Governance Manager (Senior Executive PA)

NCFE; North East; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

NCFE is seeking a Governance Manager (Senior Executive PA) for a 13-month fixed-term position based in a hybrid work setup. The role involves high-quality support for governance, administrative functions, and collaboration with the executive team, ensuring compliance and operational excellence while enjoying a competitive benefits package that includes generous leave and health support.

Benefits

Annual leave starting at 25 days

8 bank holidays plus 3 days off at Christmas

Health cash plan

Flexible working culture

Learning and Wellbeing fund

Qualifications

• Experience in an Executive Personal Assistant (PA) role.
• Proven experience in supporting colleagues at a senior level.

Responsibilities

• Providing high-quality Executive PA support to the Executive Team.
• Capturing all decisions made by Executives in the Register of Decisions.
• Delivering comprehensive governance support for forums and committees.

Skills

Effective communication

Attention to detail

ICT skills

Financial acumen

Job description

Overview

Contract: 13 months Fixed-term

Location: Hybrid (Head Office: Quorum Business Park, Newcastle upon Tyne)

This is a hybrid working role, so you'll need to be able to work from our Head Office one day a week (usually Thursday)

Hours per week: 37

Salary: £38,000 - £40,000 depending on experience

About the role

We're excited to be looking for a Governance Manager (Senior Executive PA) to join our Governance team. This role will support in providing cover during maternity leave, working as part of a high-performing and engaged Governance team, who deliver high quality, compliant administration and Charity Governance/Secretarial support throughout the organisation, supporting charity Trustees, Executives, and the wider business.

This role is key in ensuring the smooth running of daily operations while maintaining the highest standard of governance, and plays a key part in driving the company's strategic objectives, providing essential Executive PA support.

Serving as the Deputy to the Head of Governance/Company Secretary, the Governance Manager ensures continuity and leadership in governance matters, playing a pivotal role in the company's success.

How you'll make an impact:

As a key enabler of the organisation's governance framework, the Governance Manager ensures adherence to policies, regulations, and legal requirements, while also managing key administrative functions such as meeting coordination and record-keeping. By collaborating closely with the Head of Governance, this role actively shapes and implements governance practices that reinforce the company's integrity and operational excellence.

You'll achieve this by:

• Providing high-quality Executive PA support to the Executive Team
• Capturing all decisions made by Executives in the Register of Decisions and ensuring timely dissemination to the organisation in accordance with the agreed Service Level Agreement (SLA)
• Delivering comprehensive governance support for forums and committees, including pre-meeting preparation, meeting assistance, and follow-up
• Maintaining Terms of Reference process documents while ensuring timely action cascading within SLA to uphold governance standards
• Assisting the Head of Governance in writing and maintaining QMS-controlled documents and working instructions relevant to the governance and Executive teams, to ensure ongoing compliance and accuracy
• Supporting the Company Secretary in managing Board of Trustee and Committee meetings, ensuring decision-making processes are followed, compliant, and documented in line with statutory requirements
• Provide leadership and governance support in the absence of the Head of Governance or as delegated
• Overseeing incident management and business continuity, ensuring compliance with policies

We'd love to hear from you if you offer the following:

• Experience in an Executive Personal Assisrant (PA) role
• Proven experience in supporting colleagues at a senior level
• Effective communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with senior management and key stakeholders
• Strong attention to detail, with the ability to maintain accuracy and adhere to policies and procedures in a fast-paced environment
• Strong ICT skills (word, email, internet and Microsoft teams)
• Financial acumen and budget awareness

Feeling inspired? Read the full Job Description

What will we offer you in return?

Below are just some of the fantastic benefits we'll offer you to support you both professionally and personally. You can also visit our Benefits page which covers financial, physical and mental health support, time off and your development.

• Annual leave starting at 25 days and increasing up to 30 days with length of service
• 8 bank holidays and an additional 3 days off during the Christmas closure
• YOU celebration day to celebrate your birthday or another life event
• YOU hour allowing you one hour per month to spend time on something that promotes your wellbeing
• Learning and Wellbeing fund of up to £200 per year
• £400 towards any NCFE accredited qualifications per year
• Up to 20 Volunteering hours per year
• Flexible working culture with a hybrid working approach
• Early finish on a Friday at 4:30pm to start your weekend early
• Health cash plan through Westfield to claim towards health costs such as dental and optical
• Tech and Home scheme with savings at Currys and IKEA
• Employee Assistance Programme with a confidential helpline and access to face to face and telephone counselling
• Pension of up to 9% employer contribution when you contribute 3%
• Death in service payment worth 4 x your salary

In addition to our benefits package, Our Colleague Experience Charter sets out the unique experience you can expect when working at NCFE, to enable a thriving, engaged culture. You can find out more about our Colleague Experience Charter and working life at NCFE.

Shape real change with an NCFE career

Imagine a career where your contributions affect not only what people learn, but the way that learning is developed and delivered.

With over 170 years of education experience our core purpose remains at the heart of the organisation - to promote and advance learning to create a fairer, more inclusive society, making sure no learner is left behind.

Want to know more? Take a look at our website https://www.ncfe.org.uk/

How to apply

Before applying, please note that we require all candidates to be able to demonstrate proof of Right to Work in the UK.

Ready to join us and shape real change? Apply with your CV if you have the commitment to excel in this position.

Closing Date: Friday 11 July 2025

Interview Date: w/c 14 July 2025

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) statement

We're committed to building rich diversity into our workforce at all levels, to ensure that we understand and are representative of the communities and customers we serve.

We do not discriminate against anyone due to their gender, sexuality, race, age, religion, beliefs, identity, social background, visible or hidden disability, or neurodiversity. Instead, we pride ourselves on our collaborative, vibrant and high-performance culture which embraces everyone, celebrates uniqueness, and enables everyone's voice to be heard.