Job responsibilities

As statutory directors and equal members of Mastercalls unitary Board, Non-Executive Directors share collective responsibility for the organisations purpose, long-term direction, governance, performance and sustainable success.

Bringing independent judgement, relevant expertise and an external perspective, they contribute to strategy, scrutinise organisational and commercial performance, test the quality of assurance and hold the Chief Executive and Executive Leadership Team to account for delivery. Non-Executive Directors provide constructive challenge and appropriate support while maintaining a clear distinction between governance and executive management.

Each Non-Executive Director will help foster an inclusive, open and high-performing Board culture in which curiosity, respectful challenge, diversity of thought and collective responsibility support sound and timely decision-making.

As guardians of Mastercalls patient purpose, member-led identity and social enterprise ethos, they will ensure that quality, patient safety, social value, workforce experience and financial sustainability remain central to Board decisions. Through their contribution and behaviour, they will champion Mastercalls values and help embed Belong, Grow, Thrive across Board leadership and organisational decision-making.

Experience

Essential

• Board and senior leadership experience
• Experience of operating at senior or Board level within a complex, regulated, publicly accountable or mission-led organisation. A clear understanding of the contribution of a Non-Executive Director within a unitary Board and the distinction between governance and executive management.
• Previous experience as a Non-Executive Director, Trustee or Board adviser, or experience working regularly with a Board and its committees.
• Governance and fiduciary responsibility
• A strong understanding of directors duties, collective Board responsibility, governance, risk, assurance and organisational accountability. The ability to exercise independent judgement and act in the best interests of Mastercall while having regard to its patients, members, workforce, communities and wider stakeholders.Relevant governance development or qualification through the Institute of Directors, NHS Leadership Academy or equivalent. Experience of regulated healthcare, public service, social enterprise, mutual or member-led governance.
• Strategic judgement
• The ability to think strategically, make sense of complexity, test assumptions and maintain a long-term perspective. Able to contribute to the development of strategy while balancing opportunity, risk, organisational capacity and sustainability.Experience of organisational transformation, responsible growth, service redesign, mergers, acquisitions, alliances, joint ventures or other significant strategic change.
• Quality, patient safety and public service
• A genuine commitment to outstanding, compassionate and patient-centred healthcare. Able to scrutinise quality, patient safety, safeguarding, experience and regulatory assurance and to keep patient outcomes central to Board decisions.
• Senior clinical, operational or governance experience within urgent, primary, community or out-of-hospital care, or another safety-critical or regulated service.
• NHS and healthcare environment
• The ability to develop and maintain a sound understanding of NHS-funded healthcare, regulation, commissioning, system working and the pressures affecting patients, services and the workforce.
• Direct experience of the NHS, integrated care, healthcare commissioning, provider services, health inequalities or working with NHS and community partners.
• Commercial and financial stewardship
• Sufficient commercial and financial literacy to scrutinise performance, budgets, investment decisions, contracts, risk and long-term sustainability. Able to balance commercial discipline with patient benefit, public value and Mastercalls social purpose.
• Professional or senior experience in finance, audit, risk, commercial development, procurement, contracting, business growth or organisational turnaround.
• Strategic alliances and system leadership
• The ability to understand and scrutinise significant partnerships and integrated delivery arrangements, including shared governance, commercial interdependencies, decision rights, organisational sovereignty and competing stakeholder interests.
• Experience of NHS system leadership, collaborative commissioning, multi-provider alliances, joint ventures or services delivered through arrangements comparable to GMUPCA.

General Qualities

Essential

• Independent challenge and collective decision-making
• Evidence of providing constructive and proportionate challenge while listening carefully, remaining open to different perspectives and working collaboratively. Able to support collective decisions once matters have been properly debated and agreed.
• Experience of helping a Board or senior leadership team improve the quality of debate, decision-making, relationships or organisational performance.
• Quality, patient safety and public service
• A genuine commitment to outstanding, compassionate and patient-centred healthcare. Able to scrutinise quality, patient safety, safeguarding, experience and regulatory assurance and to keep patient outcomes central to Board decisions.
• Senior clinical, operational or governance experience within urgent, primary, community or out-of-hospital care, or another safety-critical or regulated service.
• People, culture and Belong, Grow, Thrive
• Evidence of inclusive and values-led leadership and an understanding of the relationship between workforce experience, leadership behaviour, organisational capability and performance. A commitment to Belong, Grow, Thrive, recognising that belonging creates the foundation for people to grow and ultimately thrive.
• Board or senior-level experience of organisational culture, workforce strategy, leadership development, equality, employee engagement, succession, wellbeing or organisational development.

Experience

Essential

• Board and senior leadership experience
• Experience of operating at senior or Board level within a complex, regulated, publicly accountable or mission-led organisation. A clear understanding of the contribution of a Non-Executive Director within a unitary Board and the distinction between governance and executive management.
• Previous experience as a Non-Executive Director, Trustee or Board adviser, or experience working regularly with a Board and its committees.
• Governance and fiduciary responsibility
• A strong understanding of directors duties, collective Board responsibility, governance, risk, assurance and organisational accountability. The ability to exercise independent judgement and act in the best interests of Mastercall while having regard to its patients, members, workforce, communities and wider stakeholders.Relevant governance development or qualification through the Institute of Directors, NHS Leadership Academy or equivalent. Experience of regulated healthcare, public service, social enterprise, mutual or member-led governance.
• Strategic judgement
• The ability to think strategically, make sense of complexity, test assumptions and maintain a long-term perspective. Able to contribute to the development of strategy while balancing opportunity, risk, organisational capacity and sustainability.Experience of organisational transformation, responsible growth, service redesign, mergers, acquisitions, alliances, joint ventures or other significant strategic change.
• Quality, patient safety and public service
• A genuine commitment to outstanding, compassionate and patient-centred healthcare. Able to scrutinise quality, patient safety, safeguarding, experience and regulatory assurance and to keep patient outcomes central to Board decisions.
• Senior clinical, operational or governance experience within urgent, primary, community or out-of-hospital care, or another safety-critical or regulated service.
• NHS and healthcare environment
• The ability to develop and maintain a sound understanding of NHS-funded healthcare, regulation, commissioning, system working and the pressures affecting patients, services and the workforce.
• Direct experience of the NHS, integrated care, healthcare commissioning, provider services, health inequalities or working with NHS and community partners.
• Commercial and financial stewardship
• Sufficient commercial and financial literacy to scrutinise performance, budgets, investment decisions, contracts, risk and long-term sustainability. Able to balance commercial discipline with patient benefit, public value and Mastercalls social purpose.
• Professional or senior experience in finance, audit, risk, commercial development, procurement, contracting, business growth or organisational turnaround.
• Strategic alliances and system leadership
• The ability to understand and scrutinise significant partnerships and integrated delivery arrangements, including shared governance, commercial interdependencies, decision rights, organisational sovereignty and competing stakeholder interests.
• Experience of NHS system leadership, collaborative commissioning, multi-provider alliances, joint ventures or services delivered through arrangements comparable to GMUPCA.

Job responsibilities

The Chair provides inspirational, inclusive and values-based leadership to the Board of Mastercall Healthcare, fostering an open and high-performing culture in which constructive challenge, diversity of thought and collective responsibility support sound, timely decision-making.

Working in partnership with the Chief Executive, they will ensure the Board fulfils its legal, fiduciary and governance responsibilities; sets a clear long-term direction; oversees quality, organisational and commercial performance; and holds the Chief Executive and Executive Leadership Team to account for delivery.

Through influence rather than executive authority, the Chair will maintain a clear distinction between governance and management while developing relationships characterised by trust, candour, appropriate support and rigorous challenge.

As a guardian of Mastercalls patient purpose, social enterprise ethos and member-led identity, they will champion innovation, collaboration and social value while ensuring outstanding care, patient safety, financial sustainability and responsible stewardship. In doing so, the Chair will help Mastercall remain ambitious, agile and resilient, and strengthen its contribution to the future of neighbourhood health and urgent primary care.

A key part of this stewardship will be understanding and helping to shape Mastercalls role within the Greater Manchester Urgent Primary Care Alliance (GMUPCA), balancing the opportunities of deeper integration and delivery at scale with clear accountability for Mastercalls purpose, interests, identity and long-term sustainability.

Experience

Essential

• Board Leadership & Governance
• Substantial experience as a Chair, Non-Executive Director or senior executive working closely with a Board in a complex, regulated or publicly accountable organisation
• Experience leading a Board through a significant transition, partnership, growth phase or change in governance.
• Strategic Judgement
• A strong record of making sense of complexity, framing the questions that matter and helping groups reach clear, evidence-based decisions with a long-term view.
• Experience of innovation, digital transformation, AI, data or new models of service delivery.
• Strategic alliances and system leadership
• Experience of leading through significant partnerships, alliances, joint ventures or other integrated delivery arrangements, with the ability to navigate shared governance, commercial interdependencies, organisational sovereignty and competing stakeholder interests.
• Experience of NHS system working, collaborative commissioning or services delivered through a multi-provider alliance.
• Governance and assurance
• Strong understanding of directors duties, risk, assurance, financial stewardship and the distinction between governance and executive management.
• Relevant governance development or qualification, for example through the Institute of Directors, NHS Leadership Academy or equivalent.
• Healthcare & public service context
• Credibility in, and the ability to rapidly understand, NHS-funded healthcare, patient safety, regulation, commissioning and public accountability.
• Senior experience in urgent, primary, community or out-of-hospital care, or another health and care social enterprise.
• Social enterprise & members
• A genuine commitment to mission-led enterprise, social value and accountability to members and communities alongside commercial and financial discipline.
• Experience of mutual, co-operative, employee-owned, charity, CIC or other member-led governance
• People & Culture
• Evidence of creating inclusive, psychologically safe, high-performing Board or leadership cultures, combining constructive challenge with appropriate support
• Experience leading organisational culture, workforce or equality improvement at Board level

General Qualities

Essential

• Chief Executive relationship
• Ability to support, challenge, appraise and hold a Chief Executive to account while maintaining independence, boundaries and trust.
• Experience of CEO appointment, succession or transition.
• Financial & commercial acumen
• Sufficient financial and commercial literacy to scrutinise performance, investment, risk, contracts and sustainability in an organisation of Mastercalls scale.
• Experience of public procurement, NHS contracts, alliances, growth or diversification.
• Personal leadership
• Integrity, courage, humility, curiosity, resilience, sound judgement and political awareness; a calm and considered presence under pressure.
• Lived experience or perspectives that would broaden the Boards understanding of the communities and workforce it serves.
• Commitment & independence
• Capacity to meet the time commitment, prepare thoroughly, remain available when needed and satisfy independence, conflicts and fit-and-proper-person requirements.
• Proximity to, or strong connection with, Greater Manchester and the North West.