The Society of RSE is a charity run by an elected committee of trustees who are drawn from the Society’s membership. We will hold elections for new trustees this autumn – with half of the current committee positions open for new trustees. The current trustees can be seen on the governance page. 

If you want to help us gain recognition for research software engineering in the UK and beyond, and you have the skills, time and energy to invest in shaping and running this new organisation, then please consider standing for election. The UK leads the world in research software engineering and the Society offers a fantastic opportunity to become a leader in the RSE community.

What is required to be a trustee?

Being a charity trustee is a significant commitment with a legal responsibility to run the charity and plan and oversee its activities for the public benefit and in line with its aims and constitution. However, since only half the trustees change each year, new trustees will be able to rely on the established committee members during their first year to get up to speed with the Society and its work.

The responsibilities of a trustee are described in this Charity Commission document.

To fulfil the role of trustee you need to be able to commit sufficient time and attention to the role. We typically have quarterly face-to-face meetings (we can fund travel if needed) and monthly Skype meetings. Trustees will also need to have time between meetings to prepare, contribute to online discussions and decisions and work on Society projects or activities. 

We are looking for people with a passion for research software engineering who share our goal of ensuring that software and the people who develop it gain the recognition for their contribution to research. The most important characteristic we are looking for is enthusiasm and commitment to work with the RSE community and make things happen to further the aims of the Society. There are some specific skills that would also be very useful, such as:

• Previous experience as a trustee or knowledge of running charities
• Budgeting and financial reporting
• Design, marketing and communications
• Managing websites and online services (especially WordPress)
• Organising events
• Community building
• Input on policy and writing proposals or bids
• Setting up administrative processes
• Energy and creative ideas

In return for your commitment and contributions, you will have many opportunities to develop your skills, meet and influence people, raise your profile as a leader in the community and make a real difference to research and to society.

Next steps

Only members of the Society can stand for election as trustees and vote in the elections. In late August, we will start accepting members and we will open nominations for the trustee elections. Candidates will be nominated in the run-up to the RSE19 conference in September and voting will open at the Society AGM which takes place during the RSE conference. You do not have to attend the conference to stand for election or vote. We intend our new committee of trustees to be in place by October 2019.

If you are interested in standing for election as a trustee:

• Be ready to join the Society when membership opens
• Consider how you will be able to fulfil the time commitments of the role and discuss this with your employer if necessary
• Think about what you can bring to the role and what you would like to achieve through the Society
• Watch out for the announcement when nominations open on this website and on Twitter

Any of the existing trustees will be happy to answer questions about the role and the Society so do feel free to get in touch if you’re thinking about standing.