ABCB – Seeking a New Chief Executive

Overview:

ABCB is the leading Trade Association for Accredited Certification Bodies operating in the United Kingdom. A part-time post of ABCB Chief Executive will be falling vacant at the end of June 2024 and a replacement is being sought. This varied and diverse role presents an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to play a critical leadership role in the UK certification industry.

The Chief Executive is required to represent and promote the interests of the members of the Association within the UK, European and International accreditation and conformity assessment communities. In particular the Chief Executive has to interface with the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), Government, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) and International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) at a senior level, and attend and influence numerous national, European and international committees.

The new Chief Executive will be able to lead the Association including setting out a clear vision and strategic objectives for membership retention and growth, raising the profile of the association, addressing the opportunities and challenges of digitalisation, co-ordinating initiatives to raise quality and competency standards of members, engage with key stakeholders in the UK and internationally to increase awareness of the value of accredited certification to deliver trust and confidence in the UK Quality Infrastructure.     

Additionally, the Chief Executive provides business and administrative leadership and support to ensure the financial viability and smooth running of the Association.

Terms:

The position is home based and involves travel in the UK and overseas.

Part Time Role: 22.5 hours per week (flexible based on meetings in the UK and internationally). The salary is £50,000 per annum, based on experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

Essential:

  • A UK citizen or UK resident with a current valid UK work visa
  • commercial acumen to enable growth in ABCB membership  
  • communication, administration and secretarial skills to facilitate Board and Membership Meetings as well as ongoing communications with ABCB members and stakeholders  
  • knowledge and understanding of conformity assessment practices and procedures
  • knowledge and understanding of certification standards (for example ISO 9001, ISO 14001)
  • knowledge of and experience in the application of conformity assessment standards (for example ISO /IEC 17021, ISO/IEC 17024, ISO/IEC 17065)
  • knowledge and understanding of the national, European and international accreditation infrastructure
  • knowledge and understanding of national and international standards development procedures
  • good communication skills, ability to influence as well as tact and diplomacy

Desirable:

  • experience of working in a leadership position for an accredited certification body
  • experience of accreditation assessments
  • experience of participating in national and/or international standards technical committees

To Apply:

If you are interested in applying for the role please send your CV or contact Steve Bennett at Hinton Recruitment Partners for further details: sb@hintonrp.co.uk