The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) is an exciting and vibrant organisation that delivers opportunities and training to young people interested in playing and performing jazz. It exists to empower young musicians through engaging participation projects, and impactful live performances. Its Professional Development programme provides opportunities for emerging professional artists to perform an eclectic range of repertoire with world-class artists, and its Learning programmes nurture young musicians through high-quality workshops, courses and gigs. NYJO values access, inclusivity and progress at all levels and believe in the power of musical participation as a tool for personal growth.

For the past 12 years, NYJO has benefitted from the indefatigable leadership of Nigel Tully. As Executive Chair, he has led the organisation's transition from a founder-led charity to an organisation of national significance. It now has a solid ecology of fundraised income, drawn from individual donors, trusts and corporate supporters. Having received regular core funding from Arts Council England since 2012, NYJO is delighted to continue as a National Portfolio Organisation for 2023-26. In 2021, the charity became a Resident Artistic Company at London’s new cultural hub, Woolwich Works in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

NYJO nurtures emerging professional artists with exciting performance projects and recording opportunities, and a range of professional coaching, from training as educators, to tuition in composition, arrangement, sound production and directing. Recent performances by our emerging professional artists have included a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration with legendary Brazilian artist Hermeto Pascoal, a celebration of Amy Winehouse’s music, an exploration of Thelonious Monk’s seminal 1959 At Town Hall with Tony Kofi and programmes of Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie under Mark Armstrong. Major tours next year include a celebration of Ray Charles’ music with Tommy Blaize (one of the voices of BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing) and a new commission project with improviser, composer, pianist and all-round adventurer Nikki Yeoh.

NYJO’s Learning work falls into three distinct areas:

• NYJO Widening Access: working in partnership with regional centres nationwide – from Cumbria to Cardiff, Darlington to Deal – to increase participatory jazz provision and support local educators
• NYJO Under 18: a Saturday morning jazz school for aspiring teenage musicians at its home, Woolwich Works
• NYJO Community: open access, grassroots community projects in the boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham, and in collaboration with regional partners where it is needed

NYJO's Learning initiatives deliver excellent musical training within inclusive programmes that widen opportunity and are welcoming to all. It celebrates progress and achievement at every level. NYJO's role is broad, and its beneficiaries are varied; it is committed to each and every one of them, always seeking to enable and inspire, engage and nurture. It prizes individual progress, at any level, above all else.

NYJO is run by a dedicated staff team of ten, who are supported by a diverse, skilled and committed Board of Trustees. NYJO is now seeking a new Chair to lead it into the charity’s seventh decade, following a period of significant organisational growth under the current Chair.

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Work in partnership with the Board of Trustees and CEO to ensure that the charity has a clear vision, mission and strategic direction
• Hold the Board and Executive Team to account for delivering the Charity’s mission and vision, ensuring clear goals and performance targets are set, monitored and reviewed annually
• Maintain strong, effective and constructive relationships with the CEO and the wider management team, helping them to achieve the charity’s mission
• Ensure that the organisation provides excellent standards of service and that its Trustees and staff uphold the Nolan Principles of Public Life
• Contribute knowledge and expertise in leading and growing a charity
• Provide line management and guidance, support and challenge to the CEO, respecting and supporting her operational role

In addition, the Chair will:

• Provide inclusive leadership to the Board of Trustees, ensuring that each Trustee fulfils their duties and responsibilities for the effective governance of the charity, in line with statutory and mandatory requirements
• Ensure financial probity and that all resources are focused on achieving the aims and objectives of the Charity for NYJO's beneficiaries
• Ensure all Trustees and employees understand and carry out their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and risk management
• Ensure robust and compliant governance, whilst also running smooth Board meetings

It is fundamental to the role to:

• Represent the charity as an informed and influential ambassador
• Advocate for the importance and relevance of jazz, and for access and opportunity for young people
• Work with Trustees and staff to protect and uphold the organisation’s reputation at all times

The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) offers an exciting opportunity for a new Chair to join its Board. It seeks an individual with strategic leadership experience in either the commercial or not-for-profit sectors, with a passion for music and widening participation in the arts.

The successful candidate will have a strong background in leadership, and will feel comfortable fostering relationships with both donors and prospects. They may have experience in fundraising, but may equally be a business leader with strong networks that would be able to help NYJO build a broader network of enthusiastic donors. NYJO welcomes applications from first-time Chairs, but candidates will likely have previous Board experience.

Susie York Skinner, Chief Executive
Nigel Tully MBE, Chair
Orphy Robinson MBE, Vice-Chair
Alan Ridgeway, Treasurer
Projjol Banerjea
Paul Boniface
Janet Campbell
Nikki Iles BEM
Linda Laszewski Hill
Tricia Sibbons
Cindy Sughrue OBE

You can read more about the Board of Trustees here.

NYJO's Board of Trustees meets four times per year, usually in Woolwich or central London. Additionally, there is a Fundraising Working Group and two committees – the Appointments & Remuneration Committee, which meets twice annually, and the Finance & Audit Committee, which meets four times per year. These all usually meet virtually. It is not anticipated that the Chair would sit on all of these, but that they would volunteer for Committees which reflect their interests and expertise.

In addition, the Chair will attend events and gigs, adding up to a total time commitment of c. two to three days per month. The appointment is for an initial three-year term, which can be renewed twice at the discretion of the Board. This role is unremunerated but pre-agreed, reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

As Board meetings take place in person, candidates will need to be willing to travel to London for meetings and events.

NYJO welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. Applications from women and people from diverse backgrounds would be particularly encouraged. 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.