Board Secretary & (optional) Trustee - Volunteer, Girton

Join a UK non‑profit delivering free veterinary care to vulnerable elephants in southern Thailand. Your expertise will strengthen governance, support strategic decisions and help protect one of the world’s most iconic species.

This role will play a crucial part in strengthening the foundations of a young (founded in 2017) but ambitious charity. With limited resources and a small Board that currently balances both strategic and operational responsibilities, a committed Board Secretary or governance‑focused Trustee with Board Secretary responsibilities will bring much‑needed structure, clarity, and consistency to how we operate.

Your contribution will:

• Improve governance and decision‑making by ensuring the Board runs smoothly, follows best practice and has the information it needs to make timely, well‑informed choices.
• Support a developing organisation at a pivotal moment, helping us move from a hands‑on, all‑hands‑to‑the‑deck model toward a more sustainable, well‑resourced structure.
• Free up specialist Trustees—including veterinarians, fundraisers and finance professionals—to focus on their areas of expertise, increasing the charity’s overall effectiveness.
• Strengthen accountability and transparency, which is essential for building donor confidence, securing grants and scaling our impact.
• Directly support frontline work by ensuring the governance behind our free veterinary care in southern Thailand is robust, compliant and able to grow with demand.

Ultimately, your involvement will help ensure that sick and injured elephants receive the urgent, expert care they need. By bringing order, rhythm and good governance to the Board, you’ll be enabling our operational teams to save lives and protect one of the world’s most iconic species.

Insight into strategic documents, policy library documents and a thorough induction would be provided. For the right candidate who is willing to commit to support the organisation for the longer term, it may be possible to organise a visit to our project in Thailand although that is not essential to the role.

Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation has a strict volunteer recruitment policy and any successful candidate will be required to provide the contact details of two referees and ID checks are undertaken. A Volunteer Agreements and an NDA will be required to be co‑signed on appointment.

When applying please provide your CV and a brief cover letter as to why you feel suitable for this role and what aspects interest you. Thank you.

We are looking for a team player who is prepared to take an interest in our cause and the plight of the endangered Asian elephant. You will also need to have the following:

• Time available (in or out of work hours) to dedicate to STEF to carry out the role effectively.
• Willingness and availability to attend a minimum of three Board Meetings per annum (or delegate minute taking during periods of absence).
• Knowledge of Charity governance and related policies/procedures.
• Knowledge or experience of business and committee procedures, roles and responsibilities.
• Ability to deal with sensitive information in an appropriate way and be familiar with Data Protection/GDPR/The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 and prevailing guidelines.
• Willingness to interact with our Donorfy database to add important data and documents related to Trustees.
• Discretion and diplomacy.
• Influencing skills.
• Organisation and time management skills.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Ability to use own initiative.
• Flexible and practical approach to work and willingness to travel to meetings.
• IT literate.
• Experience of interacting with virtual meeting platforms and other digital communication channels.
• Project management skills.

and most importantly you must want to make a difference!

Our small but highly committed Board brings together veterinarians and professionals with financial, PR and fundraising expertise. As a developing charity with limited resources, several Trustees also support operational tasks to keep the organisation moving forward.

With our current Board Secretary planning to step down in the coming months, we’re seeking someone who can take up the reins—with a supportive handover—to help strengthen our governance team as we grow. The right person will step into a pivotal role that directly supports our mission to provide free veterinary care to sick and injured elephants in southern Thailand.

This role can be shaped around your experience and appetite for responsibility. You may join as Board Secretary with full voting rights and a Trustee appointment, or—if you prefer to build confidence first—you can support the governance team without immediately taking on formal Trustee duties.

Whichever route you choose, your organisational skill, clarity of thought and commitment to good governance will make a tangible difference. You’ll help guide the Board’s rhythm and compliance, support effective decision‑making and ensure the charity remains transparent, accountable and ready for its next stage of growth—ultimately contributing to life‑saving care for Thailand’s most vulnerable elephants.

For someone with sufficient time and interest there could be other opportunities to get involved such as joining a specialist subgroup or attending events. It is an exciting time in STEF’s development and you would become a valued member of the team, working closely with the Chair and other key players.