Trust Governance and Compliance Manager

Hollingworth Learning Trust; Rochdale; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & wellbeing benefits

Discounted gym memberships

Health care cash plan

Staff counselling

Discretionary leave & family friendly"

Job summary

Hollingworth Learning Trust seeks a Governance and Compliance Manager to lead trust-wide compliance and governance activities from its Rochdale base. The role requires strong experience in education governance, advisory capacity to Trustees, and a keen eye for detail.

Travel to schools is required. The successful candidate will oversee audit schedules, policy reviews, and risk registers, helping to ensure statutory compliance across the trust.

Qualifications

• Experience in education governance and compliance.
• Ability to advise Trustees and Local Governors.
• Strong attention to detail and analytical mindset.
• Experience as Clerk to a Board or committees is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Trust-wide compliance strategy (excluding Finance, H&S, ICT and Staffing).
• Design audit schedules, website compliance checks and policy reviews.
• Maintain risk registers and benchmark services for growth.
• Advise Trustees and Local Governors, lead central panels.
• Travel to schools; base at the Trust Head Office in Rochdale.

Skills

Governance & compliance

Stakeholder communication

Auditing & risk management

Policy review

Job description

Contract: Trust Governance and Compliance Manager

Salary: NJC Scale Point range 32-36. FTE equivalent £42,839 to £47,181 (pending NJC pay award)

Closing date for applications: 21 September 2026, 8.00am

We are seeking to appoint an experienced manager and aspiring leader to join our Central Trust team in the role of Governance and Compliance Manager. If you are someone who can develop and articulate our vision, ensure the Trust operates within statutory frameworks, have a strong understanding of statutory guidance in education and have experience acting as a Clerk to a Board or its committees, you may be the person we are looking for and we would love to have a chat with you about the role and your potential application.

The successful candidate will have a strong background in education governance and compliance, with a good understanding of trust structures and statutory guidance. You will lead our Trust-wide compliance strategy (outside of Finance, H&S, ICT, and Staffing), managing key areas such as the design of audit schedules, website compliance checks, policy reviews, and risk registers. You will enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, possess exceptional attention to detail skills, and have the analytical skills to benchmark services for sustainable Trust growth. In addition, your personality and experience will ensure you have excellent communication skills, with the ability to advise Trustees and Local Governors, lead central panels, and approach situations with an appropriate balance of support and challenge. The post will be based at the Trust Head Office in Rochdale, with travel to our schools.

About us We are a friendly and professional team, working from our Central Office in Rochdale. This is an exciting time to join our Trust, as we enter into the next phase of our growth. Hollingworth Learning Trust currently has three academies: Hollingworth Academy, Newhouse Academy and Heap Bridge Primary School. Hollingworth Learning Trust’s core purpose is to make a positive difference to the lives of its children. Its role as a sponsor of our schools is to provide the support, challenge, expertise and resources necessary to significantly improve the provision for education – in line with our people first ethos.

This position is a key link between our schools, the Trust Board, and the statutory frameworks that keep our trust family strong and compliant. This is an ideal opportunity for an ambitious professional looking to take the next step in their governance and compliance career. We are happy to offer some flexibility in terms of working times / weeks. If this sounds like a role perfect for your skills, experience and career goals, we would love to hear from you!

The Role

Contract Information: Full time hours are 36.25 hours per week, Monday to Friday, All Year Round (Term Time Only (plus weeks) contract can be considered)

S tart and finish times to be negotiated and agreed at interview.

Start date: From September 2026

Salary: NJC Scale Point range 32-36. FTE equivalent £42,839 to £47,181 (pending NJC pay award)

Other Benefits: Various health & wellbeing benefits including; discounted gym memberships; health care cash plan; confidential staff counselling; discretionary leave and family friendly working practices and more!

The Pension provider is the Local Government Pension Scheme, GMPF. The employer contributions are generous and help to provide you and your family with security for your future.

Other Information

Hollingworth Learning Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will have to meet the person specification and will be required to apply for an enhanced DBS disclosure and all other pre-employment checks outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education. We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented groups including those based on ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.