Governance and Exec Support Manager

THE ARTS EDUCATIONAL SCHOOL; City Of London; On-site; GBP 45,000; Full time

Job summary

An educational institution in London is seeking a Governance and Exec Support Manager to manage governance arrangements and provide executive assistance to senior leadership. The ideal candidate will have governance experience, excellent organizational skills, and a strong ability to communicate effectively. This full-time role requires a commitment to safeguarding and will be located on-site with a salary of £45,000 per annum.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a governance or company secretarial department.
• Experience providing executive or senior administrative support at leadership level.
• Excellent organizational, planning, and time management skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage governance and compliance arrangements effectively.
• Provide high-quality executive support to the Principal and senior leadership team.
• Support the Clerk with management of the Board of Trustees and its committees.

Skills

Governance experience

Executive support

Organizational skills

Communication skills

IT proficiency

Job description

Governance and Exec Support Manager

Department: Executive/Administration

Reports to: Finance Director

Key Relationships: Chair, Principal, Trustees, Interim Executive Group, HR

Working Pattern:

35 hours a week (Monday- Friday)

9:00 am- 5:00 pm (including 1 hour paid lunch)

Based in office, hybrid only when necessary

Start date: 1 January 2026

Salary: £45,000 per annum

ArtsEd is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff (permanent and visiting) and volunteers to share this commitment; all staff are required to undergo background checks in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024 regulations and to hold an enhanced DBS.

Summary of the role

What are we looking for?

The Governance Manager & Executive Assistant will play a dual role:

1. Managing governance and compliance arrangements to ensure the effective operation of the Board of Trustees and its sub-committees.
2. Providing high-quality executive support to the Principal and senior leadership team, enabling them to operate efficiently and strategically.

This is a pivotal role requiring strong organisational skills, attention to detail, discretion, and the ability to manage complex governance processes while also delivering proactive executive assistance.

Responsibilities

Department specific duties and responsibilities:

Responsibilities as Governance Manager and Executive Assistant Purpose of the Role:

Governance and Compliance Management

• Support the Clerk (currently the Finance Director) with the day-to-day management of the work of the Board of Trustees and its committees, ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Assist the Clerk with the preparation and management of agendas, papers, and minutes, ensuring they are delivered in a timely and accurate manner.
• Oversee and monitor the Board and Sub-committees’ compliance on governance, regulatory matters, and best practice.
• Maintain up-to-date records of governance activity, membership, and statutory filings.
• Maintain a repository of previous policy versions to enable effective auditing.
• Support Board recruitment activities, including induction, training, and evaluation processes.
• Ensure effective communication is facilitated between the Board, sub committees, and the executive leadership team.

Executive Support

• Provide comprehensive administrative and executive support to the Principal and the Clerk, including diary management, correspondence, travel, and meeting arrangements.
• Support the senior leadership team with scheduling, coordination, and preparation of key documents and reports.
• Manage the flow of information to and from the Principal and leadership team, ensuring priorities are addressed promptly.
• Assist in the preparation of presentations, reports, and briefing papers.
• Maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion at all times.

Experience & Skills

Essential:

• Proven experience in a governance or company secretarial department.
• Experience providing executive or senior administrative support at leadership level.
• Excellent organisational, planning, and time management skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including minute-taking.
• Ability to handle confidential information with integrity.
• High level of IT proficiency (Microsoft Office Suite, digital board portals, etc.).
• Ability to work independently, use initiative, and manage multiple priorities.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of governance in the education sector
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks (e.g., Charity Commission, Companies House, DfE, OfS, ISI etc.).
• Formal governance or company secretarial training (e.g., ICSA/CGI qualification).

Key Attributes

• Professional, calm, and resilient under pressure.
• Diplomatic and able to build effective relationships at all levels.
• Detail-oriented but able to see the bigger picture.
• Flexible and adaptable to changing priorities.
• Discretion when dealing with sensitive institutional matters.

Background to ArtsEd

ArtsEd originated from two schools, one founded in 1919 by Grace Cone and one founded in 1922 by Olive Ripman. These two educational pioneers believed passionately in the value of combining a general academic education with specialised training in dance, drama, music and art. They were committed to preparing young people for professional careers in or related to the theatre. In 1939, Grace and Olive joined forces to create the Cone Ripman School, subsequently named the Arts Educational Schools. Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin drew almost exclusively on ArtsEd students to help them create their revolutionary company London Festival Ballet, which eventually became the English National Ballet. Ballerina Dame Beryl Grey became Director of the Schools in the 1960s.

ArtsEd continued to innovate, introducing both professional acting and musical theatre courses and in I986 moved to its present home in Chiswick. In 2007, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber became President, heralding an auspicious new era for ArtsEd. The Day School and Sixth Form remains the leading school of its kind in the UK with all students possessing outstanding creativity and dedication. Academic results and vocational success are significant, and our Value-Added return is in the top 1% nationally. The School of Musical Theatre and School of Acting offer full-time BA and MA courses. Our Musical Theatre course is recognised as the best in the UK, while the Acting course is praised for its innovative 50:50 split between stage and screen acting. Our outstanding record of graduate success sees nearly every one of our Musical Theatre graduates and over three-quarters of our Acting graduates make their professional debuts within six months of graduating.In additional to vocational training and significant success in the creative arts, each year a number of ArtsEd students move on to Russell Group universities where they study a range of more traditional academic subjects, including English.