Independent Non-Executive Director – Brentford, UK

Background Brentford Football Club is a professional football club based in the London Borough of Hounslow, that currently plays in the English Football League Championship. The Club was founded in 1889 and had called Griffin Park its home since 1904.

This season, 2020/21 represented the start of a new era for Brentford, with the Club moving to a new, 17,250-seater stadium with outstanding facilities for fans, broadcasters, corporates and the community. The new stadium is the cornerstone of a longer-term vision that aims to see Brentford FC reach the Premier League on the field and ensure that the Club is sustainably run off the field.

Situated next to the M4, the new Brentford Stadium is located a mile from Griffin Park and is at the centre of the Brentford East redevelopment scheme, which includes the construction of more than 900 new homes, a new purpose-built location for Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, and a public square with shops and cafés. Brentford FC plays a very active role in its local community. It wants to ensure that it continues to build on its open, accessible and welcoming reputation and its recognition across the sector as a leader in this area. The Club is a four-time winner of the EFL Community Club of the Year Award and is the only professional football club in the UK with a Business in the Community and Community Mark Award. In total, Brentford FC Community Sports Trust delivers more than £13 million of social benefit to the West London area.

Collectively, the Board’s purpose is:

• To identify Brentford Football Club’s key areas and aims for strategic development, and to hold the Executive to account to make these a priority over the appropriate timeframe.

• To ensure that the necessary financial and human resources are in place for the club to deliver those key strategic areas.

• To input into the board strategy in their particular area of expertise.

• To provide entrepreneurial experience to the club within a framework of prudent and effective controls which enable risk to be assessed and managed.

• To develop and promote its vision, the owner’s and club’s purpose, culture, values and behaviours and support the CEO and Executive to deliver the Clubs strategic objectives.

• To ensure that its obligations to the owner and other key stakeholders are understood and met.

• To ensure that Brentford Football Club is constantly progressing toward its aims of being the most inclusive football club in the UK.

Specific Board Responsibilities

• The appointee will be required to attend 6 board meetings per year and other
committee meetings.
• Is required to attend matches and other BFC and external events.
• Is able to use their own work experience, expertise, knowledge and their own
established and transferable network of contacts in relevant fields to support
the work of the board.
• To inform and update the Board to help facilitate and support the Board
process.
• To ensure that diversity and equality of opportunity are addressed throughout
the work strands of the organisation.

Role Responsibility

In order to complement the skills of our existing directors, we are looking for
someone with demonstrable senior experience in skills that are currently
underrepresented on our board, primarily in:

Community and Stakeholder Engagement.

The appointee will leverage their professional expertise and passion
to help the Board develop off the field strategies that broaden and deepen our
engagement with all our local stakeholder groups e.g., the community, fans,
companies, local government, residents, with a particular focus on extending our
relationships with under-represented groups, especially those who are in ethnically
diverse, disabled and gender groups.

Person Specification

• A successful track record in some or all of: community engagement, CSR,
communications/public relations, government relations would bring skills to
this role that are currently not present on the Board.
• Candidates should have a good understanding of the role and responsibilities
of a Non-Executive Director and have skills that directly impact the strategy of
the club
• The candidates should be able to consistently exercise good judgement,
rooted in strong moral and ethical principles.
• Experience in establishing lasting collaborations.
• Ideal candidates will present with a ‘can do’ attitude to problem-solving,
constantly seeking constructive solutions to our aim of building strong
relationships within our community.
• A strong understanding of EDI: Brentford FC serves a highly diverse
community, and our Board should reflect that diversity. Brentford FC will
achieve its greatest impact when our Board mirrors the type of community we
represent.