Head of Corporate Governance

Division**:Governance and Company Secretary**

Reports to**:Chief of Staff, Director of Legal Services and Group Company Secretary**

Location**:Flexible. Head Office is based in Horley. At present the team has a presence across Horley, Reading, Havant, Kent and Glasgow and look to work approximately 2 days a week in the office. Although some travel may be required.**

Position Type**:Full Time / Part Time**

Salary**:Personal Contract**

Reference**:REQ2712**

THE ROLE

We are looking for a resilient individual with a high level of integrity and relevant experience, to join our Legal team as Head of Corporate Governance & Company Secretary. This high-profile position sits within the Legal Services directorate and comes withresponsibility for leading on the board and board committee’s secretariat and all other corporate governance activities. That will involve liaising with board members, non-exec directors and directors, as well as colleagues from across the Group, to ensureSGN’s governance and decision-making processes are of the highest standard and effectively and efficiently operated.

As well as managing a corporate governance framework and line managing an Assistant Company Secretary and Executive and Company Secretary Assistant, you will need to regularly report at board and executive level on issues like corporate governance. Planninga calendar of meetings and forward agendas, advising on governance routing of proposals, commissioning and reviewing meeting papers, taking accurate minutes and tracking progress on actions - these are just some aspects of this vital role.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

People First

Develop and maintain strong and positive relationships with key stakeholders at all levels across the Board and business and maintain a thorough knowledge of the business and regulatory framework
Liaison with the Non-Executive Directors of the Boards and Committee members
Manage a small company secretary team directly responsible for providing governance and company secretariat services
Manage relationships with external providers such as Board Intelligence, Diligent Entities and external corporate services law firms

Service Excellence

Lead with Board and committee governance and management, providing full board support
Advise on governance routing of proposals, commissioning and reviewing meeting papers
Produce and supervise actuate and timely minutes, matters arising, board reports and packs with great attention to detail
Lead Board and subcommittee planning and review meetings with senior stakeholders
Support on the end-to-end annual accounts process in collaboration with the wider business and external auditors; specifically leading on the corporate governance sections of the report
Prepare and support in the appointment of Directors and delivery of training and inductions
Provide company secretarial support on corporate transactions and intra-group restructurings, including: group acquisitions, investments and disposals, bond issuances, EMTN programme updates, corporate simplification activities, equity injections, liquidationsand inter-company dividends

Govern and Protect

Management and review of the Group Governance Framework
Ensure that the provision of governance and company secretariat services is in accordance with SGN’s statutory powers and licence, internal governance and financial covenant package and other applicable laws and regulations
Deliver company secretariat services professional, ethical and quality standards within allocated time
Continuously work with the Governance and Company Secretary team to avoid surprises

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

Primary selection criteria

Relevant company secretary experience
Private limited company experience managing multiple shareholders and internal stakeholders and a portfolio of entitles

**Qualifications**:
Qualified Company Secretary with a good working knowledge of company law and governance requirements; or

**Skills**:
Proficiency using Board Intelligence /Diligent/ Blueprint experience or equivalent systems
Proficiency in Microsoft, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, Teams and SharePoint
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
Excellent attention to detail, high diligence and dedication to continuous improvement
Ability to respect confidentiality at the highest level
Solid understanding company law and governance requirements
Able to work autonomously and use your own initiative
Excellent organisation skills - ability to coordinate inputs from multiple teams to multiple deadlines
Resilience under pressure
Flexible thinking and ability to adapt to change and work as a team

Attributes

Highly motivated and efficient with a preparedness to learn new areas
A dedicated and effective team player, passionate and energized about our vision and commitment to deliver continuous improvement.
Great opportunity for an experienced Company Secretary or Assistant Company Secretary looking for their first step up into a Head of / Company Secretary role

*The above is a guideline only and anyone with the necessary skills to succeed may apply.

Not a perfect skills match? Tell us what you’re interested in - you might have a skill we didn’t realise we needed

WHERE YOU’LL WORK / BENEFITS

This position offers a market rate salary with company benefits including retail & leisure discounts, HolidayPlus & Cycle2work schemes, gym & mobile discounts, a generous pension scheme, and more.

Benefits include

Market rate depending on experience.
25 days holiday (with opportunities to extend) plus public holidays and bank holidays
Private pension scheme
Private Health Care
Annual discretionary performance award