Company Secretary

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; East Grinstead; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust seeks an exceptional Company Secretary to provide strategic governance leadership at Board level during a period of organisational development. Reporting to the Managing Director, you will advise the Board, Governors and senior leaders on governance, assurance and regulatory matters.

You will lead governance, board assurance, risk management, and the Trust Secretariat, ensuring transparency and accountability across the organisation and supporting CQC

Qualifications

• Masters degree or equivalent with governance experience.
• Member of Corporate Governance Institute or working towards qualification.
• Experience in NHS/healthcare governance and regulatory frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead corporate governance, board assurance and risk management for the Trust.
• Provide expert governance advice to the Board, Governors and senior leaders.
• Head the Trust Secretariat, support Board and Committee meetings, and ensure constitutional compliance.
• Support Well-led CQC compliance and maintain governance frameworks.
• Act as trusted advisor to the Chair, CEO and Non‑Executive Directors.

Skills

Board liaison

Stakeholder communication

Strategic governance

Risk management

Governance leadership

Education

Master's degree in a relevant field

Corporate Governance Institute member

Professional management or legal qualification

Job description

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.

About us

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.

Job responsibilities

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)

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Managing Director and Chief Medical Officer