Director of Governance

Stonewater; Reading; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Stonewater is seeking a Director of Governance, also known as Company Secretary, to oversee governance and risk management. The role involves ensuring compliance with legal requirements and supporting the board in strategic planning and performance management. Ideal candidates should have prior experience in a regulated sector and hold a degree or equivalent.

Qualifications

• Chartered secretary status preferred.
• Prior company secretarial experience at a senior level.

Responsibilities

• Oversee governance, strategy, and assurance framework.
• Support board chair and non-executives with information access.
• Manage Stonewater’s risk framework and regulatory obligations.

Skills

Governance

Risk Management

Strategic Planning

Communication

People Management

Education

Degree or Equivalent Experience

Job description

Here at Stonewater, we are seeking an agile Director of Governance, internally known as Company Secretary, reporting in to the CFO.

You will be responsible for the governance, strategy and assurance framework and processes, ensuring these meet legal and regulatory requirements, to help enable:

• the board to make its annual statement of legal and regulatory compliance
• the Chief Executive to make the annual business planning, risk and internal controls assurance statement to the board.

You will provide support and advice to the board chair and non-executives as the first point of contact, ensuring that they have access to the information, together with learning and resources needed to enable them to operate effectively.

As the senior risk officer, you will be responsible for Stonewater’s risk framework, ensuring that risks to the objectives and operations are identified and managed and that Stonewater operates within the risk appetite set by the board, to meet regulatory expectations and keep the organisation safe.

You will monitor changes in the operating environment that could impact on the delivery of the strategic plan and achievement of performance targets, escalating risks arising to the executive and be a valuable member of our senior leadership team. You will be responsible for board reports and meetings, to ensure we meet our regulatory obligations and our charitable objectives.

This role also has responsibility for Data Protection and oversees the DPO responsibilities. As part of the risk oversight, insurance procurement and returns also sit with in the team.

The ideal candidate will…

• Ideally hold Chartered secretary status.
• Be educated to at least degree level or with equivalent experience.
• Have prior company secretarial experience at a senior level or as deputy in a large organisation, within a regulated sector.
• Have knowledge and good understanding of the application of
  - community benefit, company and charity law.
  - regulatory requirements applying to community benefit societies, private limited companies, public limited companies, registered providers and charities.
• Have experience of strategic planning and performance management.
• Be able to work in a complex environment – working with remotely based staff in other locations.
• Be a good people manager, able to succession plan and train staff to carry out the required duties.
• Have a calm and professional manner, able to communicate effectively with members of the governance structure, the executive and the wider organisation.
• Strong ethical values (the organisation’s conscience), with the confidence to take action when necessary to safeguard the legality and probity of Stonewater’s operations.

Appointment to this role will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check, satisfactory references and possession of a valid Right to Work document.

Discover Stonewater:

Stonewater is a leading housing provider. We manage around 40,000 homes, serving 93,000 customers across our portfolio of affordable properties for general rent, shared ownership and sale, alongside specialist accommodation, with an ambitious house-building programme.

Our mission is to provide quality homes and services for people whose needs are not met by the open market.

We’re looking for like-minded people to join our team of over 900 talented colleagues who embody our values of being ethical, ambitious, passionate, agile and commercial, as well as people who want to make a difference and transform people’s lives.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and working towards accreditation for becoming a Disability Confident Leader, which allows us to record and report on disability, mental health and wellbeing in the workplace to better support our colleagues. We have also achieved accreditation for being an Advanced Employer for Investing in Ethnicity Maturity Matrix. We are committed to being a Menopause Friendly employer and working towards accreditation our Menopause Friendly accreditation.

Are you ready to#DiscoverStonewater?

Stonewater reserve the right to bring the closing date forward should enough quality applications be received prior to the current closing date.