Nuclear Waste Services has a vacancy for an experienced Deputy Company Secretary, to lead and develop the ambitious but friendly Company Secretariat team within Nuclear Waste Services, on behalf of our General Counsel/Company Secretary.
You will work closely with a Board that generates an open and welcoming culture supporting the business to achieve it's vision and purpose of making nuclear waste permanently safe, sooner. This would suit someone with a passion for governance, an excellent collaborator who works well with people from all levels of the business.
Reporting to NWS’s General Counsel/Company Secretary, this position would be an integral part of the Legal & Co Sec function, taking a senior position with NWS. The Deputy would have line management responsibility for the Assistant Company Secretary and Board assistant and would lead on delivering improvements to NWS’s governance.
Company Secretarial – Responsible for:
- The management of NWS Board and committee meetings and Executive meetings processes (scheduling, agenda, advice on paper content, communicating meeting outputs and drafting of minutes)
- Monitoring and follow up of actions taken during Board meetings
- Effective forward planning of Board/Executive meetings
- Co-ordination and completion of statutory filings at Companies House and completion of company books and other records
- Communications with NWS Board members between meetings and oversight of logistics arrangements
- Ensuring proper processes are followed in connection with the appointment of new directors
- Board members induction and training
- Terms of reference for NWS Board and committees and keeping them under regular review
- Collaboration with other Company Secretarial teams across the NDA Group
Corporate Governance – Responsible for:
- Operating and maintaining the Corporate governance framework within NWS to help directors discharge their statutory duties in line with good industry practice (and including benchmarking with external organisations)
- Advising chairs and members on points of law and governance
- Board/Executive effectiveness review
- Monitoring and advising on the efficacy of implementation of policies and procedures to facilitate continual policy improvement
- Develop board reports and make recommendations based on specialist knowledge and best practice
- Strong technical knowledge and ability to interpret, communicate and apply corporate law
- Degree (legal preferred but not essential)
- CGI Qualified or Part-Qualified
- Excellent working knowledge of Companies Act 2006 and the UK Corporate Code
- Strong experience of working within a Company Secretariat position
- Line management experience preferred
- Strong knowledge of the principles of best practice in governance and how they apply to the public sector
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and facilitation skills required to develop and maintain constructive working relationships
- The ability to advise senior staff effectively
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to demonstrate experience in writing accurate and concise minutes, reports and briefings;
- The ability to assemble and communicate complex information and advice, including the ability to draft company secretarial documents.
We value the unique differences that each of our colleagues bring to work every day and are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels respected, included and able to perform at their best. We are committed to creating a workplace that is diverse and inclusive. We value the diversity of our people and actively seek to have a workforce that represents the rich diversity of the communities we support. Currently we are underrepresented in some areas, and would particularly welcome applicants from Women, Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities, LGBTQ+ and candidates who have a disability.
In promoting equal opportunities, we welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We select people according to their abilities and our needs. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet all of the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of disabled candidates who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.