Further particulars - Remuneration Committee Vacancy

Further information on the role

Thank you for looking further into our Court Committee roles. We hope the information below is helpful and that you choose to apply. The University is looking for a member with experience within the settings of corporate governance, audit and risk, or human resources, and with experience of shaping and commenting on remuneration and reward for chief executive officers and senior executives.

Lay members of the Remuneration Committee are independent of the University and contribute by providing an external perspective on important issues. Membership is for a three-year term, with the option to be considered for two further three-year terms.

Within the initial three-year term, members would:

• become familiar with key topics within the remit of the Committee (for example, the Global Reward Policy);
• become familiar with legislation and processes which impact on the work of the Committee (for example, the Higher Education Senior Staff Remuneration Code and the Scottish Code of Good Higher Education Governance);
• provide scrutiny of the University’s policies and processes around remuneration, using their own experience of good practice in a relevant area;
• provide advice on actions that the University could take to improve remuneration processes, using their own experience of good practice in a relevant area;
• demonstrate the University’s values of Inspire, Belong, Collaborate and Celebrate;
• promote equality, diversity and inclusion within the Committee and through its work; and
• regularly attend meetings and contribute to discussion.

The Remuneration Committee is part of the University’s governance structure, reporting to the Court. By focusing on remuneration of senior staff at Heriot-Watt, alongside other duties, the Committee helps the Court to:

• review and recommend policies for remuneration and terms for staff at grade ten;
• monitor a budget and objectives for senior staff reward;
• review and recommend salaries for senior University staff members;
• seek and provide feedback on remuneration packages, consulting with student and staff representatives; and
• provide oversight of executive succession planning.

The University Secretary, the governance team and fellow governors are all on hand to help new members and induction is provided to help governors develop their knowledge and skills.

The Committee normally meets three times a year, with meetings lasting around two hours. Members will prepare for meetings by reviewing the papers circulated, which should take no more than half a day on each occasion. In addition, lay members of the Court Committees are invited to attend two Court Strategy Days per year at the Edinburgh Campus, one in November and one in May. The total time commitment for the role is a minimum of five days per academic year.

Remuneration Committee meetings take place via Microsoft Teams. Meetings are normally scheduled from 9am to 11:30am (UK time), 1pm to 3:30pm (Dubai time) and 5pm to 7:30pm (Malaysia time).