Head of Governance

This Head of Governance opportunity is a part-time position working 17.5 hours a week, with the expectation to be in the central London office on average twice a week.

The Head of Governance leads the charity's Governance and Risk team and is responsible for Governance, Company Secretarial, Risk Management, Health and Safety, Safeguarding, Information Governance, Procurement and Contracts Management, Business Continuity Planning and Office / Facilities / Property Management.

The post-holder works with the Director of Finance and Governance to provide strong leadership in these functions to the whole charity.

Key responsibilities:

• Ensure good governance of the charity, including company secretarial, Board and Committee meetings, Board reviews and trustee recruitment and induction.
• Be the charity's safeguarding lead, ensuring good practice through the right culture, policies, procedures, training and support for colleagues.
• Lead the charity's risk management, through maintaining robust policies, processes and training. Support colleagues to ensure that operational risks are considered, recorded, managed and escalated to the corporate risk register and that the corporate risk register is appropriately reviewed and maintained.
• Lead Facilities and Property Management for the charity's owned office and its small portfolio of other properties
• As part of the Leadership Team, provide inspiring, empowering and effective leadership, direction and oversight to maximise the impact the organisation has on older people facing financial hardship.

Knowledge & Experience:

• A good understanding of company secretarial, charity law and good governance, including regulators, sector infrastructure organisations, best practice codes and the workings of boards and committees.
• A good understanding of risk and risk appetite, experience of risk management and of providing practical support to colleagues managing risk.
• Experience of safeguarding best-practice, ideally working with adults at risk and with knowledge of legislative / regulatory frameworks and guidance on adult safeguarding.
• A good working knowledge of Health and Safety and responsibilities of employers in the context of office / hybrid working.
• A working knowledge of the UK GDPR and data compliance and governance.
• A working knowledge of buildings /office management and maintenance.
• Experience of leading the design and management of (small) internal audit programmes, including responding to recommendations.
• An understanding of procurement and contracts. Experience of reviewing contracts and providing advice to limit risk and structure commercially sound agreements, drafting clauses and seeking external legal support if required.

If you have some but not all of these, please feel free to apply to have a confidential discussion.