Senior Governance Manager – £45,000-£55,000 per year – Birmingham
About the Role
HS2 Ltd is seeking two Senior Governance Managers to support the delivery of high-quality governance and company secretarial services across the organisation.
Working closely with the Company Secretary, you will play a key role in ensuring the effective operation of HS2’s governance framework, supporting the Board, Board Committees and Executive leadership teams in their decision-making processes.
This role will help ensure decisions are taken in the right forum, at the right time, and in line with governance best practice for a major publicly funded infrastructure programme.
Key Responsibilities
As a Senior Governance Manager, you will:
- Support the Board, Board Committees and Executive Committee by coordinating governance processes and meeting schedules.
- Oversee the planning and delivery of board and committee meetings (over 200 meetings annually).
- Ensure high-quality board papers, reports and minutes are prepared and recorded accurately.
- Maintain governance documentation and ensure version control across internal systems and websites.
- Monitor compliance with governance frameworks, including HS2’s Framework Document and Development Agreement.
- Lead governance effectiveness reviews and help implement improvements to governance structures and processes.
- Manage the organisation’s Board Portal system and ensure secure distribution of governance materials.
- Provide guidance across the business on governance processes and decision-making pathways.
- Support the onboarding of new Board members and senior leaders.
- Maintain registers including conflicts of interest and Board member records.
- Contribute to the preparation of HS2’s Annual Report and Accounts.
Leadership Responsibilities
- Line management of a Governance Manager.
- Provide support and guidance to the Company Secretariat Assistant.
- Act as an escalation point for governance matters within the team.
- Support the Company Secretary in strengthening governance processes across HS2.
About You
We are looking for a governance professional with experience supporting senior leadership or board-level decision making within a complex organisation.
You will bring:
Skills
- Strong report writing and document drafting skills.
- Experience preparing board papers, agendas and minutes.
- Ability to interpret complex information and present it clearly.
- Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
- High levels of discretion and confidentiality.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
Knowledge
- Understanding of corporate governance frameworks, ideally within a public sector or regulated environment.
- Familiarity with government governance frameworks and oversight processes is advantageous.
- Knowledge of Freedom of Information (FOI) and public accountability processes would be beneficial.
Experience
- Experience working within a Company Secretariat or Governance function.
- Experience supporting Board and committee governance processes.
- Experience using Board Portal software such as AdminControl or Diligent.
- Experience maintaining formal governance records and implementing governance improvements.
- Experience working on large programmes or infrastructure projects would be advantageous.
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