BES Board of Trustees: Early Career Representative

The BES Board of Trustees is the governing body for the Society, setting and maintaining the vision of the BES and developing a long-term strategy.  The Board also creates and monitors policies to govern Society, ensures compliance with the governing document, ensures accountability and makes sure resources are used effectively.  The Board works closely with the Chief Executive.

The Board of Trustees comprises officers of the Society, Committee Chairs and three Ordinary Members.  The three Ordinary Members represent specific ecological communities; early career, ecologists working outside HEIs and research institutes, and ecologists working in academic research.  In December 2023 we are seeking an early career ecologist to join the Board.  The Early Career Representative (ECR) is 10 years or less from the start of their PhD at the point they are elected to the Board of Trustees.  As well as joining the BES Board of Trustees, the ECR is part of the Early Career Working Group, which is a discussion and networking forum for early career researchers who are members of BES Committees or part of the organising committee of a BES Special Interest Group.  Early career ecologists are a significant part of BES membership and it is important that their needs and concerns help shape BES strategy.  The ECR needs to be well connected to the early career community and to be able to represent their views.

For a full description of the roles of a BES Trustee and Ordinary Member of the Board see the Role Description below.

Nomination is by the form below and the deadline receipt of nominations is 12:00 noon BST on 18 October 2023.

There are four Board meetings a year, one of which takes place during the Annual Meeting in December.  The Board also holds an annual, two-day strategic retreat in the summer.  The BES has good video conferencing facilities enabling people to easily participate remotely in meetings, however, the BES will cover the travel expenses of trustees attending Board meetings where needed.  The BES also covers the cost of registration and accommodation for Board members attending the Annual Meeting and BES Symposia.  New trustees have an induction session and there are opportunities to take part in trustee training.  The term of office is three years with the possibility of a second term.

Trustees are elected by the membership through an electronic ballot and the results of the election are announced at the AGM which is held during the December Annual Meeting.

If you have any queries about the role please get in touch with Karen Devine, Director of Communities and Inclusion, Karen@BritishEcologicalSociety.org.