Head of Governance Office and Secretary to the Commission

Parliament of the United Kingdom; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 86,000 - 118,000; Full time

Job summary

The Parliament of the United Kingdom is seeking a Head of Governance Office and Secretary to the Commission. This strategic role includes leading the Governance Office, providing support to senior leadership, and managing key corporate functions. The ideal candidate will have experience in governance, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Qualifications

• Experience providing advice to senior stakeholders.
• Strong commitment to values-led leadership and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Governance Office and manage resources efficiently.
• Provide strategic support and advice to senior leadership.
• Contribute to organizational leadership and corporate performance.

Skills

Team leadership

Governance understanding

Communication

Problem-solving

Strategic planning

Job description

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Head of Governance Office and Secretary to the Commission

Employer Parliament of the United Kingdom Location United Kingdom Salary GBP 86,920.00 - 117,075.00 per year Closing date 13 Jun 2025

View more categories View less categories Sector Engineering ,IT ,Security Job Role Corporate Governance Job Type Contract

Head of Governance Office and Secretary to the Commission

Positions

1

Band / Grade

SCS1A

Salary

£86,920 - £117,075 per annum

Contract Type

Fixed Term

Contract Length

2 years fixed term with the possibility of extension or permanency

Working Pattern

Full Time

Location

On-site (Parliamentary Estate)

Closing Date

22nd June 2025 at 23:55

Job Description

Eligibility

This role is open to House of Commons and Joint Departments employees only.

Introduction

The Governance Office provides the secretariats to the House of Commons Commission (the governing body of the House Administration, chaired by Mr Speaker), and its advisory Committees. The Team is responsible for key corporate functions, including parliamentary safety, information compliance, business planning and performance, risk management, assurance, internal audit and staff engagement, insights and culture.

The Role

As the Head of the Governance Office and Secretary to the Commission, you will lead the Governance Office and provide key strategic support and advice to the Clerk of the House and Director General. The Governance Office currently includes over 70 staff and a budget of over £5m. You will ensure the office has strategic clarity and will effectively lead the team for high performance, coaching and developing staff. You will directly line manage the heads of: Boards and Domestic Committees Secretariat, Information Compliance, Internal Audit, Parliamentary Safety, Strategic Planning and Performance, Engagement and Culture and Team Services.

In this role, you will have a right to attend the Commons Executive Board and will be a visible senior leader within the organisation, contributing to the delivery of the House Administration strategy, role modelling the House of Commons values and showing leadership and commitment to making the House Administration more inclusive and more diverse.

Some of the responsibilities for this role include:

• To lead the Governance Office, managing people and financial resources efficiently and effectively
• Provide day-to-day support and strategic advice to the Clerk of the House in his role as Accounting Officer and Head of the House Administration as well as supporting the DG and other members of the CEB on House governance and troubleshooting other issues as required.
• To contribute to the leadership of the House Administration and delivery of the House Administration Strategy; managing corporate performance; providing strong corporate leadership; positively influencing the culture of the organisation; and actively promoting, designing and delivering transformation.

Skills and Experience

To be successful in this role you will demonstrate:

Delivering Results for Parliament

• A thorough understanding of the governance arrangements of the House of Commons or a similar political context.
• Experience providing advice to senior stakeholders on the most effective governance forum to raise issues or seek decisions, and appropriate governance pathways to take to achieve effective and well consulted decisions.

Managing and leading people

• Team leadership experience, with the ability to lead and motivate staff
• A strong commitment to, and experience of championing, values-led leadership alongside inclusion and diversity in the workplace in an authentic way which gains the trust of staff.

Communicating, influencing and negotiating

• Demonstrable ability to contribute effectively at Board level, with the ability to present own proposals convincingly and engage with those of others constructively
• Clear, confident and persuasive communication skills
• Strong relationship management skills at all levels, and able to influence and win the confidence of senior Members, colleagues and stakeholders.

Problem solving and decision making

• Problem solving skills, and ability to identify and resolve issues, employing diplomatic and negotiating skills when necessary
• Makes decisions quickly and effectively and takes responsibility for them.

Strategy and delivery

• Able to clearly articulate organisational priorities and to engage teams in reaching shared goals.
• Pro-active monitoring and management of long-term strategic goals and on continuous improvement.
• Able to prioritise and manage own time and the time of others, ensuring deadlines are met.
• Commitment to delivering service improvements.

Next Steps and Additional Information

• Application Form - If you would like to apply for this role, please submit an application providing evidence against criteria 1-5 in the Job Description.

More information on the role and the full criteria can be found in the Job Description.

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