Governance and Compliance Officer

The Role

We have an exciting opportunity for a full-time Governance and Compliance Officer to join The Vegan Society, on a permanent basis.

The Governance and Compliance Officer will support the Council of Trustees and the Chief Executive in all governance matters and provide guidance to ensure compliance with appropriate legal, regulatory and society frameworks. The role will provide advice on procedural matters relating to the operation of the Council, including the organisation and running of the Annual General meeting and ensure records are accurate with Companies House and the Charity Commission. This will be a hybrid role, with a requirement for occasional travel to the office and in-person meetings as required. Occasional out-of-hours working may be required to attend meetings and meet critical business needs.

What we offer:

A starting salary £31,586 – £37,035 (depending on experience)
28 days’ leave + 8 public bank holidays (25 days of annual leave and 3 closure days)
Ethical pension scheme (5-7% employer contribution)
Flexible working hours
Death in service benefit
Employee Assistance Programme and health cash-back scheme
Access to 24/7 virtual GP service
A fun and supportive team
Volunteer days
Companion animal compassionate leave
Cycle to work scheme
Climate perks policy (up to 6 days additional paid time off when choosing sustainable transportation for foreign holidays)

Key responsibilities of the role:

As Governance and Compliance Officer, you will:

Develop and maintain the annual governance calendar, including the planning of Council, Subsidiary Board, Committee, SLT and staff engagement meetings and co-ordinate logistical arrangements for such meetings.
Oversee and implement the forward work plan and agendas of all governance meetings to ensure the discharging of compliance and regulatory requirements, as well as ensuring key strategic issues and topics are discussed.
Act as a secretariat function for the Council, Subsidiary Board and Committee meetings ensuring the timely preparation of draft agendas based on annual requirements, previous minutes and organisational priorities.
Coordinate and circulate agendas and papers in a timely manner and minute all meetings ensuring that action points and decisions are recorded, followed up and coordinated within the timescales agreed.
Lead on drafting of Council, Board and Committee papers relating specifically to governance matters.
Oversee and implement the effective management of The Vegan Society’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) process including the call for and review of motions, setting of the agenda in consultation with Trustees and SLT, planning and co-ordination of the voting process and AGM, including the implementation of passed motions.
Oversee and implement the annual Trustee Election process supporting the Council to identify skills requirements, co-ordinate the application process and manage the shortlisting and voting process.
Manage the Trustee onboarding and induction process including the preparation of Trustee induction materials, the co-ordination of the logistical arrangements for induction sessions and meetings.
In liaison with SLT and Trustees, develop, manage and implement the action plan for The Vegan Society to ensure compliance with the charity Code of Governance and ensure continuous improvements in The Vegan Society Governance regime.
Regularly review and update the Council, Subsidiary Board and Committee Terms of Reference and ensure constitutional responsibilities and duties contained within them are being carried out.
Advise on constitutional requirements in accordance with Committee Terms of Reference.
Contribute to the coordination of learning and development opportunities for those involved in governance, including induction, and continuing professional development.
Assist with the management of Trustee elections as required.
Work with the Chief Executive and Chair to ensure that relevant checks are carried out on Trustees of the Council as required and where it is appropriate to do so.
Be the first point of call for external contacts, partners and members wishing to contact the Trustees.

To be considered as our Governance and Compliance Officer you must:

Have experience in a role which has encompassed charity governance and senior/Board level executive support.
Have executive level support/administration experience.
Have experience of writing clear and concise report and briefings for a range of audiences.
Have experience of preparing agendas and other papers and taking clear minutes at Board and/or committee level.
Have experience of managing confidential data and commercially sensitive material.
Have experience of working in the voluntary sector.
Have a good understanding of the role and responsibilities of Chief Executive, Chair and Trustees within an organisation.
Be confident in the use of a variety of IT applications.
Have excellent written and verbal communication.
Be able to manage your own time to meet deadlines and competing demands.
Be able to work with and maintain good working relationships with senior colleagues, customers and stakeholders.
Be able to deal with high volume deadline driven requests in a calm, diplomatic and persuasive manner.
Have excellent planning and organisation skills.
Be able to maintain discretion and confidentiality, with the ability to professionally challenge when necessary.

About us

The Vegan Society makes veganism more accessible and an easily adopted approach by supporting individuals, policy and decision makers, caterers, manufacturers, health care professionals and the media.

If you are;

passionate about changing the way we treat animals
want to help reduce damage to our environment
want to encourage people to enjoy healthy vegan food that looks good and tastes great

You’re in the right place! As individuals, we have a somewhat eclectic mix of skills, passions and idiosyncrasies … but it works. Probably because we all have one thing in common: we believe we’re onto something really special.

The Vegan Society as an organisation values equality, diversity and inclusion. We want to be an organisation that tackles any structural discrimination or prejudice. We are actively trying to increase diversity in our organisation and encourage applications from all sections of the community.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies.

Salary and Hours

This is a (37.5 hours per week) role with a salary of £31,586–37,035 per annum.

The Vegan Society are actively recruiting for this position and may contact shortlisted candidates prior to the published closing date, so early applications are encouraged.

It is a condition of your employment that, as far as is possible and practicable, you adhere to a vegan diet and lifestyle.

How to Apply

Please fill out the job application form.

The application deadline is Friday 10 January 2025.

Interview dates: mid-January 2025

To discuss this job role please email [email protected].

Governance and Compliance Officer job description

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