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At Age UK, effective governance is key to delivering our mission and supporting older people. We are looking for a Senior Governance Manager to play a pivotal role supporting our most senior Boards and Committees, ensuring robust governance, regulatory compliance, and strategic alignment.
The Senior Governance Manager is a key role managing and providing all aspects of the governance and secretariat service relevant to the most senior Boards and Committees within the Age UK Group and deputising for the Head of Governance and Legal with respect to duties as Company Secretary.
The role manages a team of 4 Executive Assistant and Governance Officers and 1 Executive Assistant (Chair/CEO) and the ability to line manage this team throughout the Board and Committee governance cycle and on individual projects / tasks, while also providing consistent executive services is key.
This is a very visible role working closely with Trustees and Directors as well as the most senior staff within the Charity, providing advice and support.
The post holder will lead projects, anticipate future governance matters and proactively tackle issues, with the ability to prioritise and manage many projects and activities in a busy environment. Please see role description for all responsibilities.
We operate a hybrid working model. We offer flexibility on working from home but require the applicant to be in our central London office approximately 4 times per month, in line with meeting schedules. Travel costs to the London office are the responsibility of the postholder and are not covered by the charity.
Age UK internal grade: 4L
Must haves:
The below competencies will be assessed at the indicated stage of the recruitment process: Application = A, Interview = I, Test = T, Presentation = P
Experience
* Experience of provision of secretariat services; servicing senior level Boards and Committees A, I
* Experience of charity governance in a large and complex charity structure, including experience of establishing and maintaining governance policies and procedures A, I
* Experience of corporate governance A, I
* Line management experience A, I
Skills and Knowledge
* High level of written English A, T, P
* Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate at all levels and to tailor communications to different audiences A, I, T, P
* Strong presentation, negotiation and interpersonal skills I
* Experience of or aptitude to explore how technology and the use of AI can transform the team's work I
* A good eye for detail A, I
* Proactive and able to work both individually and as a team. I
* Sound judgement with good problem-solving abilities I
* Highly organised, able to meet deadlines and manage / prioritise workflow A, I
Personal attributes
* Confident and able to take decisions I
* Personable and able to build good relationships quickly I
* Flexible and able to work in a changing and fast-moving environment I
* Discreet and comfortable with holding confidential information I
Great to Have's:
The below competencies will be assessed at the indicated stage of the recruitment process:
Application = A, Interview = I, Test = T, Presentation = P
* Experience / understanding of working within a financial service regulated environment. A, I
What we offer in return
- Competitive salary, 26 days annual leave + bank holidays + annual leave purchase scheme
- Excellent pension scheme, life assurance, Health cashback plan and EAP
- Car Benefit Scheme, Cycle to Work Scheme and Season Ticket Loan
- Techscheme - buy any tech from Apple or Currys, up to £1000, and spread the cost over 12 months, interest free
- Blue Light Card Scheme
- You Did It Awards - recognition awards from £100-250
- Many additional benefits
Additional Information
Supporting statements and anonymisation
Candidates are expected to provide a supporting statement that explains how they meet the competencies annotated with an 'A' in the job description, to assess suitability for the position. Age UK acknowledges and accepts that AI may be used to support the application; we do expect candidates to personalise experience, knowledge and skills and failure to do so, may result in your application being rejected.
Please submit a Word version of your CV as it will be anonymised by our recruitment system when you apply for a role. Our system is unable to anonymise supporting statements and heavily formatted CVs. Please could you remove any personal information including your name before you upload to support our inclusive recruitment process. All equalities monitoring information is also anonymised and not shared with the hiring panel. Your name and address will only be known to us if invited for interview.
Equal opportunities & Disability Confident Scheme
Age UK is an Equal Opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates, regardless of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital/civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity. Age UK is a Disability Confident Scheme employer. Due to high numbers of applications received, Age UK reserves the right to limit the overall number of interviews offered, and therefore, it may not always be practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people that meet the minimum criteria for the job.
Reasonable adjustments
Disabled job seekers can access reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. All requests for reasonable adjustments are considered on a case-by-case basis, in collaboration with the disabled job seeker to best meet their needs, by contacting the Recruitment Team. Disability disclosures will be kept confidential and only shared on a need-to-know basis to support the implementation of adjustments. Disclosures will not be used to inform hiring decisions.
Age UK is committed to safeguarding adults at risk, and children, from abuse and neglect. We expect everyone who works with us to share this commitment.
Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert at any time.
Age UK politely requests no contact from recruitment agencies or media sales. We do not accept speculative CVs from recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.
For a full list of benefits please visit our website.
Registered Charity 
More than 1000
Thank you!
About the role
The Programme Director role is an exciting new opportunity to lead the recently established Southern VCSE Collaborative (SVC), enabling it to deliver contracts collaboratively across the voluntary and community sector and at scale. The role will be employed technically by Southampton Voluntary Services but fully seconded into SVC.
SVC is a newly established, system-backed partnership bringing together five charities – No Limits, Solent Mind, Southampton Voluntary Services (SVS), Citizens Advice Southampton and Social Care in Action (SCiA).
SVC does not directly deliver services; instead, it works through a network of VCSE partners to deliver high-quality, community-based provision. SVC currently holds a £2.8m per annum contract (6 years with the option to extend for a further 4 years) delivered through 15 providers and has ambitious plans to grow its reach and impact across Southampton, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
We are seeking an experienced Programme Director to provide strategic and operational leadership at this critical stage of development. This is a senior system leadership role, combining partnership-building, programme development and disciplined oversight of performance, finance and governance. As a new role, we are open to exploring the precise make up hours. The role is advertised as 0.8FTE, but other options can be suggested to deliver the required responsibilities.
You will:
- Act as the senior representative and “face” of SVC with commissioners, statutory partners and the VCSE
- Lead system, partnership and programme development across Southampton, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
- Position SVC as a trusted system partner and secure new programmes and contracts
- Oversee delivery across multiple VCSE partners, ensuring strong performance, quality assurance and continuous improvement
- Manage contract performance, including KPIs, financial oversight and risk
- Support the Board of Directors with governance, strategy and organisational development, including fulfilling Company Secretary responsibilities
About you
You will bring:
- Significant experience working with commissioners and the voluntary sector in complex, multi-partner environments
- A strong track record of leading programmes or contracts involving multiple delivery partners
- Financial and performance management credibility, with the ability to oversee budgets, risk and value for money
- Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills
- The ability to operate effectively in ambiguity and shape emerging models
- A values-driven, collaborative leadership style, with the confidence to both support and challenge partners
You will have a recognised programme or transformation qualification, or equivalent senior-level experience leading complex programmes.
We are open to flexible delivery models within the set budget and welcome candidates to propose how they would structure the role.
About Southampton Voluntary Services (SVS)
Southampton Voluntary Services (SVS) is the umbrella body for local voluntary and community groups working in Southampton. They provide a wide range of services including specialist support, advice and training to their membership. They also provide and promote information to individuals and organisations on volunteering in the city.
Please note this role is employed by Southampton Voluntary Services (SVS) which means you will get the following benefits:
- 25 days' holiday (pro-rata) increasing to 30 after five years
- 5% employer contribution pension with Aviva
Hours: 30 hours per week.
Location: Multiple partnerships and sub-contractors across the local VCSE Sector.
Closing date: Monday 25 May 2026 (11.59pm).
Interview date: The first stage of interview will be a 30 minute MS Teams call on 3 and 4 June. If you are successful you will then be invited to a second stage interview which will be face to face on 12 June 2026.
NOTE TO APPLICANTS - You will be asked about gaps in your employment at interview and you will need to provide proof of your right to work in the UK before you start your employment.
Unfortunately, we cannot sponsor this role as we do not hold a sponsorship licence. Any offer for this role will be subject to a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and receiving your references.
We welcome people from all the communities we work in to apply. Offers are made based on merit.
Please submit your application as early as possible, as we may close this advert before the advertised closing date.
