saving assistance to vulnerable populations affected by emergencies. With a vision of a world free from hunger, Action Against Hunger UK implements sustainable solutions to address the root causes of hunger and promote long-term food security. It addresses food insecurity from a variety of interventions including emergency relief, livelihood programmes, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and advocacy and policy influencing. The overall organisation has enormous impact, reaching 15.6 million people through its health and nutrition programmes, 6.8 million people through water, sanitation, and and hygiene projects, and 4.4 million people through food security and livelihoods programmes in 2022.

With an annual turnover of around £40 million, Action Against Hunger UK has the ability to drive incredible impact on a global scale. Action Against Hunger will be setting its international strategy in 2024, and Action Against Hunger UK will be setting its domestic five-year strategy in 2025. Therefore, the incoming Trustees will have an opportunity to have pivotal influence over the immediate and long-term trajectory of the organisation.

You can read more about Action Against Hunger UK here.

The Board of Action Against Hunger UK makes a significant contribution to the achievement of its ambitions, through focusing on strategy and governance and providing constructive support and challenge. The Board does this by bringing a wide range of expertise and experience, and embracing the ambition and culture of the broader international organisation in everything it does.

The role of Trustee involves:

• Being a proactive member of the Board, contributing to the organisation's aims and overseeing the delivery of the current strategy and the development of future strategies with the Executive team
• Bringing insights about risks and opportunities from specific areas of expertise
• Ensuring that the charity complies with its governing document, charity law, company law, and other relevant legislation or regulations
• Ensuring that systems are in place, such that the charity's administration is effective and efficient
• Ensuring that controls are in place to safeguard the charity's assets so that the executive team has a sound financial framework within which to operate
• Being a member of one or more of the relevant Sub-committees

The new Trustees will be instrumental in ensuring that Action Against Hunger UK fulfils its mission and strategic objectives in a way that is driven by its values and financially sustainable. Trustees will ultimately play a pivotal role in determining the future five-year domestic strategy of the organisation.

Action Against Hunger UK is looking for two new Trustees who will bring energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the charity’s mission. The successful candidates will possess a high level of empathy and commitment in order to support even more individuals to combat global hunger in a multifaceted capacity.

Candidates will bring senior-level expertise in one of the following:

• Strategic finance: individuals will bring a strong background in finance, audit or risk to provide strategic expertise, ensure financial sustainability and act as a sounding board to the Board of Trustees and Executive team. Individuals could come from a senior leadership position in finance, risk or auditing, ideally having acted as a Finance Director or CFO in the commercial realm. Their functional experience could be wide-ranging, with particular interest in those with an investment or strategic finance background. Individuals will be innovative and bring a strong commercial mindset.
• Senior marketing leadership: candidates will bring senior-level marketing and communications expertise. Those who have a background leading global brand campaigns in complex organisations, coupled with an understanding of the UK environment, will be particularly relevant to the Board. Additionally, understanding of ESG and CSR programming from a commercial perspective would also be desirable.

The successful candidates will be able to work at a strategic level whilst understanding the detail and complexities of operational delivery, appreciating the difference between a non-executive and executive role. Although prior non-executive experience is welcome, applications are welcome from individuals who have not held such roles before.

Additionally, those with connectivity or cultural background to the countries in which the charity operates will be of particular interest.

You can learn about the Board here. 

This role is unremunerated, and reasonable, pre-agreed domestic travel expenses will be reimbursed. Trustee meetings take place every quarter, running for three hours. There are an additional four Committee meetings held virtually for one hour. The appointment is for a three-year term, which can be renewed once at the discretion of the Board.

Board meetings will take place in London, in person. However, the organisation is open to more reasonable accommodation for relevant candidates. Candidates will be UK-based.

Action Against Hunger UK welcomes applications from everyone regardless of neurodiversity, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith, or disability. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where diverse candidates can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.

The charity would also be very keen to hear from candidates with lived experience and connectivity to the communities it serves. Individuals with relevant cultural backgrounds reflective of the locations of its programming who meet the outline of the brief would be of particular interest to the organisation.