Governance Manager

Working with the Head of Governance, the Governance Manager will play an important role in managing governance activity and embedding good governance practices across the charity.

They will provide a high standard of confidential governance support to the CEO, Chair and Trustee Board, ensuring the effective running of the activities of the Board and its committees, enabling them to operate highly efficiently and help deliver strong governance functions.

Main duties and responsibilities of the role:

Support for the Chair and Board of Trustees

• With the Head of Governance, support the Chair in their role in leading the governance of the organisation and other activities they undertake in their role.
• Organisation of Board and committee meetings, including compilation and circulation of papers to strict deadlines, attending meetings, minute taking and ensuring follow-up actions are completed, providing first class secretariat support and effective administration at all times.
• Deliver the overall programme of work for the Board throughout the year, including arranging venues and logistics for trustee and committee meetings as well as wider development activities such as away days or visits.
• Support the arrangement of annual board and Trustee appraisal activities.
• Support Trustees in their roles, proactively seeking out relevant opportunities to help them in their ambassadorial roles and in building relationships across ARUK. 
• Lead on the Trustee induction and onboarding process for new Trustees including preparation of Trustee induction paperwork and registration with regulatory bodies.
• Co-ordination with all Charity departments to ensure all performance reports, briefing papers and communications are delivered within agreed timescales.

Governance

• Work with trustees and senior management (as required) to ensure the overall governance process administration is efficient and best practice.
• Management and maintenance of the online board portal software ensuring it remains up to date and accessible to Trustees.
• Maintenance of the register of Board members’ and Directors’ interests and any arising conflicts.
• Lead on an annual review of governance documents including terms of reference and schedule of delegation.
• Work with Operations, risk and compliance team on risk management and board assurance activities.
• Support the co-ordination and submission of regulatory returns in accordance with statutory deadlines.
• Present, record, file and store data (including all minutes of meetings and trustee related data) in accordance with company policy.
• Keep abreast of developments in governance and charity regulation and identify further opportunities for improvement to ensure ARUK delivers best practice.

Policies

• To monitor, develop and review policies and resources which support good governance.
• Work closely with the Head of Governance and Head of Operations, Risk and Compliance, overseeing organisational policy development and review process, ensuring our policies are fit for purpose.
• Ensure there is an accurate and up to date record of all policies.
• Ensure the Board has appropriate oversight of key policies.
• Support on communication around key policies.

What we are looking for:

• Experience of managing high-level Boards in the not-for-profit sector, including board development, administration and support
• Experience of building strong working relationships with senior stakeholders both within and outside an organisation
• Able to maintain discretion and confidentiality at all times
• Ability to work independently or within a team.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products
• Excellent organisational & administrative skills, with a helpful and approachable manner.
• Excellent networking and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent influencing skills, able to work effectively across all levels
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with good researching skills
• Excellent time management skills and ability to prioritise and coordinate workload
• Effective problem-solving skills
• Flexibility and willingness to travel when required.

Additional Information:

Ways of working:  As part of our Agile ways of working you will be required to work approximately 2 days a week from the office, which is subject to the requirements of the role and the business needs. Flexibility on where you work can be split between working from home and our office.

Roles that are classed as part of the Agile ways of working are not able to claim any costs for Mileage/Travel on Public Transport, Accommodation and/or Meals.  This includes when attending the office for various meetings/events.

Our Office: Our office is at 3 Riverside, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AD. 

Salary: Circa £45,000 per annum, plus benefits

Please download the Vacancy Pack for more information.

The closing date for applications is the 7th April 2024, with interviews likely to be held week commencing the 15th April 2024 We would encourage you to submit your application at the earliest opportunity as the closing date may be brought forward at any time. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date.

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential.  We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented.  Any offer of employment is however subject to you having the right to work in the UK.

As part of our commitment to be an inclusive employer and ensure fairness and consistency in selecting the best candidate for this role, your CV will be anonymised as part of the selection process.  Should you need any adjustments at either the application or interview stage, then please do contact us via our website. 

How to apply:

Please create an online account using our Online Recruitment Platform which can be accessed through our Job Vacancies page. You will be able to attach your CV to your application and track the status of your application.

About Alzheimer’s Research UK:

Alzheimer's Research UK is the UK's leading dementia research charity. Our mission is to accelerate progress towards a cure.  Today 1 in 2 people will be impacted by dementia, either through caring for a loved one, developing it themselves or tragically both. But there is hope. 

There has never been a more important and exciting time in dementia research. With promising new drugs in clinical trials that slow the progression of the diseases that cause it, and revolutionary new ways to diagnose them on the horizon, we are now at a tipping point. Working with the smartest minds globally and across the UK, with industry and academia, Alzheimer’s Research UK is uniquely placed to invest in the very best research identifying barriers to a cure and knocking them down so that there are more and better treatments for everyone with dementia. For the first time in history, we can see a future where people with dementia can get a swift and accurate diagnosis, and effective treatments that could slow or even stop their disease. We stand for everyone affected by dementia. We stand for a cure. 

In 2022, we were incredibly proud to be awarded a 3-star accreditation by Best Companies which recognises ‘World Class’ levels of workplace engagement and were also listed in the prestigious Best Companies lists:

• 48th in the 100 Best Large Companies to Work For in the UK.

• 19th in the 100 Best Companies to Work For in the East of England.

• 3rd in the 50 Best Companies to Work For in the Charity Sector.

In addition, we were also shortlisted for a special award recognising the work undertaken on reducing our environmental impact.

In 2021, we were awarded the HR Management award by The Charity Times for our Wellbeing initiatives throughout the pandemic.

In 2020, we demonstrated our commitment to changing the way we think and act about mental health in the workplace and signed the Time to Change Employer Pledge. 

ARUK really does look after its people, where you will be able to add value and make a difference. 

To view further details about working for us and the benefits we offer, please visit Alzheimer’s Research UK