Institute for European Environmental Policy UK (IEEP UK)
Chair of the Board of Trustees
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Chair of the Board of Trustees
Unpaid role, expenses paid Voluntary Home-based with occasional meetings in London
Deadline Monday 13 July, 10AM
The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) is a leading European sustainability think tank with offices in London and Brussels. Now marking its 50th year, IEEP has played a foundational role in the establishment of environmental policies in Europe and the UK, and continues to inform and shape evidence-based policy. The UK organisation is now seeking an ambitious and influential new chair to lead the board of the charity as it prepares for a new phase in UK-EU relations and forges a new relationship with Europe.
The chair plays a key role in setting the strategic direction for the organisation with the Board of Trustees, overseeing its governance, ensuring oversight, and line-managing the executive director who focuses on day-to-day operations and implementation of the strategy set by the board.
The incoming chair will take over from Malini Mehra, under whose leadership IEEP UK re-established a strong post-Brexit presence, adopted a new strategy from 2023-2027 focused on the UK’s four nations and UK-EU relations, and built a strong board with expertise across sectors and institutions. A key task of the new chair will be to lead the development of a new strategy for the organisation responsive to new environmental and geopolitical challenges.
Since its re-establishment in 2022, IEEP UK has hosted events bringing UK ministers and EU Commissioners together on environmental policy for the first time since Brexit and backed by robust research has made the environmental case for alignment with higher standards, informing commitments made in the UK EU reset, and in the Environmental Improvement Plan.
We are looking for a respected leader with professional experience of UK and European environmental institutions and policy, with an appreciation of the importance of the UK’s place in Europe, who can lead the charity in delivery of its charitable mission.
About the organisation
The Institute for European Environmental Policy UK is a registered charity in England and Wales and a not-for-profit sustainability think tank, with over 45 years of experience, based in the UK and part of the broader IEEP family across Europe, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
We work closely with IEEP colleagues based in Brussels and IEEP’s Europe-wide network of environmental think tanks. We are dedicated to working with government, civil society, academia and a range of other stakeholders, including European, United Nations and other international bodies, civil society, academia, scientific institutes and business and industry to produce evidence-based research for impact-driven environmental policy solutions. Our work covers both short-term and long-term strategic environmental issues in the UK and its constituent nations as well as their interaction with policy in Europe and globally.
Our priorities
With the UK-EU reset underway, establishing new ways of working between the UK and its European partners, IEEP UK is committed to ensuring that environment policy rises up the agenda and collaboration on areas of mutual interest is reestablished. IEEP UK is delivering on its current five year strategy up to the end of 2027, striving to grow from our current small team, becoming more visible and claiming a leading role in providing innovative research and policy relevant intelligence.
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Over this time, the organisation has seen a renewed appetite from across the UK to learn from and engage with wider European developments and thinking. IEEP UK’s work on post-Brexit environmental governance, as well as tracking the legislative divergence between the EU and four nations has received front page coverage, and an increasingly eager audience ranging from business, academia, NGO, parliament and select committee, who seek our evidence-based approach to assessing the consequences and significance of these developments.
As an independent non-partisan think tank we see the benefits of closer cooperation between the UK and rest of Europe, and whilst not taking a position on the relationship with the EU, we have welcomed and facilitated the warming of relations between the two, holding public meetings hosting Commissioners, Ministers, and senior civil servants on the same platform.
Working with our extensive networks throughout Europe, not least our IEEP colleagues in Brussels, and their Think Sustainable Europe network of national think tanks, we are drawing on evidence of policies that the UK and four nations and administrations can learn from, and vice versa, on agriculture and food, air quality, circular economy, chemicals, climate, nature and water and beyond.
We have doubled our staff team and Board in the last two years to better deliver on the opportunities for impact over this period.
A key priority for the new chair will be to lead board development of a new five-year strategy for the organisation and support its execution by management.
About the role
We would love to hear from candidates interested in guiding and supporting our Institute in its growth and impact, and shaping how we navigate the challenges and opportunities of the coming years. You will work alongside highly experienced and respected fellow trustees to ensure IEEP UK achieves its mission and remains accountable to stakeholders. Your specific responsibilities will include:
- Lead quarterly online board meetings.
- Act as line manager for the Executive Director, providing guidance and acting as a sounding board on a wide range of issues.
- Ensure the board has the necessary skills and experience to effectively undertake its role.
- Ensure the board works effectively with the Executive Director and wider staff team, mentoring, guiding and holding to account, as appropriate, to support organisational excellence.
- Ensure governance compliance, supported by the Executive Director and the Head of Finance and Operations.
- Act as a figurehead and spokesperson for the organisation.
- Bring external insight to inform our work.
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Who we are looking for
We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experience who can fulfil the following criteria:
- Commitment to IEEP UK’s mission, strategy and its objectives.
- Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship.
- Ability to devote the necessary time and effort to their duties as a trustee.
- Ideally UK based
The Chair will have:
- Prior leadership and chairing or similar experience, with a deep understanding of the issues our charity works on
- Experience in long-term strategic planning, and organisational development.
- Experience engaging with funders.
- Ability to chair meetings, ensuring that all voices and perspectives are heard.
- Professional experience of environmental issues, and connections throughout the sector, and ideally understanding of environmental policy and IEEP’s work.
- Experience or good understanding of European politics and policy-making.
- Experience and ideally active involvement in public affairs, with knowledge of UK policy-making, and cross-party contacts
- A good understanding of charity governance.
- Ability to review programme impact, assess risk, and interpret financial data.
- Strong leadership skills and experience of aligning strategy and delivery.
For a full list of Commitments required by the role, please download the job description
Please note this is a voluntary, unremunerated role. Expenses are provided for travel and accommodation necessary for delivery of the role with prior agreement with the Executive Director.
Application Process
Please send your CV and a cover letter, to recruitment_uk@ieep.uk, clearly marking the title of the email: ‘IEEP_UK – Chair - [YOUR NAME].
In the covering letter we would like you to answer four questions about your experience, why you’d like to become IEEP UK’s chair, and how you meet the desired profile:
- What in particular interests you about the role and our organisation
- What skills, experiences and/or perspectives would you contribute to the organisation and its current strategic aims: IEEP-UK-Strategy-2023-2027.pdf
- What are the key characteristics of an effective board team and its process
- Imagine it’s five years from now. What has IEEP UK achieved that makes you particularly proud, and what role did you play in it?
Application deadline: 10AM, Monday 13 July 2026
Interviews: A first round of video interviews is expected to take place over July and August, depending on the availability of candidates. This will be followed by an in-person interview for shortlisted candidates, in early September. We are looking to on-board the new Chair over the end of 2026 in order to start officially as Chair from 2027.
IEEP UK welcomes offers from candidates of diverse backgrounds. For further information on IEEP UK, please visit our website at https://ieep.uk/
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