Deputy company secretary jobs
About Us
Rowans Hospice Charity provides free care and support to adults and their families living in the Portsmouth and South East Hampshire region who have a life-limiting illness. Established in 1994, our income is generated by ongoing support of the local community, donations, legacies, fundraising and through our retail shops.
Many people think that hospices are all about dying, but through our many different services, we support people to live as well as they can with their illness. From the moment of diagnosis through to bereavement support. Our Living Well Services put an emphasis on living with a life-limiting illness and patients and carers can drop in and gain advice and support to maintain individuals’ resilience.
The Hospice is also supported by an assembly of volunteers, from various backgrounds and ages who are crucial in supporting the teams to ensure people live well to the end of their life and attain a good death within a caring and compassionate environment.
The Role
To provide high-level, proactive, and confidential administrative and executive support to the Senior Leadership Team and the Board of Trustees. This role ensures the efficient coordination of meetings, communications and strategic initiatives by managing schedules, preparing documentation and facilitating effective information flow. The EA acts as a key point of contact between internal and external stakeholders, supporting the governance and operational effectiveness of the Charity at the highest levels.
You will be the lead administrator for governance, ensuring all statutory and regulatory obligations are met, whilst also supporting the effective running of executive meetings, day-to-day leadership functions and education placements.
Key Responsibilities include (but not limited to – see Job Description for further information)
- Provide PA support to the Chair, Deputy CEO, Company Secretary and SLT, including diary management, correspondence, travel, and meeting coordination
- Provide efficient and professional support to the Board of Trustees and delegated committees, including scheduling, producing annual meeting calendars, preparing agendas, circulating papers, taking accurate minutes and following up on actions
- Provide administrative and logistical support for Doctors and Nursing Student placements
- Develop and maintain efficient systems and processes for executive administration
The ideal candidate will have:
- Minimum 3 years’ experience in a similar role ideally in a charity
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Professional and confident interpersonal manner
- Ability to draft high-quality correspondence and reports
- Experience in formal minute-taking and senior board level
What we Offer
In addition to working for a meaningful cause, we provide:
✔️ Company pension (NHS pension retained if transferring from NHS)
✔️Continuous service recognised service if transferring from NHS
✔️ Health & wellbeing programme
✔️ Employee Assistance Programme
✔️ DSE equipment & uniforms provided
✔️ Generous holiday allowance
✔️ Career development opportunities
✔️ Blue Light Card membership
Join Our Team
Apply today and be part of a dedicated team providing vital hospice care to the community
Rowans Hospice is committed to equal opportunities and inclusion in the workplace, welcoming applications from all backgrounds
For further information please review the Job Description and to apply for the role please use our online application form or upload a CV along with a cover letter, clearly outlining your motivation for applying and how you fulfil the requirements in the job description.
Interviews will take place week commencing 10 November 2025.
Rowans Hospice is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of all children and vulnerable adults needing our care and support. Subsequently, our recruitment process is thorough, ensuring a consistent and detailed approach to gather information from and about candidates so that all persons appointed are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults.
Apply now and make a difference!
Please include a cover letter along with your CV outlining your motivation for applying and how you meet the requirements in the job description
Registered Charity 
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Location: Home-based in the UK, within 90 minutes travel of Central London, with occasional national and international travel.
Contract: 2 years with the possibility of extension dependent on continuation of funding. You should be available to start by mid-January 2026.
Reporting to: Executive Director (ED)
Salary: £85,000 - £90,000
Additional benefits: 25 days annual leave plus public holidays (annual leave increasing by 1 extra day for every year’s service up to 30 days total), life assurance and access to an employee assistance programme.
Job description
Overall purpose of role
The Director of Operations and Finance is a pivotal senior leadership role responsible for ensuring WeProtect Global Alliance has robust and highly effective financial management, operational, governance, and risk infrastructure. The Director will provide strategic financial leadership, act as the primary resource for the Board on governance matters and oversee corporate compliance to enable the impactful delivery of the organisation's strategy to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse online.
We are seeking a highly experienced operational leader who is a proactive and confident decision-maker. You will be an influential SMT member and a trusted advisor to the Executive Director and the Board. You must be able to think strategically and solve problems, translating complex technical requirements (finance, legal, risk) into clear, pragmatic, and achievable goals. You will operate with high ethical standards and integrity, modelling the Alliance's values of Accountability, Respect, and Empowerment across all internal and external relationships.
Key Responsibilities
Corporate Governance, Risk & Compliance
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Corporate Governance: Ensure Alliance governance is efficient, effective and provides the necessary support and oversight to the team to enable delivery of our mission, leading on review and optimisation of our governance structures and management. Act as a key advisor to the Executive Director and Board on all aspects of governance, legal compliance, and statutory obligations (including Dutch Chamber of Commerce and UK Companies House requirements).
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Risk Management: Senior responsible owner of the strategic risk register and proactively monitor and escalate strategic risks, reporting on high-level mitigation strategies to the Board and Finance, Risk and Audit Committee. Liaising with the Deputy Head who will oversee the day-to-day monitoring and reporting of operational risks.
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Internal Control & Audit: Set the strategic standard for the internal control environment. Commission, approve the scope for, and receive final reports on all internal or external governance reviews or audits. Approve all final audit recommendations and plans before presentation to the Board.
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Legal Compliance: Ensure the Alliance is compliant with all relevant UK, Dutch and international laws, managing external legal counsel relationships as needed, including maximising pro-bono support.
Operations and People Management
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Operational Oversight: Provide strategic direction for core operational functions, ensuring the Deputy Head of Operations and Finance delivers effective day-to-day operations including procurement, IT infrastructure, and general administration.
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Human Resources: Lead internal responsibility and the strategic development of the people management function, in liaison with the Executive Director. This includes owning the overarching policy framework, approving major changes to employee benefits, and managing any external HR consultants or support services to ensure all HR policies, recruitment practices, and performance management are compliant. Overseeing the Deputy Head on supporting the implementation of capacity building across the Secretariat.
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Line Management: Directly line manage and mentor the Deputy Head of Operations and Finance, setting clear objectives, managing performance, and supporting professional development. As a member of the SMT, you may also play a key role in matrix managing team members across the organisation.
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Cross-Organisational Leadership: Work collaboratively with the Executive Director and all members of the SMT to foster a culture of high performance, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement across all functions, including implementation of our organisational Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy and our overall organisational strategy.
Strategic Financial Management & Leadership
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Financial Strategy & Planning: Lead the development and own the ultimate approval of the organisation's financial strategy, ensuring long-term sustainability and resource allocation aligns with strategic objectives. Working closely with the Deputy Head of Operations and Finance on setting the parameters for the annual budgeting cycle and it’s execution.
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Budgeting & Reporting: Produce accurate, timely, and insightful financial reports and analysis for the Executive Director, Senior Management Team (SMT), and the Board/Finance, Risk and Audit Committee, drawing on the preparations of the Deputy Head e.g. forecasting, overseeing annual budgeting cycle and fincnial planning
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Audit & Statutory Compliance: Take ultimate accountability for the annual statutory audit process, ensuring all financial statements are prepared in compliance with relevant legislation and best practice for the Alliance’s Dutch and UK registered entities.
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Systems and Controls: Own and strategically evolve the financial control framework, ensuring robust policies, procedures, and systems are in place. Champion organisation-wide adherence to these standards, working closely with the Deputy Head who will oversee daily compliance and financial reporting accuracy.
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Grant Financial Management: Work with our Head of Development to oversee the financial management and reporting for all restricted and unrestricted grants, ensuring full compliance with donor requirements. Contribute to the organisation’s investment strategy and diversification by assessing financial viability of new funding sources or income models.
Person Specification
Essential Knowledge, Experience, and Skills
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Sector Experience: Proven senior leadership experience (Head of or equivalent) within a non-profit, charity, or international NGO setting.
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Governance & Risk: Extensive experience in developing, implementing and managing corporate governance frameworks, statutory compliance, and organisation-wide risk management in the non-profit sector.
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Legal Expertise: Demonstrable deep experience and knowledge of relevant legal frameworks and regulation relating to the non-profit sector in the UK and Netherlands.
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Financial Expertise: Deep technical knowledge of relevant financial regulations, statutory accounts and audit processes, with proven experience setting the financial strategy and controls framework for an organisation.
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Leadership & Management: Demonstrable track record of successfully leading, managing, and developing a multi-disciplinary team, including the management of senior direct reports.
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Strategic & Communication Skills: Excellent strategic thinking, with the ability to translate complex financial and governance information into clear, accessible reports and advice for senior stakeholders (Executive Director, Policy Board, Finance, Risk and Audit Committee).
Desirable
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Accountancy qualifications
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Experience as a Company Secretary or equivalent governance role.
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Experience in management and oversight of human resources
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Knowledge of international grant financial management and donor compliance requirements (particularly UK and Dutch).
Commitment
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A demonstrable commitment to the values of WeProtect Global Alliance, including safeguarding children and upholding principles of Respect, Accountability, and Empowerment.
See attached document for the full job profile.
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The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.