Assistant Company Secretary - Temporary (up to 6 months)

RNLI; Poole; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Assistant Company Secretary to join a dedicated team focused on governance and compliance. This role involves supporting the Company Secretary in key tasks such as drafting minutes, ensuring statutory compliance, and managing governance calendars. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in corporate governance, excellent communication skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment. With a flexible hybrid working arrangement, this position offers a chance to make a significant impact in a vital organization dedicated to saving lives at sea.

Benefits

26 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

Outstanding pension scheme

Life assurance

Health and dental cash plan

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Graduate Member of the Corporate Governance Institute or Law degree with Company Secretarial experience.
• Expert understanding of governance and company secretarial practice.

Responsibilities

• Support and deputise for the Company Secretary in meetings.
• Ensure statutory compliance and maintain records.
• Assist in the production of the Annual Report and Accounts.

Skills

Governance knowledge

Company secretarial practice

Legal understanding

Spreadsheet proficiency

Database management

Communication skills

Education

Graduate Member of the Corporate Governance Institute

Law degree

Tools

Diligent board portal

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Assistant Company Secretary - Temporary (up to 6 months)

Salary: £34,893 - £41,050 (dependent on experience)

Contract type: Temporary: Fixed Term Contract or Secondment

Hours: Full Time

Location: Poole, Dorset, England

Location description: Hybrid working arrangement between home and Poole, with an expectation to work in Poole 2 days per week

Interview date: 15/16 May 2025

Closing Date: 07-05-2025

Reference: 19474

About us

Our purpose is simple: to save lives at sea. 24 hours a day, every day, RNLI lifesavers are ready to launch to the rescue.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Assistant Company Secretary to join our Company Secretary team which is part of the Chief Executive’s office.

Some of the benefits

- Salary: £34,893 - £41,050 (dependent on experience)

- Flexible/hybrid working - with the expectation of 2 days per week at the RNLI Support Centre in Poole

- 26 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays

- Outstanding pension scheme (contributions of up to 16% of basic salary)

- Life assurance

- Health and dental cash plan

Your Role

As the Assistant Company Secretary, you will be a key member of the team, which is made up of the Company Secretary, Governance Officer and this role.

Key Tasks

- Supporting and where needed deputising for the Company Secretary by attending meetings including Trustee, Council and Committee meetings.

- Drafting and/or reviewing minutes.

- Providing timely governance advice.

- Statutory compliance – responsible for ensuring the maintenance of statutory records and registers for entities in the RNLI’s scope, and for ensuring the timely submission of statutory filings including to Companies House, the Charity Commission and elsewhere as required.

- Assisting in the production and approval of the Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) for the RNLI group entities as required.

- Maintaining the annual governance and compliance calendar.

- Assisting and advising the Chair, Chief Executive and the Executive Team on company secretarial related matters.

- Supporting key Company Secretary projects such as the RNLI Governance Review, external board evaluation and a revised approach to the RNLI’s ARA.

- Assisting with the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the delivery of charity and subsidiary company meetings and associated procedural requirements in line with good governance.

- Helping to manage the recruitment process of trustee candidates, RNLI council and Advisory Committee members.

- Assisting in the maintenance of governing documents, recommending changes as necessary to reflect changing strategic, legal and best practice requirements.

- Monitoring legislative changes in the jurisdictions in which RNLI operates.

- Responsible for online board portal functionality (Diligent).

This role will require you to travel throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland, including overnight stays.

About You

Our ideal candidate for the role of Assistant Company Secretary will:

- Be a Graduate Member of the Corporate Governance Institute, or hold a Law degree with 2 years’ Company Secretarial experience or hold other recognised Company Secretary qualifications, we would also consider part qualification with supporting experience.

- Have expert understanding of governance and company secretarial practice.

- Be familiar with spreadsheets, databases, board packs and Outlook.

- Have the flexibility to work independently and as part of a team.

You will be confident and very comfortable working in a fast-paced and challenging environment.

If you think this is the role for you, please apply via the button shown.

Safeguarding

The RNLI is committed to safeguarding; protecting a person’s health, wellbeing, and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment and have a zero-tolerance approach. The suitability of all prospective employees and volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. This will include relevant criminal record checks being carried out dependent on the eligibility of the role. (England & Wales; DBS check, Scotland; Disclosure Scotland PVG, Northern Ireland; Access NI, Republic of Ireland; Garda Vetting; International, International Child Protection Certificate process).

Diversity at the RNLI

Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable), and helping us work towards Our Vision: To save Every One.