Do you wish to help the Senior Management Group determine strategy and input into the actions required to ensure that the University is a world-class, world-changing institution? If so, and you are on Grade 8 or below, you could be an ideal candidate for the University of Glasgow Shadow Board.

What is the University of Glasgow Shadow Board?

Shadow Boards provide different insights and enable new perspectives to be applied to the problems faced by senior leadership teams. The University of Glasgow Shadow Board works with the Senior Management Group and provides input on major strategic issues facing the University. It is among the first of its kind in the UK higher education sector and has been in place for 2 years.  .  

You can find out more about who the current Shadow Board members are here. 

The Shadow Board is supported by Christine Barr as the SMG Sponsor and James Hamilton as advisor for the Shadow Board. 

The Shadow Board has inputted to key strategies (such as the Learning and Teaching Strategy), policies (such as around Enabling New Ways of Working working) and is now working towards a new roadmap, contributing on matters ranging from Sustainability to Civic Engagement, Student Experience, Research and Colleague Engagement

What are meetings like? How does it work?

The Shadow Board meets monthly, with meetings lasting 2 hours.   

For 2023, we have agreed a series of priority areas with SMG and a roadmap to ensure that we capture our impact.  Shadow Board members are therefore expected to join other University working groups aligned to our priority areas, which will require your attendance and time to read and contribute to briefing papers.   

Shadow Board members normally serve a 2-year term, with a time commitment of 1-2 days per month. This is a significant commitment so please discuss this opportunity and ensure you have approval from your line manager before applying. 

Members will be expected to contribute to Shadow Board activities outwith the monthly meetings, including drafting papers, facilitating meetings and supporting information gathering.  

Who are you looking for?

The Shadow Board welcomes colleagues who are willing and able to make an active contribution by using their skills and experience to act as a Critical Friend for the University’s Senior Management Group.  This will require you to engage with relevant University policies, strategies and working groups for the benefit of the wider University community. 

Members of the Shadow Board should be committed, ambitious on behalf of the organisation, and conscientious – ready to get stuck in and make a genuine impact.  

Core Skills

  • Proactive and conscientious approach 
    • Committed to contributing 
    • Passionate about making an impact 
    • Team player 
    • A self-starter who can be relied upon 
  • Strong communication skills 
    • Ability to present information clearly  
    • Active listening skills  
  • Facilitation skills 
    • Ability to constructively challenge and be challenged 
  • Strategic Thinking 
    • Can see the ‘bigger picture’ beyond their own area of the University 

How to apply

Please click here to apply. 

Please note that you will need to be logged in to your internal account to access the above link. Please refer to our candidate guide (page 6 onwards) for guidance on this

As part of your application, you'll be asked to submit a 2 part statement, covering the 2 below areas (800 words total). The application process will also ask you a number of clarifying questions, including that you have spoken to your line manager about your application before submitting. 

Please cover: 

  1. Your own skills and experience which are relevant to the role (400 words max) 
  2. How you will make an impact on the Shadow Board (400 words max) 
The deadline for applications is Friday 28th April 

How can I make the best of my application?

As well as telling us about your own skills and experience, we want to know how you think you can make an impact on the Shadow Board. Whilst membership of the Shadow Board is a great development opportunity, we also want you to tell us how you can make a difference to the University. 

Next steps

Please note that interviews will be held w/c 15th and 22nd May.