Head of Governance and Company Secretary

We need you to join us, to set the standards of what outstanding looks like in PA Housing

Do you want to join an organisation making a difference in our communities? Are you driven to work as part of a team enhancing the lives of our residents, delivering improvements in this core strategic leadership role where you can make a real difference across the organisation?

We are looking for someone who is passionate about governance, continuously seeking improvement, and interested in working in a fast-paced environment. You'll play a key role in shaping and maintaining a robust governance framework, ensuring we meet regulatory and statutory requirements in the fast-evolving social housing sector, whilst also supporting the delivery of our corporate plan, applying your critical governance and company secretary skills and knowledge.

Our Business and What We Need from You

At PA Housing, our business is not about properties. It's about the people who live in our homes and the communities they live in, where respect, integrity, and accountability are at the heart of everything we do. Now, we're looking for an exceptional Head of Governance & Company Secretary to help steer us forward, ensuring we remain a well-run, transparent, and high-performing organisation.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you'll play a key role in guiding the Chair and Chief Executive through their statutory and regulatory responsibilities, ensuring compliance with key frameworks such as the Regulator for Social Housing regulatory standards for consumer, governance and viability, and the National Housing Federation Code of Governance and Code of Conduct.

This isn't just about ticking boxes-you'll be at the heart of ensuring our Board runs smoothly and effectively, fostering strong communication between Board members, Committees, and the Senior Management Team. Your work will directly impact how PA Housing delivers on its mission, ensuring we meet all our governance and regulatory obligations while driving positive change in our communities.

If you're a strategic thinker with a passion for excellence and a commitment to doing the right thing, we'd love to hear from you.

What You Get in Return

In addition to your annual remuneration, we offer a number of benefits, including:

1. High street discount schemes
2. Health cash plans
3. 26 days' annual leave, increasing to 29 after three years, with the opportunity to buy more
4. Car leasing scheme
5. Hybrid working - offering you the flexibility to thrive in your role. You'll have the opportunity to blend the best of both worlds, spending approximately two to three days per week in the office once settled in the role. This is flexible and depends on meeting cycles and board activity. We also offer an optional nine-day fortnight scheme, allowing you to compress your hours if it suits the role.

Your Responsibilities

• Deliver First-Class Governance: Ensure governance excellence across PA Housing by supporting the Board and Committees, driving alignment with our strategic objectives and maintaining a strong compliance framework.
• Drive Board and Committee Success: Facilitate efficient Board and Committee operations, ensuring governance processes meet statutory requirements and exceed expectations.
• Provide Trusted Governance Advice: Advise the Board and Executive on compliance, governance matters, and strategic decisions, ensuring ongoing regulatory alignment.
• Manage Statutory Filings: Oversee the timely and accurate submission of statutory filings, ensuring transparency and compliance.
• Own the Governance Calendar: Develop and manage an up-to-date Governance/Company Secretarial timetable, ensuring all critical governance events are executed smoothly.
• Lead Meeting Support Excellence: Deliver high-quality governance meeting support, producing minutes, agendas, work plans, and reports with precision.
• Maintain a Strong Compliance Regime: Ensure robust compliance policies are in place, including conflicts of interest and gifts, maintaining integrity across the organisation.
• Shape Governance Tools: Support the creation and updating of governance frameworks, helping drive forward best practices at PA Housing.
• Stay Ahead of Regulatory Changes: Stay informed on Company Law, Corporate Governance, and the Social Housing sector, ensuring PA Housing adapts to new regulations.
• Drive Continuous Improvement: Lead the development of governance services, ensuring operational excellence and best practice standards are maintained.
• Support Risk Management Strategy: Assist in developing PA Housing's Risk Management Strategy, helping the Board identify and manage business risks.
• Lead and Empower Your Team: Provide leadership to the Governance Team, fostering a culture of excellence and ensuring the team meets its performance targets.
• Collaborate with the Chief Executive and Board: Ensure efficient Board operations, good information flow, and decision-making at the right level within PA Housing.
• Be the Trusted Advisor: Support the Chair, Chief Executive, and Board with expert advice and help maintain Board effectiveness through recruitment, onboarding, and governance reviews.
• Work Across Teams: Collaborate with the Executive and Senior Leadership teams, providing strategic planning and leadership to drive PA Housing's vision.
• Live PA Housing's Values: Actively promote and demonstrate PA Housing's values, fostering a culture of empathy, collaboration, and service excellence.
• Stay Ahead of Industry Trends: Keep up to date with sector developments, ensuring PA Housing remains at the forefront of governance best practices.
• Drive Business Efficiency: Contribute to the overall success of the business by helping PA Housing achieve its goals and deliver exceptional results.

Our Ideal Candidate

• Governance & Leadership Expertise: You have experience in governance and company secretarial roles, ideally with a qualification from the Chartered Governance Institute, and bring proven leadership with a focus on service excellence.
• Project & Compliance Leadership: You've successfully led governance projects and established compliant practices, including GDPR, while driving continuous improvement in governance arrangements.
• Collaboration & Influence: Skilled at building strong relationships, you can collaborate, influence, and negotiate effectively at all levels to achieve organisational goals.
• Tech-Savvy & Organised: Proficient in MS Office and Board portal software, you're highly organised, thrive under pressure, and ensure high-quality output even with tight deadlines.
• Problem-Solving & Analytical Thinking: You have a knack for tackling complex challenges, digesting technical data, and finding solutions that drive efficiency and performance.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Leadership: You've successfully managed teams and worked in partnership with both internal and external stakeholders to improve services and achieve business objectives.
• Diversity & Inclusion Champion: You are committed to fostering an inclusive environment, promoting diversity and ensuring all voices are heard and valued.