Deputy Governance Officer

Standard Life plc; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Standard Life plc in London or Edinburgh seeks a Deputy Governance Officer to lead one of two Governance Teams within Group Governance. You will support the Head of Group Governance to strengthen governance across listed, regulated and subsidiary entities, partnering with Chairs, Boards and Directors on remuneration, audit and investment governance.

You will drive board cycles, provide trusted advice, and ensure clear accountability with strong senior stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Senior governance leadership with the ability to align delivery to Group priorities and provide trusted advice to Chairs, Directors and senior executives.
• Substantial experience of Board and Committee governance across listed, regulated and subsidiary environments, including audit, remuneration and investment governance.
• Strong influencing, political judgement and executive communication skills in complex stakeholder environments.
• Proven people leadership with coaching, development and succession planning across a multi-level governance team.
• Strong operational leadership with resource planning and capacity management across multiple Board/Committee cycles.
• Sound risk and control judgement with escalation and high-quality minutes and action tracking.
• Continuous-improvement mindset using governance systems, data and technology to improve quality and efficiency.
• Deep knowledge of company law, governance codes, listing and statutory requirements.
• Understanding of Share Plans administration and remuneration interfaces.
• Experience of year-end and AGM processes including liaising with proxy advisors.

Responsibilities

• Lead one of two Governance Teams within the Group Governance function.
• Support the Head of Group Governance to strengthen governance and decision-making across listed, regulated and subsidiary entities.
• Partner with Chairs, Boards, Committees and Directors across remuneration, audit, investment and subsidiary governance.
• Lead the quality and delivery of Board and Committee cycles, with clear decisions, actions and accountability.
• Provide trusted advice, escalation where needed, and ensure timely minutes and records.

Skills

Governance leadership

Board governance

Committee governance

Executive communication

Stakeholder management

People leadership

Risk and controls

Continuous improvement

Company law knowledge

Remuneration governance

Job description

Job Description

Here at Standard Life, we guide millions of people through some of life’s biggest decisions. We’re searching for a Deputy Governance Officer who shares our commitment to putting customers first, aiming high and working together to join the Group Governance function.

Here at Standard Life, we guide millions of people through some of life’s biggest decisions. We’re searching for a Deputy Governance Officer who shares our commitment to putting customers first, aiming high and working together to join the Group Governance function.

Job Type: Permanent

Location: London or Edinburgh 3 days a week with hybrid working

Flexible working: All roles are open to part-time, job-share and other types of flexibility. We will discuss what is important to you and balancing this with business requirements during the recruitment process. You can read more about flexible working here.

Closing Date: Wednesday 4th November 2026

Salary and benefits: £120,000 - £160,000 plus an indicative bonus range of 30% -60%, private medical cover, 38 days annual leave, excellent pension, 12x salary life assurance, career breaks, income protection, 3x volunteering days and much more.

Who are we?

We’re Standard Life, a life insurer and retirement specialist focused entirely on retirement savings and income. We champion the belief that everyone’s journey to and through retirement can be better, and for more than 200 years, we’ve been helping our customers plan and prepare for their financial futures.

Life today is increasingly complicated, uncertain and unpredictable. People move through different careers, face unexpected moments and navigate important choices. We offer our colleagues flexibility, trust and benefits that work for whatever life brings. In return we expect curiosity, connection, accountability and high standards. We make room for what matters - so you can bring your best, every day.

The role

The Deputy Governance Officer will lead one of two Governance Teams within the Group Governance function, supporting the Head of Group Governance to maintain and strengthen effective governance and decision-making across listed, regulated and subsidiary entities. As a principal governance adviser, the role will partner with Chairs, Boards, Committees and Directors across remuneration, audit, investment and subsidiary governance to be divided across the two Governance teams. It will lead the quality and delivery of Board and Committee cycles, provide trusted advice and effective escalation, and ensure clear decisions, actions and accountabilities.

What are we looking for?

• Senior governance leadership, with the ability to align delivery to Group priorities and provide trusted advice to Chairs, Directors and senior executives.
• Substantial experience of Board and Committee governance across listed, regulated and subsidiary environments, including audit, remuneration and investment governance.
• Strong influencing, political judgement and executive communication skills, with confidence operating in complex stakeholder environments.
• Proven people leadership, including coaching, development, succession planning and effective deployment of a multi-level governance team.
• Strong operational leadership, with the ability to undertake resource planning, prioritise capacity and maintain quality across complex, overlapping Board and Committee cycles, including the integration of newly acquired or established businesses.
• Sound risk and control judgement, including effective escalation and high-quality minutes, decision records and action tracking.
• A continuous-improvement mindset, using governance systems, data and technology to improve quality, efficiency and stakeholder experience.
• Deep knowledge of company law, corporate governance codes, listing and statutory requirements, delegated authorities and governance best practice.
• Understanding of Share Plans administration and the associated remuneration, shareholder and external‑adviser interfaces.
• Experience of year end and AGM processes including liaising with proxy advisors.

We Want To Hire The Whole Version Of You.

We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If your experience looks different from what we’ve advertised and you believe that you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you.

If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best.

Find out more about working at Standard Life

• Guide for Candidates: standardlifeplc.pagetiger.com/guideforcandidates
• Find or get answers from our colleagues: www.standardlifeplc.com/careers/talk-to-us