JOB PURPOSE 

It’s an exciting time to join our Assurance Team as Start Network continues to change, grow and develop to ensure that we remain relevant and innovative – and, ultimately support those communities affected by and at risk of crises. 

As the Company Secretary, you will liaise directly with the Chair, Trustees, and Start Network’s Leadership Team (Chief Executive and Chief Finance and Operations Office) to support the governing bodies of Start Network, manage the Annual General Meeting, and ensure efficient and effective governance service to support the achievement of organizational objectives. 

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES 

Governance Efficiency and Effectiveness   

• Responsible for the effective operation of the organisation’s governing bodies (Board of Trustees and its governance sub-committees). This includes overseeing the scheduling, agenda preparation, task follow up, decision register, and all other elements of the Board and committees. 

• Responsible for ensuring governance bodies are fully constituted and managed in accordance with the Start Network’s Articles & Bylaws.  

• Supports trustee and committee recruitment, including overseeing the annual trustee skills audit; the development of trustee briefs; and appointments, elections, onboarding, training, and induction in line with Start Network’s Articles & Bylaws. 

• Responsible for identifying governance best practice recommendations, seeking to improve the decision making and accountability of Start’s governance mechanisms – such as governance evaluations, Board reviews, officer appraisals etc. 

• Organise the annual face to face Board meeting/away day in London, supporting the Operations team with travel arrangements as main point of contact. 

Annual General Meeting (AGM) 

• Responsible for the organising and administration of the Annual General Meeting (AGM), as part of Start Network’s Assembly week. This includes preparing the AGM agenda and any resolutions, taking minutes, facilitating voting on resolutions, supporting the Board Chair and other Board memebrs with their presentations, and filing minutes and decisions to Companies House as needed. 

Statutory Environment 

• Responsible for keeping up to date with regulatory or statutory changes and policies that might affect the organisation to include maintaining and updating the Company’s Articles & Bylaws.  This will include submitting Start Network statutory documents to the Charity Commission and Companies House as required. 

• Ensure that statutory policies and related processes are updated in line with regulatory changes. 

• Advise the Chief Executive and Board on corporate governance to ensure it reflects best practice and complies with legislation and regulatory guidance  

Statutory Environment 

• Support the development and coordination of the organisation’s business planning cycle and reporting deadlines enabling the organisation to maximise its impact whilst meeting regulatory deadlines 

• Lead on the development and coordination of the quarterly board report and related performance metrics 

PERSON PROFILE 

Education, Experience and Technical skills 

• Solid corporate governance knowledge and expertise gained through professional legal, company secretarial, or governance training and practice.  

• Experience of working with senior management teams, boards and decision-making bodies in the UK  

• Familiarity with relevant legal and regulatory frameworks such as charity law, risk, GDPR, compliance 

Key Competencies 

• Able to communicate and facilitate consensus across various internal and external stakeholders and navigate power dynamics ; 

• Strong corporate administration, verbal and written communication skills in English and project management skills will be imperative as will excellent relationship building skills and the highest level of diplomacy and discretion. 

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES 

Our roles are open to discussion about flexible working. For part-time working and job-shares, please get in touch with us for a conversation about possibilities. 

Start Network is committed to protecting people, particularly children, at-risk adults and affected populations from any harm that may be caused due to their encountering the Start Network as well as responding effectively should any harm occur.  We are also committed to safeguarding staff from any forms of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and abuse of power as outlined in the Dignity at Work policy.   

Start Network embraces diversity, promotes equality of opportunity and eliminates unlawful discrimination. We are an equal opportunities employer and treat every application on merit alone.  We particularly encourage applications from disabled, BAME, LGBTQ+ and non-binary candidates.  We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet our essential selection criteria set out in the Person Profile.   

APPLICATION  

We use Be Applied, an online recruitment platform. Rather than relying on CVs and cover letters, Be Applied allows you to demonstrate your skills and abilities through answering questions which are blind reviewed by our team to reduce bias.  

If you have any questions or need support with your application, please email us using peopleandculture@startnetwork.org. 

Closing date: 16 February 2024 

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, so please apply early. Any offer of employment is subject to relevant checks. Please refer to our candidate privacy notice regarding treatment of your data.