Board Adviser [Bakery]

Role: Board Adviser

Organisation: Luminary Bakery Ltd

Commitment: Approximately 1–2 hours per week, including Board meetings

Location: London / hybrid

Remuneration: Voluntary role

Term: Initially 12 months, with the option to join the Board as a Director by mutual agreement

About Luminary Bakery

Luminary Bakery is a social enterprise creating opportunities for women who have experienced social and economic disadvantage.

Through our bakeries, training and employment programmes, we support women to build skills, confidence and sustainable routes into employment. We operate a growing commercial bakery and café business, using enterprise as a vehicle for long-term social impact.

As Luminary enters its next stage of development, we are looking to strengthen the expertise available to our Board and senior team. We are particularly seeking expertise in:

- People, Culture & HR, including DEI

- Social Enterprise Governance / Monitoring & Evaluation

- VAWG Sector and Safeguarding

We are therefore seeking 2-3 experienced  Board Advisers to work alongside our Board and senior leadership team.

Why join Luminary?

This is a chance to use your professional experience in a very practical way: helping a purpose-led organisation build the strong culture, leadership and governance it needs to deliver its mission.

You will work closely with an ambitious senior team and Board, while helping shape how Luminary develops as both an employer and a social enterprise.

For someone considering their first formal non-executive role, it could also provide a valuable opportunity to contribute at Board level before deciding whether to take on the responsibilities of becoming a Director.

The opportunity

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to a distinctive social enterprise at an important stage of its development.

Our immediate priority is to bring additional senior HR and people expertise into the organisation. We are looking for someone who can provide thoughtful, pragmatic advice to our Board and senior staff as we continue to strengthen our people practices and organisational culture. Ideally a CIPD Level 7 with a wealth of professional experience.

We are also seeking experience of social enterprise, charity or purpose-led governance , helping us think through the particular opportunities and challenges of running an organisation that combines commercial activity with a strong social mission - ideally experience of impact measurement, M&E, delivering certified employability programmes (eg NVQs) and/or safeguarding and the VAWG sector.

You will act as an adviser rather than taking on operational responsibility, or the fiduciary responsibility of a Board Director. We are looking for someone who can ask good questions, provide an experienced external perspective and help our leaders navigate complex people and organisational issues with confidence.

The successful candidate will be invited to attend Luminary’s Board meetings as an adviser. There will also be the option, by mutual agreement, to join the Board formally as a Director in the future.

What you’ll do

Working with our Board and senior leadership team, you will:

- Observe Board meetings , contributing expertise where relevant - helping the Board ensure that Luminary has appropriate oversight of risks, policies and responsibilities

- Provide a sounding board for senior staff , offering confidential, constructive advice and mentoring as they navigate leadership and people-management challenges.

- Support the organisation to develop strong, fair and proportionate practices that reflect both good practice and Luminary’s values.

- Bring an external perspective to questions of organisational structure, leadership and change as Luminary develops.

- Where you have relevant experience, advise on social enterprise governance , including balancing social impact, commercial sustainability and good governance.

- Potentially become a Director of Luminary Bakery in the future, if this is something both you and the Board would like to pursue.

Who we’re looking for

Our primary requirement is significant HR/people expertise . You might be a senior HR leader, People Director, HR consultant, employment specialist or organisational development professional.

We would particularly value experience of some of the following:

- Significant senior-level HR, People or organisational development experience.

- Advising CEOs, senior leadership teams and/or Boards on complex people matters.

- Employee relations and good employment practice.

- Organisational culture and values.

- Supporting managers and senior leaders to develop their people-management capability.

- Organisational change, restructuring or growth.

- Understanding the distinction between strategic governance and operational management.

Alongside this, we are particularly interested in candidates who have governance experience within a social enterprise, charity or other purpose-led organisation.

Experience of organisations that combine commercial trading with social impact would be especially valuable.

You do not need to have been a Board Director before. We are interested in people with the judgement, experience and perspective to contribute effectively at Board level.

The successful candidate

We are looking for someone who:

- believes in Luminary’s mission and values;

- combines empathy with sound professional judgement;

- is comfortable constructively challenging senior leaders and Board members;

- can bring clarity and perspective to sensitive or complex situations;

- enjoys mentoring and developing senior leaders;

- is pragmatic and proportionate, recognising the realities of a growing social enterprise;

- can maintain appropriate confidentiality and professional boundaries.

Please note this role is  not required to be female , we welcome applications from anyone with relevant experience. We particularly welcome applications from people who bring perspectives and lived experience of VAWG and/or economic disadvantage.

T ime commitment

We anticipate an average commitment of 1–2 hours per week , although this will vary across the year.

This will include:

- attending scheduled Board meetings and reading papers in advance;

- occasional conversations with the Chair, CEO and/or other senior staff;

- mentoring and acting as a sounding board for senior leaders; and

- providing advice on significant people or governance questions as they arise.

We want this to be a high-impact but manageable commitment and will agree clear boundaries around the role with the successful candidate.

How to apply

Please send your CV and a short expression of interest (using the "Cover Letter" option on the application page outlining:

- why Luminary’s mission and this role interest you;

- what relevant experience you bring - highlighting relevant Board, governance, charity or social enterprise experience; and

- what you would hope to contribute to, and gain, from the role.