SCTS Vacancies

The Society is seeking a new co-chair of the Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery Working Group.  This is an important leadership role in the society, supporting diversity within the specialty by focussing on the development of female cardiothoracic surgeons.

The responsibilities of the Working Group include:

• fostering an environment that supports women in cardiothoracic surgery through education, mentorship, sponsorship and scholarship
• exploring opportunities to increase the percentage of women members practicing in cardiothoracic surgery
• work toward eliminating gender disparities in cardiothoracic surgery
• celebrating diversity and inclusivity by promoting fair treatment and wellness for all
• dealing with all queries sent to the Society from SCTS members and external bodies pertaining to women in Cardiothoracic Surgery
• communicating with SCTS members through reports in the SCTS Bulletin, SCTS Website and presentation at the SCTS Annual Meeting and the Board of Representatives Meeting
• working in collaboration with other surgical sub-speciality associations, and other organisations promoting gender equality nationally and internationally.

Person Specification and Details of the Post

We are seeking expressions of interest from women currently practising as consultant cardiothoracic surgeons in the UK or Ireland.  The co-chair must be a member of the Society in good standing.

The co-chair is responsible for;

• Convening and chairing the sub-committee. Subcommittees will usually meet at least three times per year but many will meet more often depending upon workload.
• Organising and chairing regular, formally-minuted sub-committee meetings. 
• Advising the SCTS Executive and Board on relevant issues
• Producing formal reports on subcommittee activities for the SCTS Executive and attending the Executive meeting to represent the subcommittee.
• Representing the SCTS and liaising with other organisations at the request of the SCTS Executive

This post is an excellent opportunity for continued professional development and for the individual appointed to make a difference nationally.

The post has a 3-year tenure.

Informal discussions may be held with Aman Coonar (SCTS President), Enoch Akowuah (SCTS President Elect) or Doug West (SCTS Honorary Secretary).

Interested members should submit a brief CV and a completed application form to Nadia Little (nadia@scts.org). The closing date for applications is the 1st December 2026.

This is a position of responsibility with the opportunity to make a difference to your society and help shape the future of UK cardiothoracic surgery.

Elected trustees are elected the SCTS Executive by the membership. Trustees elected to represent a specific group of members, for example nurses and allied health professionals, are voted for by the relevant group of members alone.

The term of office is for three years, but occasionally, trustees may be co-opted to serve an extended term on an annual basis.

Elected trustees are voting members of the Executive, who help to determine policy and shape the future of our society. They should, therefore, have the backing of the membership to ensure they properly represent contemporary opinions.  As trustees of a UK charity, elected trustees must be eligible to serve under UK Charity Commission rules and have certain legal responsibilities.  More information can be found on the Charity Commission’s website.

Trustees are expected to attend 3-4 Executive meetings annually, usually at the Society’s offices at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in central London. According to experience, they will also be invited to join or co-chair one of the executive subcommittees. Much of the latter business will be conducted via email and virtual conferences.

Further information is available from the Honorary Secretary, email sec@scts.org.

Application/nomination forms should be returned to nadia@scts.org.  The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 2nd October 2026.