Company Secretary

About the Role:

As a Company Secretary, you will change leaders who change the world by ensuring our programmes and operations are compliant so that we can offer them to individuals and businesses with the power to influence real-world impact.

The Company Secretarial & Compliance function is responsible for administering board governance, ensuring organisational compliance with regulatory frameworks, and providing strategic guidance to uphold the highest standards of corporate governance. The role supports the Executive Director, the Board, and senior leadership in maintaining compliance, governance efficiency, and regulatory adherence across the organisation's operations and benefits from access to the University's Legal Services Division.

Company secretarial

• Act as Company Secretary, ensuring effective governance processes, statutory compliance, and accurate records of the Board and its Remuneration Committee's decisions.
• Manage all Companies House filings and statutory reporting requirements in a timely and accurate manner.
• Ensure effective governance by coordinating the setting of board agendas, overseeing preparation of papers, and maintaining accurate minutes of meetings.
• Provide guidance to Board members on legal, fiduciary, and governance duties.
• Develop and implement board governance policies and reporting templates to improve efficiency and accountability.
• Deliver training to leadership teams on governance best practice.

Compliance

• Oversee organisational compliance with University of Cambridge governance, policies, frameworks including on international engagement and wider sector standards.
• Work closely with the Data Protection Officer (DPO) to provide leadership on GDPR compliance, data protection policies, and training.
• Collaborate with IT to ensure compliance across the organisation with cybersecurity, data protection, and training obligations.
• Maintain and enhance robust internal compliance processes, embedding good practice and ensuring risks are identified, monitored, and mitigated within the organisation's risk appetite.
• Monitor emerging legislation, regulatory change, and sector guidance, advising leadership on implications and ensuring proactive compliance.
• Lead organisation-wide compliance training and awareness programmes.

Contracts and risk management

• Help the Contracts Manager ensure consistency in contract negotiation, compliance, and risk management.
• Safeguard JBSEEL's intellectual property and commercial interests by establishing frameworks and templates that reduce risk exposure.
• Ensure alignment between contract management processes, compliance frameworks, and organisational strategy.

External engagement

• Act as a key liaison between JBSEEL and the University Legal Services, Finance and Governance & Compliance Divisions, ensuring alignment with University policies and statutory obligations.
• Collaborate and maintain a relationship with the University's shareholder representative (known as the Nominated Officer or University Representative).
• Champion compliance with international engagement protocols, balancing organisational agility with regulatory control.

Additionally

• Contribute effectively to JBSEEL values and team activities.
• Participate in and contribute to special projects where relevant.

About You:

Our ideal candidate should have the following qualities, skills and attributes. We encourage you to apply for this role even if you do not match every attribute listed on the job description. As an education provider, we are keen to support onboarding and learning for those new to our context.

Essential

• Proven track record of supporting at C-suite level and working with Chairs, boards, and committees.
• Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience) with a relevant professional governance or company secretarial qualification (for example, Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland (ICSA/CGIUKI) qualification [or working towards it]). Legal or compliance qualifications (such as law degree, LPC, or postgraduate certificate in governance.
• Experience of working in an executive education or a University/Higher Education/related sector.
• Strong communication, influencing and negotiation skills with keen attention to detail.
• Self-motivated, willing to work independently.
• The ability to address financial issues associated with contract requirements such as price adjustments, amendment and reviews.
• The ability to coordinate information and legal and financial requirements and collaborate with other University departments as may be required.
• The ability to understand a wide variety of corporate and public sector contract requirements.
• The ability to demonstrate JBSEEL's values of: Embodying world-leading excellence; Having and encouraging a growth mindset; Making others great, always; Being positive and solution-oriented; Being better together.

Desirable

• Experience of company secretarial or governance work within a trading subsidiary, charity, or higher education environment.
• Familiarity with the Companies Act 2006, Charities Act 2011, and relevant higher education governance frameworks.
• Experience preparing board papers, minutes, resolutions, and statutory filings.

• Knowledge of compliance and assurance processes, including data protection, modern slavery, anti-bribery, and ESG considerations.

• Membership of a relevant professional body (such as the Chartered Governance Institute, Law Society, or ICAEW).

Other Information:

This is a part-time, permanent position. There will be a nine-month probationary period. Salary will be in the range of £50,000-£55,000 per annum, pro-rata. Working hours are 24 hours per week. This is hybrid role, with a current company-wide requirement of a minimum of two working days from our office in Cambridge, however the successful candidate will be expected to attend the office more regularly than this should business demand require. Flexible working patterns and schedules are supported.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 on 30 October 2025.