Governance Officer

Governance Officer

THIS IS A CATEGORY "E" POST.
Please note that in all cases written references will be taken up and made available to interviewers BEFORE the final selection stage; even if you indicate otherwise

Ref:

SNT2543(e)

Full time

£30,095 – £33,486* (*at current rates.)

SMART Multi Academy Trust; the employer will be the Multi Academy Trust.

SMART Multi Academy Trust

c/o Wyndham Primary School

Montagu Avenue

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE3 4SB

37 hours per week, Permanent, All-Year round

Start Date: September 2022 earlier if possible

(This would be advantageous to the new post holder)

The Smart Trust is seeking to appoint a committed and enthusiastic governance professional to the role of Governance Officer as part of the Trust Leadership Team. The post has become available due to the retirement of our current governance officer who has transformed our Trust’s model of governance, compliance and policy; the successful applicant will be responsible for the continuation of this development in a creative and efficient way in line with the Trusts continued development.

At Smart Trust, we seek employees who share our vision, values and principles to work ethically and with trust, empathy and respect to ensure everyone is supported to be the best they can be. We are focused on providing a bespoke education for all of our pupils to give them the best opportunities and experiences to help them learn, be happy and ultimately successful in life.

You will work in an innovative and supportive working environment, where we passionately believe that maintaining the right organisational culture leads to the best outcomes for our pupils. The role will be office based at the Trust’s central office, currently Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne; following a successful induction there will be an opportunity for some home working.

• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements, including annualised hours;

• Attractive employee benefits through pension and annual leave entitlement (30 days);

• Salary sacrifice schemes (child care vouchers, cycle purchase, car leasing);

• A commitment to continued professional growth and development opportunities for all our staff;

• Training and induction will be provided. This role will always grow and develop over time.

Responsibilities of the role

• To advise and support the Members, Board of Trustees and local governing boards on the proper exercise of their powers under our Scheme of Delegation and to comply with the legislation within the Academy Trust Handbook;

• To act as clerk to the Members, Board of Trustees and relevant local governing board committees;

• the preparation and dissemination of agendas and minutes;

• To lead on delivery of good governance across the Trust;

• Ability to manage change processes and lead small projects;

• Ability to effectively manage and advise on risk and policies;

• To effectively line manage a team of people in the future;

• The role requires flexibility with working times to accommodate fluctuating workloads and meetings.

The successful candidate will demonstrate the following key attributes:

• Extremely effective organisational and administrative skills, with good time management,

• Attention to detail and the ability to work successfully under pressure and to deadlines;

• Experience of working with autonomy over the management of your own workload, priorities and deadlines;

• Excellent communication skills, including high standards of written communication, and the confidence to advise and respond to questioning in formal meetings;

• Exceptional ICT skills - Google & MS Office products;

• Sound minute taking and report writing skills - ability to produce clear, well-formatted and concise reports and presentations;

• Ability to work with tact, diplomacy and discretion, maintaining confidentiality at all times;

• A professional and optimistic approach, good inter-personal skills and a sense of humour;

• Ability to develop effective teamwork and promote and maintain positive working relationships;

• Creative thinking with the ability to anticipate and solve problems;

• Personal energy and resilience in the face of challenge;

• Effective research skills and ability to keep up to date with relevant legislative changes and developments;

• Ability to work flexibly with regard to traveling to different locations and supporting some evening meetings, flexi-time/compressed hours working arrangements available;

• You will be responsible to the CEO as your line manager, but liaise closely with the Chair of the Trustees.

Recruitment Process

We would be delighted to receive applications using the application form available from smart-multi-academy-trust.secure-primarysite.net/vacancies/

Candidates are welcome to provide additional supporting information they feel would add depth to their application.

Closing date for applications is 12pm Wednesday 8th June 2022

Shortlisting will take place on Monday 13th June 2022

Interviews will take place in person on Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd June.

Candidates will meet with the Trust Chief Executive Officer, Director of Business & Finance, a Trustee and the current post holder. The interview is likely to be of 1.5 to 2 hours in duration.

We welcome any early questions from candidates who are also welcome to visit the Trust in advance. If you would like to ask any questions or visit us, please contact the Trust central office on 0191-255-9351.

To apply, you must submit a covering letter, the completed application form, and the Safer Recruitment form by email to Sharon Murdoch at sharon.murdoch@smartacademies.net.

Permanent

Closing date:

8 June 2022