Senior Governance Administrator

Job overview

The senior governance administrator will play a key role within the corporate governance team, supporting the effective operation of the trust’s governance framework. Reporting to the deputy company secretary, the postholder will provide high-quality administrative and committee secretariat support, with a particular focus on the Membership Council and its committees.

This is a fast-paced and highly visible role requiring strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work with senior stakeholders including board members, governors and executive leaders. The successful candidate will help ensure governance processes are well-coordinated, compliant, transparent and effective.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is proactive, organised and committed to high standards of governance to contribute to the smooth running of statutory and non-statutory processes in a complex NHS organisation.

Main duties of the job

The senior governance administrator will provide high-quality administrative and secretariat support to corporate governance functions, ensuring meetings and processes are organised, accurate and compliant.

Key duties include coordinating governance meetings such as the Membership Council and committees, including scheduling, agenda planning, organising logistics, and collating and distributing papers. The postholder will attend meetings, produce clear and timely minutes, and maintain action logs to track decisions and follow-up actions.

The role will work closely with senior governance colleagues and committee chairs to support forward planning, governance calendars and reporting, including preparing committee reports to the Board.

The postholder will support governors and the Membership Council by acting as a main point of contact, maintain records, support induction and development, and assist with meetings, events and elections.

Responsibilities will also include maintaining governance records and registers, managing correspondence, supporting publication of information, and ensuring compliance with governance frameworks. The role will contribute to audits, reviews and assurance processes, and provide wider administrative support to the governance team.

Strong organisational skills, attention to detail, effective communication and the ability to manage competing priorities and sensitive information are essential.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The senior governance administrator will provide high-quality administrative and secretariat support to the corporate governance team, ensuring governance processes are well organised, compliant with statutory requirements, and aligned with best practice. The role primarily supports the Membership Council and associated committees while also contributing to wider corporate governance activity.

Governance and Committee Secretariat Support

• Provide full administrative and secretariat support to the Membership Council, Trust Executive Committee and related committees and groups
• Schedule meetings, coordinate attendance, arrange venues (in-person and virtual), and manage logistics
• Support agenda development in collaboration with the company secretary, senior governance colleagues and committee chairs
• Collate, quality check and distribute meeting papers in line with agreed timetables, ensuring version control and correct templates
• Act as secretary to designated meetings, producing clear, accurate and timely minutes that capture discussions, decisions and actions
• Maintain action logs and follow-up trackers, ensuring actions are progressed and escalated where required
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of governance calendars and forward plans
• Prepare and submit committee reports to the Board in a timely manner

Council of Governors and Membership Support

• Act as a first point of contact for governors on administrative and procedural matters
• Support governor induction, training and development processes, including maintaining attendance and training records
• Assist with planning and delivery of the annual members’ meeting and other governor-related events
• Support the coordination of governor elections, appointments and reappointments, liaising with external providers where required
• Maintain accurate and confidential records relating to governors, including declarations of interest and terms of office

Records, Registers and Information Management

• Maintain accurate records of meetings, decisions, memberships and actions
• Support upkeep of governance registers (e.g. interests, gifts and hospitality) under direction of senior colleagues
• Manage governance inboxes and correspondence, prioritising and responding appropriately
• Support publication of governance information on internal systems and the trust website, ensuring accuracy and accessibility

Compliance and Governance Assurance

• Support compliance with the trust’s constitution, standing orders, standing financial instructions and committee terms of reference
• Assist with annual reviews of governance documentation
• Provide support for audits, inspections and regulatory submissions, including evidence gathering and action tracking
• Ensure governance processes and meetings support equality, diversity and inclusion, including accessibility requirements

General Duties

• Provide administrative support to the wider corporate governance team, including diary management, document control and data entry
• Handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion
• Communicate complex or sensitive information as required to stakeholders
• Support evening or occasional out-of-hours meetings, including public meetings
• Contribute to development of local processes and procedures
• Undertake additional duties commensurate with the role as required

Key Working Relationships

Internal

• company secretary and corporate governance team
• Chair, non-executive directors and executive directors
• Membership Council members
• Committee chairs and committee members
• Executive assistants and senior managers
• Communications and membership teams

External

• External election providers and system suppliers
• Regulators, auditors and partner organisations
• Members of the public engaging with governor meetings and events