Shift.ms is a global digital health disruptor, a patient media platform, and a community of 60,000+ people with multiple sclerosis (MSers) sharing experiences and supporting each other.

Founded by MSers, for MSers, Shift.ms offers social and emotional support, inspiring people with MS to take charge of their health as soon as possible after diagnosis. Shift.ms’s activities are led by the organisations beliefs:

• That MS should be tackled with urgency. Early proactive decisions lead to long-term benefits. 
• The power of community to help MSers actively manage their health.

Shift.ms is a charity which delivers patient-led e-health solutions for a global community of MSers. It has in-house design and media expertise, and is passionate about delivering impactful services and content. 90% of members report taking benefit from Shift.ms and 80% feel better informed through the use of its website.

Shift.ms is entering a new strategic period with key objectives to launch its mobile app, drive repeat engagement from its members to maximise health and wellbeing benefits, increase membership, and secure sustainable income through its work with partners. It has a growing team of specialists to reflect these goals, and is already seeing the benefits of having dedicated resources to deliver against a shared strategic vision at board and operational levels.

Shift.ms has a robust mix of funders across trusts and corporate partnerships receiving repeat funding from Wellcome, along with recent grants from Comic Relief, Garfield Weston and the National Lottery Community Fund.

The charity's members show improved health literacy and reduced isolation from using its service. The MS community and its funders show huge enthusiasm for its work. Shift.ms has an excellent team and dynamic processes and governance. Now is the time to reach even more MSers who need support through their diagnosis journey and take Shift.ms to the next level.

You can learn more about Shift.ms here. 

The Board of Shift.ms 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 Shift.ms 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
• Ensuring that the charity complies with their governing document, charity law, company law, and other relevant legislation or regulations
• Encouraging and fostering a fundraising culture
• 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 members of one or more Sub-committees, which include Finance, Fundraising and Innovation

Shift.ms is seeking Trustees who will build on and develop the charity's mission and work. The successful candidates will possess a high level of empathy and commitment in order to support even more individuals with multiple sclerosis.

The new Trustees will bring at least one or some combination of the following skillsets:

• Treasurer: candidates will be qualified accountants, bringing strategic and operational finance experience (for example, having worked as a CFO, FD or equivalent). Those with exposure to an organisation of similar size to Shift.ms or charity finance experience would be particularly interesting. This Treasurer will lead the charity’s Finance Committee and will be able to use their background in order to oversee financial matters for the charity and provide constructive advice and relevant support to the executives.
• Entrepreneurial business background: while a charity, Shift.ms wishes to continue to diversify its revenue and internationalise their reach to ensure its long term future. Someone who has operated in a start-up environment or brings an entrepreneurial lens to the Board would be highly valuable. Demonstrably high commercial acumen, particularly around developing new revenue streams through business development, would be of particular interest to the Board. Those with a background in the health tech space would be highly competitive, as would those who have experience in scaling a UK product to the US. 
• Health data expertise: individuals will have an understanding of health data best practices and commercialisation, with a strong interest in candidates with expertise in innovating strategy around digital tools, AI and digital platforms. This work could have been gained across the public or private healthcare sectors, with candidates coming from high-growth environments of similar scales to Shift.ms being especially relevant.

The successful candidate will be able to work at a strategic level whilst understanding the detail and complexities of 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.

Shift.ms 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.

By MSers, for MSers is a key value of the organisation. From its founder and CEO, through to over 90% of the organisation's volunteers, Shift.ms is a charity which has people impacted by MS at every level of the organisation. The charity would therefore be very keen to hear from candidates with experience of living with MS who also meet the needs of the candidate brief.

This role is unremunerated, and reasonable, pre-agreed domestic travel expenses will be reimbursed. Trustee meetings take place every quarter, usually in the evening for two hours via Zoom. There is also one in-person meeting annually which takes place over a weekend. The appointment is for a three-year term, which can be renewed once at the discretion of the Board.

Meetings will take place in London, usually in person.