Governance Officer

As a Governance Officer, you will provide high quality governance and operational support to the senior executive and Board and Committees as well as other stakeholders both across the Fund and externally.  This opportunity is a 12 month fixed term contract.

The successful candidate will join our core Governance team of five, reporting to the Head of Governance and working closely with another officer and two senior officers. A team player you will take pride in your work and the work of the Governance team. 

Ideal candidates will have a good understanding of governance in the public or voluntary/charity sector and be able to quickly familiarise themselves with the Fund’s complex governance framework. 

You will be expected to use your judgement and knowledge to provide prompt and high-quality support, advice and feedback. 

You will also be confident in identifying, implementing, and maintaining governance processes and best practice, suggesting changes where needed. 

You will be able to develop and maintain a complex schedule of Fund-wide corporate meetings and providing seamless support to the senior leadership of the Fund.

Responsibilities:

• You will work strategically, scheduling meetings throughout the year, and managing complex diaries to ensure availability and smooth coordination.
• You will attend various meetings, taking accurate and comprehensive minutes, and ensure that all key decisions and actions are documented and communicated promptly.
• You will collect, format, and organise meeting papers for distribution to meeting participants. 
• You will maintain the organisation’s Declaration of Interest Register.
• You will manage the team’s inbox, handling queries from internal and external stakeholders in a timely and professional manner.
• You will work closely with a wider team of Governance Officers, Executive Assistants, and other colleagues to ensure seamless support across the governance function.
• You will be recognised across the Fund as a knowledgeable resource on governance matters, providing guidance and support as needed.
• You will be expected to manage your workload effectively, work without supervision, and deliver high-quality outputs under tight deadlines.

Ideal skills and experience:

• Experience working in governance, or a governance-related position. 
• Reliable, responsive, flexible and ability to maintain a high standard of professionalism in all interactions.
• You will have excellent communication skills to convey complex information clearly and concisely, both in writing and verbally.
• Experienced and skilled in writing quality meeting minutes, promptly after meetings and effectively. 
• You will be proactive and strong attention to detail
• You will be able to manage multiple priorities, handling complex schedules, and ensuring that all tasks are completed efficiently and on time.
• You will have the ability to work well in a team environment, collaborating effectively with colleagues to achieve common goals.

Interview Date: Week commencing 30th September (first stage), minute taking task and competency based interview, virtual

Location:  We have a hybrid approach to working, work pattern and location will be agreed with the successful candidate. Our team is mainly based in London, therefore regular travel to our office in Kings Cross will be required. 

We also have offices in Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle and Newtown.

On application, please align your supporting statement to the criteria below

Essential criteria

• Demonstrate a good understanding of governance through prior experience in working in a similar role in the public or voluntary/charity sector.
• Have strong communication skills, verbal and written, and excellent minute writing skills.
• Have experience in supporting operational and logistical requirements in a busy team, with the ability to work across multiple workstreams, manage workload, whilst maintaining high attention to detail.
• Have an excellent knowledge of MS Office 365/excel and experience working with virtual software.

Desirable criteria

• Demonstrate an adaptable and resilient approach and the ability to think innovatively to solve problems.
• Knowledge of public sector governance and environment.
• Experience in working collaboratively within a team and supporting others.
• Understanding of project management.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion  

Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.  

We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.)