Company Secretary

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; East Grinstead; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 92,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tailored personal development programs

Flexible working arrangements

Reward programme with discounts andTax

Job summary

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an exceptional Company Secretary to provide strategic governance leadership at Board level in East Grinstead. Reporting to the Managing Director and CEO, you will lead governance, board assurance, and risk management with authoritative guidance on statutory matters.

You will manage the Secretariat function, support the Board and Governors, and influence across NHS regulatory frameworks to ensure transparency and accountability in a

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or able to demonstrate specialist knowledge within this field through practical experience.
• Corporate Governance Institute (formerly ICSA) member or working towards/completing qualification.
• Professional management or legal qualification.
• Experience as NHS/company secretary or in senior governance role.
• Expert knowledge of NHS regulatory frameworks.
• Excellent written and verbal skills.
• Ability to write complex reports and papers.

Responsibilities

• Advise the Chair, Chief Executive, Board, and Governors on governance matters to ensure high-quality governance practices.
• With the Chair, ensure Board of Directors and Committees are properly constituted, operated and supported.
• Implement and maintain a Board Assurance Framework and scheme of delegation reflecting strategic ambitions and risks.
• Ensure directorates and business units comply with best-practice governance standards.
• Provide Secretariat support to the Board and Council of Governors and their working groups.

Skills

Written & verbal skills

Board governance experience

Analytical reporting

Education

Master’s degree

ICSA/CGI qualification

Professional management or legal qualification

Job description

Employer Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Queen Victoria Hospital Town East Grinstead Salary £79,504 - £91,609 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 24/11/2026 23:59

Company Secretary

NHS AfC; Band 8C

Welcome to Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and thank you for your interest.

In addition to receiving tertiary referrals from across the South East of England, we have a network of ‘spoke’ sites at district general hospitals enabling our consultants to offer their expertise with routine treatments and consultations as close to patients’ homes as is possible. With the recent addition of video led ‘virtual’ consultations we also enable patients who have some distance to travel to avoid the additional stress and worry of a long journey.

Working at QVH combines the excitement, challenge and career opportunities of many larger organisations with the satisfaction of delivering excellent patient care that really does re-build our patients’ lives.

We also offer attractive benefits such as

• tailored personal development to support career aspirations, including accredited clinical and management development programmes
• flexible working arrangements for a work-life balance that suits you and your needs
• a dedicated reward programme, offering a range of national and local discounts, cashback and tax relief schemes

The Trust is committed to offering a range of flexibleworking options to support employees to balance work and personal commitments, and the delivery of high quality and cost effective services.

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Sustainability

At Queen Victoria Hospital we want to be the first Net Zero Hospital in England, and to achieve that wants every member of staff to be a green champion. The way in which the Trust works has a significant impact on the organisation’s carbon footprint and that of our patients. From the heat, light and power supplies within the hospital to avoiding unnecessary patient journeys, the Trust is empowering all staff to create a sustainable health and care environment for future generations. The Trust expects all staff to reuse and recycle more, to use energy and water efficiently, to walk or cycle to work if you can, and to have a focus on sustainability in the workplace.

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an exceptional and experienced Company Secretary to provide strategic governance leadership at Board level during an exciting period of organisational development and collaboration across our wider health system.

Reporting directly to the Managing Director, working closely with the Group Chief Executive Officer and accountable to the Group Chair, this high-profile role sits at the heart of the organisation and provides expert advice, assurance and support to the Board of Directors, Council of Governors and senior leadership team.

You will lead the Trust's corporate governance, board assurance and risk management functions, ensuring the highest standards of governance, transparency and accountability. You will be a trusted advisor to the Group Chair, Group Chief Executive, Managing Director and Non-Executive Directors, providing authoritative guidance on constitutional, statutory, regulatory and governance matters. You will lead the Trust Secretariat function, oversee the Board Assurance Framework and risk management arrangements, support CQC Well-Led compliance, and act as a trusted advisor on constitutional, statutory and governance matters.

We are seeking an experienced governance professional with substantial NHS board governance experience, expert knowledge of NHS regulatory frameworks, excellent communication skills and the credibility to influence and challenge constructively at Board level.

Main duties of the job

1.1 The role of Company Secretary is pivotal within the Trust. The post holder acts as an advisor to the Chair, Chief Executive, Board, Council of Governors, Clinical Directorates and the organisation as a whole on all aspects of governance, ensuring the Trust benefits from high quality, progressive governance practices.

1.2 With the Chair, ensure that the Board of Directors and its Committees are properly constituted, operated and supported.

1.3 Implement and maintain a Board Assurance Framework and scheme of delegation which reflects the strategic ambition of the Trust, its objectives, risks and progress against these.

1.4 Ensure all directorates and business units of the Trust complies with best practice standards of governance as determined by NHS England/Improvement and CQC.

1.5 Ensure the Council of Governors is supported effectively in their statutory roles, including support at meetings and development sessions.

1.6 Provide a Secretariat function to facilitate the effective working of the Board of Directors, its Committees, and the Council of Governors and its working groups, including the Nominations and Remuneration Committee. Support the Chair and Chief Executive Officer in the effective conduct of Board of Directors and the Council of Governors business.

Working for our organisation

Rated GOOD overall with outstanding care by the CQC. A specialist NHS hospital providing life-changing reconstructive surgery, burns care and rehabilitation services across the South of England and beyond.

We specialise in conditions of the eyes (corneoplastics), hands, head and neck cancer and skin cancer, reconstructive breast surgery, maxillofacial surgery and prosthetics, providing regional and national services in these areas of clinical expertise.Our world-leading clinical teams also treat more common conditions of the eyes, hands, skin, and teeth for the people of East Grinstead and the surrounding areas. In addition, QVH provides a minor injuries unit, expert therapies, a sleep service, and a growing portfolio of community-based services.Patients consistently rate QVH amongst the top hospitals in the country for quality of care.

Our success is underpinned by the skills and enthusiasm of our staff and a strong culture of partnership. We are fully committed to training and development of the workforce with support for continuing education and learning.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached a copy of the job description and person specification, to support with the application process.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or able to demonstrate specialist knowledge within this field through practical experience
• Corporate Governance Institute (formerly ICSA) member or working towards/completing qualification
• Professional management or legal qualification

Experience

• Experienced company or Trust secretary in NHS/healthcare setting
• Experience in senior governance/Board governance role/corporate assurance role
• Experience providing analysis of competing views and communicating potentially highly contentious information to senior members of the board

Knowledge

• Expert knowledge of NHS regulatory frameworks
• Significant technical knowledge of working in NHS corporate governance
• Understanding best practice corporate governance legislation and guidance and roles and responsibilities of the Board
• Excellent written and verbal skills
• Demonstrable ability to write complex reports and papers
• Understanding of business conduct principles
• Partnership skills within and beyond the organisation (Preferably CQC, NHSI, NHSE)

The closing date given is a guide only. There may be some occasions when we have to close a vacancy once sufficient applications have been received. You are therefore advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Name Tamara Everington Job title Managing Director and Chief Medical Officer Email address [e-mail]

If you have problems applying, contact

Address Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
East Grinstead
RH19 3DZ
Telephone [phone] or via MSTeams at [e-mail]