Overview
We are seeking to appoint an experienced and highly organised individual to provide strategic leadership across the Trust’s governance, company secretariat, compliance and executive support functions. This is a pivotal role, ensuring that the Trust Board, its committees and all Academy Education Committees (AECs) operate effectively and meet all statutory and regulatory requirements.
Responsibilities
- Lead on all aspects of the Trust’s governance and compliance infrastructure, overseeing key frameworks, registers, filings and reporting processes.
- Maintain the Scheme of Delegation, statutory registers, risk reporting, governance cycles, Companies House requirements and the wider policy schedule.
- Line manage the Governance & Executive Support Officers, providing clear direction to ensure effective local governance and strong Trust-wide secretariat support.
- Strengthen accountability, transparency and organisational effectiveness across Place Partnership through robust systems and continuous improvement.
- Manage Trustee and Member recruitment and supervise the full governance lifecycle, ensuring stakeholders receive the support they need to fulfil their responsibilities.
- Provide expert advice and assurance to Executive colleagues, Trustees and Academy Leaders to ensure governance arrangements remain effective, compliant and aligned to best practice.
- Oversee the central complaints function and coordinate with the Data Protection Officer on Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs), Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and other data protection matters.
- Provide independent challenge and assurance on the effectiveness of Shared Services through oversight of service level agreements, cross-functional agreements and compliance reporting.
- Provide strategic executive support to the Chief Executive Officer, preparing briefings, papers and reports for Board meetings, external publications and key stakeholder engagement.
- Act as a discreet and proactive point of contact for Board Members, Trustees and external stakeholders, and as a first point of contact for the Trust via telephone and email on behalf of the Executive Team.
- Work across geographical hubs to provide strategic leadership, line management and collaboration (West Hub: Wakefield (WF5) and Rotherham (S66)).
- Support term-time-plus-inset and additional days arrangements; indicate preferred option in applications.
Successful Candidate
- An experienced governance, company secretariat or compliance professional with substantial experience within education or another complex organisational setting.
- Highly organised and detail-focused, with the ability to manage complex governance cycles and competing priorities with accuracy.
- A credible and confident adviser, able to provide clear guidance and training on governance, compliance and procedural matters to senior leaders, Trustees and Academy colleagues.
- A capable team leader, able to provide clear direction, support and development to others while promoting consistency and professionalism.
- Committed to continuous improvement, with a strong understanding of accountability, transparency and service quality.
- Proactive, trustworthy and approachable, with the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Reliable, discreet, and able to handle highly confidential information with integrity.
- Values-led and genuinely committed to the wellbeing of young people, recognising the importance of strong governance in supporting positive outcomes.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward-thinking and ambitious organisation, driven by a genuine passion for the wellbeing, care and education of young people.
Place Partnership represents the voluntary merger of two strong and successful Trusts in South and West Yorkshire: Maltby Learning Trust (established in 2014) and Accord Multi Academy Trust (founded in 2016). Both organisations share a clear ambition to grow our families of schools, extend the impact of our work, and ensure more children, families and communities could benefit from high-quality education. From 1 September 2026, we will comprise 12 academies, supporting children and young people from early years through to Post 16.
Visits are warmly welcomed and can be arranged. For further details regarding this opportunity, for an informal discussion regarding the role or to arrange a visit, please contact mergerenquiries@accordmat.org.
Closing Date: Monday 29 June 2026 at 9am.
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