Independent Member, Standards Committee

Challenge. Assure. Uphold

RICS is the world’s leading professional body for land, property, infrastructure, valuation and construction. With members practising in over 140 countries, RICS’ professional standards shape competence, ethics and trust across the built and natural environment.

At the heart of RICS’ regulatory governance, reporting into the Standards and Regulation Board (SRB) sits the Standards Committee, providing oversight and assurance for how RICS professional standards are developed, approved, and maintained in the public interest.

We are now seeking up to five Independent Members to join the Standards Committee, bringing external perspective, professional rigour, and constructive challenge to standards governance.

These appointments are intended for Independent Members who are not RICS members, appointed to bring external perspective and challenge to standards governance. Independent members must be independent of any organisation that delivers, develops, or directly influences RICS professional standards, or that could otherwise compromise their ability to act solely in the best interests of RICS and the public.

Why this role matters

Professional standards are critical to public confidence. For those with experience in regulation, governance, or standards development, this is well understood: standards define expected levels of competence and conduct, underpin trust between clients and professionals, and must be capable of standing up to scrutiny from regulators, courts, and governments.

Safeguarding standards in this context does not mean preserving the status quo, but ensuring that change is well-evidenced, transparent, proportionate, and defensible.

In a rapidly changing world, shaped by technology, sustainability, and evolving societal expectations — standards must be robust, transparent, evidence-based, and globally defensible.

The Standards Committee provides independent oversight and assurance to the RICS Standards and Regulation Board (SRB), ensuring that:

• Standards are developed through robust, transparent, and evidence-based processes
• Decisions are proportionate, defensible, and aligned with the public interest
• Consultation approaches properly test standards with stakeholders
• Global consistency is maintained while recognising regional contexts
   

As a Member, you:

• Exercise independent oversight and assurance over global professional standards, shaping how they are approved, maintained, and applied across land, property, infrastructure and construction in over 140 countries
• Contribute to public protection, helping ensure standards safeguard consumers, clients, and communities
• Apply your expertise in a governance role that values independent judgement, rigorous thinking, and constructive challenge
• Work at the intersection of regulation, professional practice, and public policy.  Engaging with complex, high-stakes decisions that matter
• Join a diverse group with collective expertise spanning regulation, consumer advocacy, economics, law, and technology, bringing a wide range of independent perspectives to RICS’ global standards governance.
• Influence the future of professional standards in response to emerging risks, technologies, and societal expectations
• This is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to standards governance at a global level, bringing your professional expertise to bear on decisions that shape trust, competence, and public confidence in the built environment.
   

The role

Members of the Standards Committee are appointed to provide independent oversight, challenge, and assurance to the Standards and Regulation Board (SRB) in relation to RICS’ professional standards framework.

Working collaboratively with the Committee Chair, fellow independent members, and RICS’ executive and technical experts, you:

• Scrutinise proposals for new, revised, or withdrawn professional standards to ensure processes are robust, transparent, and evidence-based
• Test quality and defensibility, ensuring decisions are proportionate, well-reasoned, and capable of standing up to external scrutiny from regulators, courts, and governments
• Review consultation approaches, assessing whether evidence has been properly considered and stakeholder input appropriately balanced
• Provide early challenge on important, novel, or contentious standards to identify risks, unintended consequences, or gaps in evidence
• Assess global relevance, ensuring standards are appropriate across regions, markets, and regulatory contexts
• Exercise independent judgement within a delegated authority model, working constructively with RICS staff while maintaining objectivity
• Contribute to collective decision-making, engaging actively in discussion and providing constructive challenge to strengthen the Committee’s advice to the SRB
• Work within a governance and oversight framework, with a clear focus on public-interest outcomes and on the quality, robustness, and defensibility of professional standards.
   

Who we are looking for

We are seeking senior, independent professionals who bring expertise and perspective from one or more of the following areas:

• Professional regulation or governance
• Law
• Economics or public policy
• Consumer or public-interest advocacy
• Accountancy, finance, or audit
• Standards development or quality assurance
• Technology, digital transformation, data or AI governance.
   

Your experience includes board, committee, regulatory, or senior advisory roles, and reviewing complex material, challenging constructively, and exercising independent judgement forms part of your day-to-day work.

This experience will typically have been gained in environments subject to high levels of external scrutiny.

Above all, your experience will demonstrate:

• A strong commitment to public-interest decision-making and professional self-regulation
• The ability to assess diverse evidence and reach balanced, defensible conclusions
• Integrity, independence, and sound judgement
• Respect for diverse perspectives and collaborative governance.
   

About the Standards Committee

The Standards Committee is a newly established permanent sub-committee of the RICS Standards and Regulation Board (SRB), which operates independently within RICS under delegated authority from Governing Council.

The Committee provides oversight and assurance for the development, approval, and implementation of professional standards worldwide, ensuring they are robust, transparent, regulatable, and aligned with RICS’ Charter obligation to act in the public interest.

The Committee was formally established as a permanent body in March 2025. This recruitment represents an important point in the establishment of the permanent Standards Committee. With the Chair appointed and the Committee transitioning from its interim arrangements, newly appointed Members will have the opportunity to help shape how the Committee operates in practice, influence the culture and quality of its decision-making, and embed high standards of independent oversight and assurance from the outset.

Practical details

• Appointment: 3-year term (renewable once, up to a maximum of 6 years)
• Time commitment: Approximately 10 days per year
• Full Role Description and Person Specification: Available via the application link
• Remuneration: £3,400 per annum (non-pensionable), paid in accordance with RICS policy; reasonable expenses will be covered in accordance with RICS policies
• Location: Virtual meetings, with one in-person meeting per year (UK-based; some international travel may be required)
• Eligibility: Independent members who are not RICS members; not currently serving on any RICS governance boards, panels, or committees
• Closing date for applications: Monday 26 January 2026 at 5:00pm (UK time)
• Interview dates: Between 16^th to 20^th February 2026 (via MS Teams; exact timings to be confirmed)
  
  

Full Role Description and Person Specification: Available here.

How to apply

This recruitment is being supported by Michelle Paoloni at House Recruitment.

Please submit your application to RICS@houserecruitment.co.uk, your application should include:

• A supporting statement (maximum two pages) outlining how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role and what has attracted you to the position
• An up-to-date CV
• A diversity and inclusivity monitoring form (provided in your application confirmation email)
   

Any queries can be directed to RICS@houserecruitment.co.uk

Diversity and global representation

RICS is committed to building diverse, high-performing governance groups that reflect the global profession and communities it serves.

We welcome applications from candidates across all regions, backgrounds, and disciplines, and particularly encourage interest from those who bring diverse perspectives to standards governance and public-interest decision-making.