Regional Governance Officer

Birmingham Children's Trust; Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An education charity is seeking a Regional Governance Officer to support governance operations in schools. Responsibilities include managing school complaints, preparing documentation for Local Governing Body meetings, and ensuring compliance. The role offers hybrid working arrangements and various employee benefits including flexitime and professional development opportunities. Ideal candidates must have the right to work in the UK and possess relevant qualifications. Experience with governance in an educational setting is desirable.

Benefits

Hybrid working arrangements

Flexitime policy

27 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Professional learning opportunities

Pension contributions

Employee rewards scheme

Qualifications

• Must have the right to work in the UK.
• GCSE or equivalent in English and Maths at grade C/4 or above.

Responsibilities

• Manage stage 2 complaints and admissions for all schools.
• Prepare documentation for Local Governing Body meetings.
• Coordinate governor recruitment and training.
• Oversee Ofsted packs and liaise with Chairs of Governors.
• Maintain up-to-date governance pages for schools.
• Innovate local governance using AI and technology.

Skills

Right to work in the UK

English and Maths GCSE or equivalent

Education

CGI qualification or similar

Job description

About The Role

The Regional Governance Officer will report into Head of School Governance. This role will be based in Birmingham with at least 2 days a week spent in schools. Travel to London to participate in all team meetings will be expected at least once every half term (expenses will be paid). The Regional Governance Officer is a key member of the governance support for Ark Schools. The RGO will work closely with the Head of School Governance and other members of the Governance Team to provide comprehensive support to our Schools and Local Governing Bodies. The Regional Governance Officer will also provide clerking support to Local Governing Bodies in their region.

Key Responsibilities

• To be responsible for managing stage 2 complaints, permanent exclusions, independent review panels, and admissions for all schools in the region, ensuring all paperwork is of the correct standard, meetings take place within statutory deadlines, and panels are convened as required.
• To be responsible for preparation of all documentation for Local Governing Body meetings, including agenda planning, attendance records and coordination of full packs using Governor Hub.
• To be responsible for all governor recruitment, including compliance with legislation (DBS and KCSIE) and the full schedule of governor training, including managing all term renewals of governors.
• To be responsible for coordination of Ofsted packs for Birmingham Schools, and for acting as the key contact between Schools and Chair of Governors.
• To have oversight of Schools’ governance page ensuring contact details and governor details are kept up to date.
• To work with colleagues across the network to look at ways to innovate and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of local governance, including looking at ways that AI and new technologies and systems can be used to support meeting preparation and minutes.

Key Requirements

• Right to work in the UK.
• English and Maths GCSE or equivalent at grade C/4 or above.
• CGI qualification or similar (desirable).

Benefits

• Hybrid working arrangements, with the option to work fully remotely for up to 10 working days a year, whether in the UK or abroad.
• Flexitime policy that allows you to work your hours around our core hours of 10:00 – 16:00, helping you prioritise your work-life balance and personal commitments.
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3 years of service (pro rata for part‑time employees; excludes bank holidays).
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year.
• Access to the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme; we contribute 11% of your pension pot.
• Eligibility for the LGPS, a defined benefit scheme, with contributions based on earnings.
• High‑quality professional learning throughout your career, including face‑to‑face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform.
• Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3 000 major retailers, interest‑free loans for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym, and free eye tests.

About Us

Ark is an education charity that exists to make sure that all children, regardless of their background, have access to a great education and real choices in life. Our network of 39 schools reaches traditionally underserved communities in Birmingham, Hastings, London and Portsmouth. We educate 30,000 pupils and have nearly 3 000 teaching staff across our network. We also incubate and scale innovative ventures, which we roll out beyond our network of schools for the benefit of teachers, pupils and the wider education system. Current Ventures include Ark Curriculum Plus, which equips teachers with the subject expertise needed to ensure students succeed, and Ark Start, a growing chain of nurseries offering affordable, high‑quality early years education. Recently, Ark moved to new offices at EdCity – a unique not‑for‑profit development in West London, in partnership with Hammersmith & Fulham council. EdCity is designed to bring mission‑aligned organisations together to focus on improving the lives of children, especially through education. It offers leased offices, a range of venues for training and events, and an innovation hub for the education sector to connect, collaborate and learn together.

Diversity And Inclusion

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective. To know more about Ark's diversity and inclusion commitments, please click on the link.

Safeguarding Statement

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants. Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non‑disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment – this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark's safer recruitment process, please click this link.

Please note we will be reviewing applications on an on‑going basis and this role may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response. We strongly encourage you to submit your application at your earliest convenience. For any questions, please contact [e-mail].