Head of Governance and Company Secretary

Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Trust Board

Hours: 37 hours per week, all year round

Grade: SRS Band S3 SCP 40-44,  £43,857 - £47,805

Contract: Permanent

Location: Offices are located in Derby and in Glossop. The postholder is expected to travel around the Trust area between academies and offices, and there will be some evening work. Home and remote working may be possible.

Start Date: Monday, 4 April 2022 but ideally as soon as possible

 

The St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi-Academy Trust has a fantastic opportunity for an exceptional Head of Governance to join our highly ambitious Trust working in our Central Team.  The post holder will ensure effective and efficient governance and fulfil the company secretary role, working with our 25 academies as a member of the Executive Team. 

 

About the role

This is a pivotal, challenging and highly rewarding role within the Trust, collaborating with senior colleagues on the Trust Board and in the Executive Team. As Head of Governance, you will be responsible  for the direction, design and implementation of high-quality effective governance embedded across the Trust. You will need an excellent understanding of legal and regulatory frameworks that underpin the work of the Trust and enable the Trust to be fully compliant in its practice. You will understand how effective governance supports the Trust in achieving the aims in the Strategic Plan and provides everyone with assurance that decision making and policy inform good quality education and operational practice.

You will work closely with the Trust Board and Committees, organising meetings, preparing agendas and ensuring that the cycle of business for Board enables the Board to fulfil its duties and be strategic in developing the work of the Trust with the Executive Team. 

You will also act as Company Secretary in upholding requirements of the Companies Act 2006, responsible for ensuring the Trust complies with Company and Charity Law and working to fulfil duties in this role.

With leadership responsibility for the Governance Officer and a team of Clerks you will be securing good practice in governance functions that support the work of multiple teams and aspects of governance work for the Trust. This will also include work with the Trust’s Data Protection Officer for all GDPR matters.

About you

You will be a passionate governance professional who is highly organised, possesses excellent communication and time management skills, with the ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships with a range of stakeholders externally and internally.  

You will have a solid understanding of regulatory and compliance frameworks for Multi Academy Trusts, and an understanding of the importance of maintaining independence as a governance professional.

You will have secure knowledge and understanding of the characteristics of effective governance and proven expertise in working with Board Directors and Executive teams. With an ability to work at pace on multiple projects with good planning and clarity, you will be a strong leader and role model in helping others achieve well in all aspects of governance work.

 

About the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust

The St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust is one of four Catholic MATs in the Diocese of Nottingham, which covers most of the East Midlands. The Diocese has a strong tradition of providing an excellent Catholic education to around 30,000 children and students in 84 academies.  The four CMATs enable consistent, proactive and high-quality support for all our Headteachers, Leaders, Governors in our Local Governing Bodies and our Trust Board.  

St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust consists of 25 Catholic schools located in Derby City, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Stockport, who work in partnership to ensure the very best spiritual, social and academic experiences and outcomes for the young people in our academies.

In return, we can offer you:

 

A competitive salary;

The opportunity to be part of a highly supportive and ambitious central services team

Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, with employer contributions of over 20%;

Generous holiday entitlement;

Professional assistance through our Employee Assistance Programme;

Flexible working;

Our commitment to nationally agreed terms and conditions;

Access to fantastic CPD opportunities.

 

How to apply

 

To apply go to our Trust website www.srscmat.co.uk/Vacancies to complete and return the following documents and send to recruitment@srscmat.co.uk

•           Support Staff Application Form

•           Consent to Obtain References form

•           Recruitment Monitoring Form

 

Closing Date: 10 February 2022 at 9:00am

Interview and Assessment Dates: 16 and 17 February 2022 

 

Informal enquiries

If you would like to have an informal discussion regarding the role, please email recruitment@srscmat.co.uk

We are also holding a virtual information session on Tuesday, 8 February 2022 at 7:00pm - 7:30pm which will take place online via MS Teams. To book a place, please email recruitment@srscmat.co.uk

 

The St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to satisfactory references, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, medical check, evidence of qualifications plus verification of the right to work in the UK.

 

The St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust is an equal opportunity employer and positively encourage applications from as diverse a group as possible.  The Trust will endeavour to make any necessary reasonable adjustments to the job and the working environment to enable access to employment opportunities for disabled job applicants or continued employment for any employee who develops a disabling condition.

You do not need to be a Catholic to work in our Trust. There are certain reserved positions, which require someone to be Catholic, i.e. CEO, Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher, Subject Leader/Head of RE and Lay Chaplain but other than that a respect for our ethos and a willingness to participate in what we do is all that is required.