About us

We are Britain’s national equality regulator and a United Nations accredited ‘A status’ national human rights institution.

We uphold people’s rights without fear or favour. We use the full force of our legal powers to defend people from unfair or unequal treatment and to challenge breaches of the law. We advise on developing laws and provide guidance, training and support to enable compliance.

We bring people together to create change. We work with employers, governments and a wide range of organisations, to promote understanding of equality and human rights and we support them to make improvements in practice.

Our new strategy for 2022-25 gives us a strong platform to show that we will use our powers to protect and promote equality and human rights, and that we have identified the main challenges in society where we can make a difference in our role as a regulator.

About the role

This is a key corporate role in the Commission, leading our corporate governance team. The Head of Governance will be responsible for the smooth running and operating of our Board, committees and processes that underpin them.

The postholder will be the subject matter expert in our governance function and will be expected to contribute to wider corporate discussions on the effectiveness of our corporate governance standards and processes.

They will work closely with our Chairwoman and the chairs of our committees and our senior leadership team to understand their needs and to provide appropriate solutions within our operating context.

Leading the governance team, they will also coach, and mentor others, and where required, will provide direct support to Board members.

Reporting to the Head of Business Improvement, you will

• Act as trusted advisor to the Chairwoman, Board and committee members and the executive on key governance issues to enable them to make effective decisions.

• Act as Secretariat for the Board and committees, ensuring they are administered efficiently and effectively.

• Accountable for developing and maintaining a forward programme for the Board and committees.

• Support the Board and committees to establish the necessary policies, processes, information, time and resources to function effectively and efficiently.

• Design, facilitate and deliver on important governance projects such as Board effectiveness evaluation and others as required.

• Oversee induction, training, professional development and annual appraisals for Board and committee members.

• Coach and provide direction to your team to enable them to deliver a high -quality function for the Commission.

What we are looking for

This role requires intellectual depth, sound political awareness, tact, diplomacy and resilience. You will need to build strong relationships with senior leaders and hold your own in a senior leadership environment.

You will need to have the confidence of your key customers, the Chairwoman and CEO, as well as inspiring your team and supporting them to thrive.

What you can expect from us

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer a range of benefits including flexible working patterns, 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays , access to the Civil Service Pension Scheme and partnership pension schemes, and enhanced parental leave benefits. More information can be found in the candidate pack.

How to apply

If this sounds like the role for you, please review the attached Candidate Pack for more information and submit your application today.

Through our online application, you will be asked to provide specific examples that outline how your experience, skills and knowledge meet the requirements of the role.

You will also be asked to provide a copy of your Curriculum Vitae. This will not be used during the written sift, but will used to inform the interview stages.

Contacts

For all queries related to this role, please contact Bill Malloy, Director – Planning & Governance: Bill.Malloy@equalityhumanrights.com, or by telephone on 0161 829 8100

For any queries related the application process please contact Laura.Marsh@equalityhumanrights.com

Disability Confident Leader

As a Disability Confident Leader, the Equality and Human Rights Commission offers an interview for people with disabilities (as defined by the Equality Act 2010 and The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004) and who meet the minimum criteria for this appointment. 

Where high numbers of applications are received, the candidates that best meet the minimum criteria for the role may only be invited to interview.  If you wish to apply for consideration under this scheme, please complete the appropriate section on the online application form. This will enable us to make the appropriate arrangements, if necessary.

If you require an alternative accessible version of the application form or wish to discuss your application or reasonable adjustment  – please contact us by email at Laura.Marsh@equalityhumanrights.com or by telephone on 0161 829 8100

Diversity in our workforce

At the Commission, we are proud of our respectful workplace that values the contribution of all our staff, whatever their background.  We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment. Our recruitment decisions are based on fair, open competition, with appointment on merit. We welcome applications from everyone to ensure we achieve a balanced representation in our workforce in all grades.