We are looking for a select few Non Executive Directors to join us and help us in our start-up phase. This is a voluntary role and is not salaried. You must be experienced as a NED, to be considered, so please only apply if you fill the criteria.
We are not hiring for any other roles at this time, please do not send your CV's speculatively.
The IIM will be UK’s professional home for innovation management, accreditation, Body of Knowledge, CPD, community and peer-to-peer support; standards-informed and sector-neutral. The soft launch was on the 9th October at the BSI Innovation Management Summit, and we currently have a team of voluntary innovation management professionals who contributor to the establishment of the IIM, as well as our founding sponsorship partners.
The role: We’re seeking 3–5 founding Non-Executive Directors to help stand up a high-integrity, practitioner-led institute. You will provide independent oversight and hands-on guidance as we:
- Finalise governance, risk and assurance; embed transparency, conflicts, AML/anti-bribery and data-protection policies.
- Shape the membership offer (individual and corporate), pricing principles and value exchange.
- Implement market engagement: community & events (roundtables, webinars, annual convening), comms and partnerships.
- Inform of the Body of Knowledge (BoK), competency/role taxonomy and CPD framework.
- Determine accreditation design and implementation (aligned to ISO 56001) and ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation concurrently.
- Drive fundraising and sponsorship (corporate/public/phil), including introductions and deal shaping.
- Champion responsible, inclusive innovation management uplift and UK-wide diffusion (SMEs, regions, HE/FE, public sector).
What we’re looking for (collectively across the Board):
Please outline where you bring depth in one or more of the following:
- Institute/learned society NED experience, ideally including early-stage set-up and scaling.
- Training & skills development: policy, strategy and delivery; apprenticeship/CPD/micro-credential models.
- Professional certification: design and operations; experience with ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation highly valued.
- Membership & events/community programmes: design, growth, retention, convening power.
- Fundraising & business development: corporate partnerships, sponsorship, philanthropic or public funding.
- Public–private–academic partnerships: deep networks across industry, government and HE/FE.
- Competency frameworks & Bodies of Knowledge: ontology, peer-review, curriculum and assessment design.
- Innovation management practice: senior leadership in corporate, public or consulting settings; standards-informed adoption.
We welcome well-connected, established leaders and equally those with sleeves-rolled-up build experience in adjacent institutes or standards bodies.
Terms
- Location: UK (meetings remote-first; occasional in-person if required.)
- First term is Voluntary (no directors fees); Reasonable expenses reimbursed. The intention is to move to a directors’ fees model once individual membership and certification is launched.
- Initial appointment: 6 months; extendable up to 24 months (6 monthly terms), mutually agreed.
- Time commitment: ~2–3 days/month
- Board size at launch: 3–5 NEDs (moving to member-confirmed elections once the membership base is established)
- On establishment of a suitable membership base, directors will be confirmed by member vote in line with our Articles (CLG; one-member-one-vote; non-profit distribution).
- Directors must observe our Code of Conduct and Conflicts of Interest policy.
How to apply:
Please send a short CV or bio and a 1-page statement covering:
- Your relevant board/sector experience,
- Where you can contribute most in the next 6–12 months (from the list above), and
Email: theteam@theiim.org if you have any questions regarding the role, or require assistance with applying.
Deadline: Latest 31st December 2025 – may close earlier. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an initial conversation with the Chair/Founder, and interviews may begin prior to the deadline, as and when suitable applications have been received.