Appointment of Members of the Board of Zero Waste Scotland

The appointments are for four years from 1 March 2026.
Scottish Ministers are looking to appoint up to two new Members to the Board of Zero Waste Scotland.

We value very highly the benefits of having different experience and points of view on our Boards and we are keen that people from all walks of life apply for public appointments. Scottish Ministers particularly welcome applications from women, disabled people, LGBT+ people, people from ethnic minority communities and people aged under 50.

If you have a disability and require an adjustment at any stage of the public appointments process, please get in touch with the Scottish Government, Public Appointments Team on or by email at

ZERO WASTE SCOTLAND
Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) supports the Scottish Ministers to develop and deliver their objectives and priorities for the circular economy in line with relevant policies and strategies developed under the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, as well as the National Performance Framework and Programme for Government.

Its Core Aims And Objectives Are Set Out Below And In The Company's Articles Of Association And The Organisation Must Take Account Of These Priorities In Its Corporate Plan. It

• provides expert leadership in the identification and development of innovative solutions that help Scotland reduce its demand for virgin material consumption;
• provides advocacy and support to citizens, communities, businesses, and the wider public landscape to undertake more circular and sustainable behaviours;
• advise the Scottish Ministers on circular economy strategy, policy, and targets;
• supports collaboration across Scottish Government and the wider Scottish public sector to develop, adopt and embed circular economy principles, policies and targets across all strategy areas and programmes; and
• undertakes collaboration with industry and work across boundaries, including working with enterprise bodies where appropriate, to create the right conditions to deliver Scotland's transition to a circular economy.

THE BOARD AND MEMBER ROLE
Members of the Board of Zero Waste Scotland, including the Chair, are non-executives appointed by the Scottish Ministers in line with the Code of Practice for Ministerial Public Appointments in Scotland. The Chair and Board Members are accountable to the Scottish Ministers and also to the Scottish Parliament and may be required to give evidence to Parliamentary Committees.

The Board has overall responsibility for the delivery of the functions of Zero Waste Scotland, as set above, in accordance with the aims, policies and priorities of the Scottish Ministers.

The Board has corporate responsibility, and under the leadership of the Chair, will:

• set strategic plans to deliver the functions of Zero Waste Scotland, focusing on how the work of Zero Waste Scotland can most effectively contribute to achievement of the outcomes in the National Performance Framework, the Programme for Government and Scotland's Economic Strategy in collaboration with the SG and other public bodies;
• regularly scrutinise current and projected performance against the aims, objectives and targets set out in plans and take decisions on remedial action where required;
• ensure that effective governance is established and maintained, including ensuring that decision-taking is open and transparent and, with support from the Accountable Officer and the Audit and Risk Committee, ensure that key risks are identified and managed;
• approve the annual report and accounts and ensure these are provided to the Scottish Ministers to be laid before the Scottish Parliament;
• promote the efficient, economic and effective use of resources consistent with the principles of Best Value, and regularly scrutinise financial performance and compliance with financial guidance issued by the SG;
• promote the wellbeing, learning and development of staff, provide support and challenge to the Chief Executive on staffing matters and ensure that Zero Waste Scotland meets the Responsibilities for management of Zero Waste Scotland staff described in the section below.

For further information about the roles please contact Denise Millar, People & Support Services Director, Zero Waste Scotland on or at You can also contact the ZWS Chair, Dominic Fry at

REMUNERATION AND TIME COMMITMENT
Remuneration is £279.92 per day for a time commitment of between a minimum of 24 days and a maximum of 30 days per year to the role. Reasonable expenses incurred will be reimbursed. The appointments are non-pensionable.

Skills And Experience
We are seeking two new Members of the Board of ZWS with a passion of sustainability and can bring strategic insight to help deliver our ambitious Corporate Plan. For one of the roles we are looking for a new appointee to lead an important governance role as chair of the People and Remuneration Committee. We are particularly interested in candidates with strategic experience in people, culture, and remuneration matters, ideally gained in complex organisational settings.

We are also looking for candidates with strategic, commercial insight to lead and support opportunities to develop high-impact initiatives that seeks to unlock new avenues for growth and collaboration across key sectors.

The successful candidates will need to demonstrate evidence of the following:

Role One - Priority Criterion

• Commercial experience.

Role Two - Priority Criterion (Chair of the Remuneration Committee)

• Change leadership experience.

Roles One And Two - Essential Criteria

• Governance;
• Constructive challenge;
• Oversight of delivery/performance;
• Communication.

Roles One And Two - Desirable Criterion

• Sustainability and the circular economy.

APPLICATION PROCESS
You should provide evidence of one or both of the priority criteria:

• Commercial experience; and/or
• Change leadership experience.

There is a limit of 500 words for each criterion.

You should also provide a list of roles held, including details of key career highlights, which you consider are relevant to the role or roles you are applying for. There is a limit of 250 words for this.