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The ACE is recruiting 10 new, highly committed Executive Board members with a strong passion for architecture and European affairs to serve during the 2024-2025 period. The elections will take place at the Second General Assembly of 2023, on Thursday 23 November 2023.

Five members of the Executive Board will be nominated by the next five national delegations in the rotation list (candidates will come from Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Latvia and Luxembourg) and will be approved by the General Assembly.

The other five Executive Board Members will be elected by the General Assembly.

As a member organisation, any nomination from the UK is to come from °ÄÃÅÍõÖÐÍõ. Please note, however, that if a °ÄÃÅÍõÖÐÍõ nominee is successful, then the post-holder will not be representing °ÄÃÅÍõÖÐÍõ. Instead, the post-holder will be representing ACE.

The role

General skills

ACE’s Executive Board is made up of a diverse group of professionals from different countries and backgrounds. Members respect each other’s experiences and abilities and put ACE’s mission before personal or national agendas.

ACE is looking for individuals with at least three years of relevant experience e.g., serving on the board of a national association in the third sector, with the following skills:

• understanding of the architectural community’s needs
• passion for ACE’s work
• time and motivation to prioritise ACE and Board service
• leadership – both in terms of vision and the ability to implement
• comfortable working with bilingual volunteer groups and committees

Specific skills

In 2024, ACE is additionally looking for board members with skills and experience in one or more of the following areas in order to drive and implement its development in the following fields:

EU policy, politics and advocacy

Deep and detailed insights into the EU policy process, how advocacy and EU decision-making works (Ordinary Legislative Procedure – formerly co-decision procedure), knowledge of current topics, and developments affecting the architectural sector; ability to develop ACE’s advocacy role. Close connections to EU institutions and experience of advocacy at a national level are useful.

Fundraising

Ability, willingness, and time to raise additional resources and support for ACE and develop donor’s database (and the necessary connections and networks to do so).

Marketing

Promotional strategy and planning, hands-on engagement and communication skills, brand development, social media.

Regulatory

Some knowledge of legal/regulatory issues could be helpful.

Other relevant skills

• organisational, strategic planning
• business development
• financial management

General duties

1. Support, articulate and promote ACE’s Mission, Vision and Values.
2. Be informed about ACE statues, bylaws, regulations and policies, as well as Executive Board members’ duties as directors of the association (AISBL).
3. Provide leadership and support to the work structure.
4. Take responsibility for one main activity or serve as an active member of an ad hoc work group or committee.
5. Respond to fellow Executive Board Members and staff in a professional, productive, and timely manner.
6. Use personal and professional skills, relationships, and knowledge for the advancement of ACE.
7. Network within different organisations and communities, serving as an ambassador to increase the understanding of and support for ACE’s work.
8. Identify and recruit other volunteers.

Time commitment

• serve at least one term on the ACE Executive Board (two years)
• attend at least 80% of scheduled board meetings and actively participate by reading all materials and coming to board meetings prepared to discuss items on the agenda. (The ACE Executive Board currently meets around every two months either in person (mostly in Brussels, though occasionally elsewhere – twice in conjunction with the General Assembly) or by telephone/online conferencing. Face to face meetings generally last one day (or two half days); teleconferences usually last three to four hours
• dedicate an average of 50 hours per month to ACE work – which includes attending board meetings every other month (eight hours, plus travelling time), serving on committees, responding to emails and performing other activities related to the successful operation of the organisation e.g. attending events to promote ACE in the community
• be accessible for contact in between board meetings via email correspondence and telephone calls

ACE has written an  which is reviewed annually and sets up the Executive Board Members’ duties and responsibilities. Please familiarise yourself with the contents of the handbook to ensure that you are aware of the expectations of the ACE, should you be elected as an ACE Executive Board Member.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• be a °ÄÃÅÍõÖÐÍõ Chartered Member based in the UK
• have three years of relevant experience e.g. serving on °ÄÃÅÍõÖÐÍõ Board or Council
• be comfortable working with bilingual volunteer groups and committees (ACE official working languages are French and English)
• have an understanding of the European architectural community’s needs and issues affecting the profession
• have deep and detailed insights into the EU policy process; how advocacy and EU decision making works, knowledge of current topics and developments affecting the architectural sector; ability to develop ACE’s advocacy role
• have the ability, willingness, and time to fundraise additional resources with connections and networks to do so
• have a knowledge of legal/regulatory issues
• have business development skills

The selection process

If you wish to put your name forward for a position on the ACE Executive Board, please send a letter of application to: emmanuelle.meunier@riba.org accompanied by a profile, curriculum vitae and presentation of policy themes in a maximum of 1,000 words. This must be submitted no later than 21 August 2023, as late applications will not be considered.

We will review your applications based on how your profile/CV/candidate’s statement relates to the eligibility criteria listed above.