Governance and Assurance Officer

University of the Highlands and Islands; Inverness; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

42 days leave

Pension scheme

Flexible working

Sick pay and Employee Assistance

Discounts and offers

Cycle to Work

DSE glasses contribution

Free parking and EV charging

LinkedIn Learning access

Long-service awards

Job summary

University of the Highlands and Islands invites applications for a Governance and Assurance Officer based in Inverness. The post supports the University Secretary’s Office with governance, assurance, compliance, and formal decision making.

The role delivers across committee cycles, complaints handling, assurance activity, policy coordination and information governance with emphasis on processes, records and audit trails.

Qualifications

• Experience in governance, assurance, compliance and policy coordination.
• Maintain clear processes, accurate records, reliable audit trails and timely business flow.
• Commitment to information governance and corporate quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational delivery across the committee cycle and governance processes.
• Handle complaints and assurance activities and coordinate policy work.
• Maintain information governance activity with clear records and timely handover.

Job description

UHI is the United Kingdom’s leading integrated university encompassing both further and higher education. We are more than a college and more than a traditional university: a diverse, flexible partnership, rooted in our communities and driven by their needs. Our network of colleges, specialist teaching centres and internationally recognised research institutes delivers supported, flexible learning from access level to PhD.

To support our work we are recruiting to the following role:

Governance and Assurance Officer

Salary range

Salary range £43,243 to £45,877 per annum

Duration Permanent

Working hours Full time, 35 hours per week

Closing Date 20 September 2026

The University Secretary’s Office supports UHI’s system of governance, assurance, compliance, and formal decision making. It works closely with Court, its committees, senior officers, and professional services teams to ensure that governance business is conducted effectively, transparently, and to a high professional standard.

This post sits within the governance, complaints, assurance, and policy area of the University Secretary’s Office. The role will provide operational delivery across the committee cycle, complaints handling, assurance activity, policy coordination, and information governance activity, with particular responsibility for maintaining clear processes, accurate records, reliable audit trails, and timely business flow across UHI’s governance framework.

A detailed job description and person specification for the post are attached.

Applicants with informal questions are encouraged to contact Nicholas Oakley, Head of Policy Assurance & Compliance (Governance), by email to [e-mail] .

Pay and Benefits

This role is linked to grade 7 on the UHI payscale.

The starting salary for this position will normally be in the range of £43,243 to £45,877 per annum. For exceptional candidates a higher salary up to the top of the grade (currently £50,129 per annum) may be available.

The workplace pension scheme we provide to workers at grade six and above is the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). This is a qualifying pension scheme, which means it meets or exceeds the government’s standards. Full information on the scheme can be found at http://www.uss.co.uk/Pages/default.aspx

Full-time posts carry a total of 42 days leave per annum (pro rata for part-time posts). It is practice that, with the exception of a Christmas and New Year closure, leave may be taken at any time of year, subject to the requirements of the post and department and with the permission of your line manager.

Recruitment Process

When completing the application form please ensure that you clearly evidence how you meet the selection criteria identified on the relevant person specification.

The deadline for submitting your application is 20 September 2026 at 11.59pm.

Shortlisting will take place the week commencing 21 September 2026.

Interviews will be held in person at UHI House or by videoconferencing on 01 October 2026.

If you have any queries regarding our recruitment and selection process, or if you would like to request any reasonable adjustments to either the recruitment process or the prospective job, please contact the HR team as soon as possible.

Interviews will hold 01 October 2026.

At UHI, we offer a supportive, flexible and rewarding place to work, with a range of benefits including:

• 42 days’ annual leave (pro rata)
• Attractive pension scheme and options for additional contributions
• Flexible working and family-friendly policies
• Occupational sick pay and an Employee Assistance Programme (incl. spousal support)
• High-street and online retail discounts
• 10% off Highlife Highland memberships
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Contribution towards DSE prescription glasses
• Free parking and EV charging (where available)
• LinkedIn Learning access for ongoing professional development
• Long-service awards and active social events

If you have any queries about the application process please contact the HR Office at [e-mail] .