Associate Director of Governance

Giving Back Recruitment is proud to be partnering with a highly respected, long-established professional membership charity on a senior governance appointment of real strategic significance.

This is a rare opportunity to lead governance at a professional membership organisation, operating at the heart of a Royal Charter body with a strong public purpose.

We are seeking a strategic and values-driven Associate Director of Governance to set the standard for governance, risk, audit and compliance across the organisation. Reporting to the Chief Executive, you will work in close partnership with Trustees, Council, the Audit & Risk Committee, and senior leaders to ensure decision-making is transparent, well-governed, and aligned with organisational purpose.

The role

The Associate Director of Governance will hold end-to-end responsibility for constitutional governance, board and committee effectiveness, regulatory compliance, risk management, internal audit and data protection.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading best-practice governance in line with the Royal Charter and Charity Commission expectations
• Acting as a trusted adviser to Trustees, Council and the Audit & Risk Committee
• Overseeing enterprise risk, internal audit, business continuity and insurance arrangements
• Serving as Data Protection Officer and leading GDPR compliance
• Strengthening organisational capability, culture and decision-making through clear, confident governance
• Leading and developing a high-performing governance, risk and compliance team

This role sits at the intersection of governance, strategy and culture and offers the opportunity to make a lasting impact within a complex, values-led organisation.

About you

You will be a senior governance professional with substantial experience operating at organisational and board level, ideally within a charity, membership body or regulated environment.

You will bring:

• Proven senior-level experience in governance, legal or regulatory contexts
• Strong knowledge of charity governance, constitutional frameworks and best practice
• Experience leading teams and managing complex, cross-organisational workstreams
• A sound working knowledge of GDPR and regulatory compliance
• Excellent influencing, communication and stakeholder-management skills
• The credibility and judgement to advise Trustees and senior leaders with confidence

A governance qualification (or equivalent experience), experience spanning risk management, internal audit, insurance or data protection, and familiarity with professional or membership bodies, would be advantageous.