Interim Head of Governance

Location: Remote - occasional travel to London and Warrington
Salary: £55,000 to £60,000 FTE, dependent on experience 
Contract: 5 month fixed term contract (November 2026 to March 2027)
Hours: Full-time
Start Date: November / ASAP

We are delighted to be supporting an environmental charity in the search for an experienced Head of Governance to establish and lead a newly created governance function during an initial five-month fixed-term contract.

This is a unique opportunity to join a purpose-led organisation at a pivotal stage of its development. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, the successful candidate will take ownership of governance activities; creating a more streamlined, effective and compliant governance framework.

The appointment has been created to support two upcoming Board cycles and will play a key role in demonstrating the value of a dedicated governance function, with the potential for the position to become permanent.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate all governance activities across the organisation.
• Provide high-quality support to the Board of Trustees and relevant committees.
• Manage the planning and delivery of Board and committee meetings, including agendas, papers, minutes and action tracking.
• Review and strengthen governance frameworks, policies, procedures and Terms of Reference.
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulatory and statutory requirements.
• Maintain governance records and documentation, recommending improvements where required.
• Support trustee recruitment, induction and ongoing development.
• Act as a trusted governance adviser to the Chief Executive, Chair and Board.
• Identify opportunities to improve governance effectiveness and embed best practice across the organisation.
• Take ownership of a fragmented governance function and establish clear, sustainable processes.

Key Requirements

• Significant experience in a senior governance, company secretarial or board support role.
• Strong knowledge of charity governance, regulatory compliance and governance best practice.
• Experience supporting Boards, Committees, Trustees and senior leadership teams.
• Ability to review, implement and improve governance frameworks and processes.
• Excellent organisational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong written communication skills, including experience drafting Board papers and minutes.
• Confident influencing and constructively challenging senior stakeholders when required.
• Able to work independently and quickly establish credibility within a new organisation.
• Experience within the charity, not-for-profit, membership body, housing, regulatory or public sector environments would be highly desirable.

CVs will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so if you're interested, please apply as soon as possible with your CV in Word format.

At Prospectus, we believe recruitment should be human-led and we are committed to supporting you throughout your application journey. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on age, gender, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, or pregnancy/maternity. While AI may be used to support our administrative process, all applications are reviewed by people and all hiring decisions are made by experienced recruiters.