Candidate Information Booklet
Chairperson and Members of the Independent Remuneration Board. Chairperson £431 per day, Member £362 per day.
Completed Application Forms must be submitted no later than 12 noon (UK time) on 24 September 2025.
Please retain a copy of this booklet for your reference throughout the selection process.
Foreword
Thank you for your interest in the role of Chairperson and/or Member of the Independent Remuneration Board (the Board), a new body to be set up by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (the Assembly Commission) for the purpose of determining the salaries and pensions of the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).
The Board is a statutory independent body and consists of a Chairperson and two other Members who will be appointed for a term of five years. Our aim is to ensure that, as a whole, the Board is made up of Members with a complementary range of skills and backgrounds. We are therefore keen to attract a diverse range of individuals who meet the requirements for the roles.
These are important and interesting roles which require integrity and independence and will make a valued contribution in building public trust and confidence in the Assembly and ensuring elected Members are fairly remunerated to fulfil their democratic role. The decisions that the Board undertakes are sensitive and, at times, attract strong public interest.
It is anticipated that the Board may be required to hold around 4-6 meetings in the first year and in the years before each Assembly election, with one meeting a year in non-election years.
You can apply for both the Chairperson and Member roles, however you cannot only apply for the Chairperson role.
We invite applications from individuals who bring a diverse range of skills and experience, along with integrity, independence, political understanding and professional expertise. Please read the information provided in the candidate information booklet and if you consider that you have the necessary skills and experience, I look forward to receiving your application.
If you would like to find out more about the roles before making an application, please contact Dr Gareth McGrath on
gareth.mcgrath@niassembly.gov.uk or telephone 02890 521311.
Lesley Hogg
Clerk to the Northern Ireland Assembly and Chief Executive
About Us
The Assembly is at the heart of political and public life as the democratically elected parliament that represents the interests of Northern Ireland and its people.
Established as a key element of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, the Assembly comprises 90 MLAs and makes laws, scrutinises the work of the Executive and represents the views of the public. It is the prime source of authority in respect of all devolved responsibilities.
The Assembly Commission enables the successful operation of the Assembly by providing the staff, services and facilities which are needed to support parliamentary business. The Assembly Commission is a body corporate, comprising the Speaker and five Members of the Assembly. The Assembly Commission delegates the day-to-day running of the Assembly to the Clerk/Chief Executive.
Contents
Disqualification from Membership of the Board
Termination of membership of the Board
Stages of the Selection Process
Commissioner for Public Appointments - Code of Practice
Communication during the recruitment process
About the Role
The Independent Remuneration Board will be established under the Assembly Members (Independent Remuneration Board) Bill, which has been passed but awaits Royal Assent. This legislation amends the Assembly Members (Independent Financial Review and Standards) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.
Annex A provides an illustrative version of the 2011 Act as amended by the Bill.
The Board is a statutory independent body and is not subject to the direction or control of the Assembly or the Assembly Commission.
The Board's objectives are to:
- provide MLAs with a level of remuneration which fairly reflects the complexity and importance of their work as MLAs and which does not deter, on financial grounds, anyone from seeking election;
- ensure that public money is spent with probity, accountability, value for money and transparency.
The role of the Board is to make determinations in relation to:
- all aspects of salaries and pensions for MLAs;
- the remuneration of additional office holders - for example, the Speaker, Deputy Speakers, Assembly Commission Members, Committee Chairpersons; and
- the remuneration of members of the Northern Ireland Executive (the First Minister, Deputy First Minister, Ministers) and Junior Ministers.
Annex B provides further information on the role of the Board.
The Board does not make determinations in relation to Members Office and Staffing Costs and Allowances as these are made by the Assembly Commission.
The Board will consist of a Chairperson and two Members and is supported by a secretariat.
The time commitment is expected to be around 4-6 meetings in the first year and in the year before each Assembly election, with one meeting a year in non-election years, along with appropriate time for preparation for each meeting. An additional time commitment may be required from the Chairperson.
Remuneration will be £431 per day for the position of Chairperson and £362 per day for the Members. Travel and Subsistence will be paid in accordance with Assembly Commission rates. The Chairperson and Members are not employees of the Assembly Commission.
Terms of Appointment
The Assembly Commission will appoint the Chairperson and Members of the Board and determine the terms of their appointment. Under the legislation, the Board will be independent and therefore not accountable to the Assembly in relation to its determinations. It will however be accountable to the Assembly and to the public, through its annual report for its use of resources on its own activities, e.g. the length and frequency of its deliberations.
Duration of Appointment
Board members will be appointed for a term of five years from the date of appointment. A person may only be appointed to serve on the Board on two occasions i.e. for a total of no more than ten years.
Disqualification from Membership of the Board
To minimise the risk of conflicts of interest, certain persons are disqualified from being members of the Board by legislation. These are set out in Annex C attached. Annex D also provides further information on Integrity and Conflict of Interest.
Termination of Membership of the Board
The terms under which membership of the Board ceases or under which the Assembly Commission may dismiss a member of the Board are set out in clause 6 of the Assembly Members (Independent Financial Review and Standards) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.
Core Responsibilities
The duties of the Board include:
- A requirement to meet at least once every calendar year and, in addition, to meet to consider a particular matter if the Clerk/Chief Executive makes a written request for it to do so;
- Making determinations on MLAs salaries and pensions in each Assembly, including the remuneration of additional office holders, for example, the Speaker, Deputy Speakers, Assembly Commission Members, Committee Chairpersons; and the remuneration of members of the Northern Ireland Executive (the First Minister, Deputy First Minister, Ministers) and Junior Ministers.
- Publication of draft determinations;
- Consultation with affected parties before making determinations including MLAs, the Assembly Commission and pension scheme trustees;
- Consideration, either on its own initiative, or at the written request of the Clerk/Chief Executive, any other issues relevant to the discharge of its role;
- The laying before the Assembly, at the end of the reporting year, an annual report on its activities and use of resources during that financial year. This report will be published on the Assembly website;
- Operating in an open and transparent manner;
- The requirement to review the extent to which its determinations are achieving its objectives;
- Responsibility for the development of a Code of Conduct and operational guidance for the Board's members including appropriate governance and accountability procedures.
Essential Criteria
Applicants must, by the closing date for applications, have:
- Knowledge and understanding of the work of parliamentary bodies and the work of elected members;
- Experience of considering and applying analytical skills, evidence-based decision making and good governance to matters of salaries and pensions;
- The credibility, presence and personal integrity needed to command the trust and respect of the general public and of MLAs across the Assembly;
- A demonstrable commitment to working in line with the Nolan Principles and a thorough understanding of the issues surrounding the public debate on standards in public life;
- Experience of operating effectively in an environment which requires impartial judgement in dealing with sensitive matters, while remaining independent;
- Experience of working collaboratively at Board level, fostering open, constructive, and robust dialogue and continuously improving Board performance.
The Chair should also demonstrate:
- A strong and successful track record of leadership in a strategic environment;
- At least two years' experience of successfully carrying out the role of a Chairperson of a committee or board in an organisation of 100 people or more;
- Excellent communication skills and experience of representing an organisation externally, providing a public face and undertaking stakeholder engagement on behalf of an organisation.
Shortlisting Criteria
Should shortlisting be required, the following shortlisting criteria will be applied:
- At least 2 years' experience of working as a Board member in an executive or non-executive capacity in an organisation of 100 people or more.
Equal Opportunities Statement
The Assembly Commission is committed to equality of opportunity in employment and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified applicants irrespective of religious belief, political opinion, race, age, gender, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or people with dependents or without. All applications for employment will be considered on the basis of merit.
Location
The successful applicant will be required to attend meetings in Parliament Buildings, Belfast.
Completing the form
Only the information presented in the application form will be considered by the selection panel. CVs or other supplementary material will not be accepted in place of, or in addition to, completed application forms. Completed online forms must be submitted by 12 noon (UK time) on 24 September 2025.
Launch the application portal and complete the application form.
Application forms submitted after the closing time and date will not be accepted.
Stages of the Selection Process
Eligibility Sift
The essential criteria reflect the experience and knowledge that an applicant must possess in order to be able to undertake the role. An eligibility sift will be carried out on the basis of the information contained in the essential criteria section of the application form. You must therefore demonstrate clearly in your form how, and to what extent, you meet with the essential criteria for the post.
Shortlisting
The Selection Panel reserve the right to use shortlisting as part of the selection process for this role. Should shortlisting be used, the shortlisting criterion listed above will be applied. The Selection Panel reserve the right to set a minimum standard for the shortlisting criterion and/or to only invite those who score highest in the shortlisting criterion to the next stage of the selection process. If shortlisting is not necessary, all applicants who have demonstrated the essential criteria will proceed to the next stage of the selection process.
Interview Stage
Applicants invited to interview will be assessed using the Essential Criteria as outlined above.
Interviews are planned for week commencing: 20 October 2025
Further Interview Stage
The Selection Panel reserves the right to hold a further interview stage if deemed necessary.
Disability Confident
The Assembly Commission is a Disability Confident Committed Employer and for our recruitment, we have committed to:
- ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible;
- communicating and promoting vacancies;
- offering an interview to disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job (the Guaranteed Interview Scheme); and
- anticipating and providing reasonable adjustments as required.
The Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) supports applicants with disabilities or those with a long-term impairment or health condition, that is expected to last for at least 12 months by offering an interview to disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. If you are applying under GIS it is therefore important that you include all relevant information in your application form. You should refer to the Guidance on Recruitment and Selection for Applicants for more information.
If you wish to submit your application under the GIS, or if you require adjustments to enable you to participate in any part of the selection process, please indicate this on the application form or contact us at recruitment@niassembly.gov.uk. Please note that you will be required to provide written confirmation of your disability or long-term health condition from a general practitioner or an appropriate specialist, by the closing date for applications.
You can get advice or assistance with making an application from your local Jobs and Benefits Office - contact details are available on nidirect:
Find contact details for your local Jobs and Benefits Office.
Equality Monitoring
Under Fair Employment legislation, we are required to monitor the community background and gender of those applying for jobs. You must therefore complete the equal opportunities monitoring section of the application form when applying for the post.
Conflicts of Interest
It is essential that the person appointed is able to maintain public confidence at all times.
Applicants are required to declare whether they have any actual or potential conflicts of interest and whether they are aware of anything in their private or professional life that would, or have, the potential to undermine their ability to maintain public trust and confidence as Chairperson or Member of the Independent Remuneration Board or which could, or have the potential to, bring the Board into disrepute.
Further guidance on probity and conflicts of interest is contained in Annex D of this booklet.
Members of the Board will record in the Register of Interests any issues on which they might have a conflict or perceived conflict of interest.
Commissioner for Public Appointments - Code of Practice
Although the appointments to the Board do not fall within the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, in the interests of good practice the appointment competition is being managed in accordance with the principles set out in the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The code can be viewed online at www.publicappointmentsni.org
Merit List
The merit list of applicants deemed to be appointable will normally remain "live" for 18 months from the date it is signed and may be used to fill any further opportunities for the same role/s.
Communication during the recruitment process
The Assembly Recruitment Team will issue most communication electronically. You should therefore regularly check your email account to make sure you do not miss any important communication. Please note, sometimes the Recruitment Team emails are automatically filtered as spam by email providers.
Further Information
If you require more information on the recruitment process, please contact the Assembly Recruitment Team on 02890 521741 or email us at recruitment@niassembly.gov.uk.
Further information about the Assembly can be obtained on the Northern Ireland Assembly website.
The Candidate Information Booklet does not constitute any term or condition of appointment.
