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Board Member

South East

The Oxford Trust

Organisation Type

Charity/NfP

Industry / Sector

NGO / NFP / Other Charitable

About The Organisation

The Oxford Trust is an independent charitable trust set up in 1985 by Sir Martin and Lady Audrey Wood, co-founders of the University of Oxford’s first spinout, Oxford Instruments. Our mission is simple: to encourage the pursuit of science. For the last 40 years, we’ve been at the forefront of innovation in Oxfordshire. Our innovation centres serve as hubs for cutting-edge research and development, offering science and tech start-ups the space and support they need to grow and succeed. We are proud to reinvest the income from these centres into our STEM education and engagement programmes, which aim to build the foundations of science learning and inspire the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs.

Position Description

We are looking to appoint two new education focused trustees to join The Oxford Trust Board as we complete our latest investment at the Wood Centre for Innovation (also home to Science Oxford team) and work with a new CEO to develop the organisation’s next three to five-year strategic plan. Trustees will support the effective governance of the charity, helping to guide the strategic direction of the organisation while supporting and constructively challenging the CEO and senior leadership team.

We are looking for individuals who are passionate about science, education and entrepreneurship, and who are committed to diversity and inclusion.

Our ambition is for The Oxford Trust Board to represent and reflect the diversity of our communities and stakeholders, and we particularly welcome applications from people from under-represented groups, including people with lived experience of disability and younger applicants.

There are typically four two-hour in-person board meetings per year, alongside one strategic planning half-day. Participation in the Education Committee may involve up to four additional two-hour meetings per year, some of which may take place remotely via Teams.

Selection Criteria

We are currently seeking individuals with lived experience and expertise in either secondary or primary STEM education.

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future direction of The Oxford Trust and support our mission to encourage the pursuit of science through innovation and education. For the secondary STEM education trustee role, applicants should have a teaching qualification with leadership experience within secondary education, alongside knowledge of the state secondary science curriculum, STEM careers education, employer engagement and the Gatsby Benchmarks. Strong local networks across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire and experience of working collaboratively with schools and external organisations would be highly beneficial.

For the primary STEM education trustee role, applicants should have a teaching qualification with leadership experience within primary education, with experience supporting STEM engagement, enrichment activities and informal learning opportunities linked to the national curriculum. 

Knowledge of Multi-Academy Trusts and the ability to help build relationships with schools and stakeholders would also be valuable.

How to Apply

To apply, please send an application letter outlining your skills, experience and reasons for wishing to join the Board to [email protected]. A CV or LinkedIn profile is optional.

For more information, please contact [email protected] to arrange an informal and confidential discussion with current trustees, where appropriate. For more information see our The Oxford Trust Board Pack – May 2026