Company Secretary and Director of Corporate Governance: Sponsorship Available

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) is seeking an exceptional, highly credible and experienced governance professional to join our executive leadership team as Company Secretary and Director of Corporate Governance.

This is a rare opportunity to lead and continually improve corporate governance across a large, complex and highly respected NHS Trust serving communities across County Durham, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby. The Trust provides mental health and learning disability services and is committed to ensuring people feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

As the Trust’s principal adviser on corporate governance, you will work directly with the Chair, Chief Executive, Board of Directors and Council of Governors, ensuring the highest standards of governance, accountability, assurance and compliance are embedded throughout the organisation.

This post is based at West Park Hospital in Darlington however, will have trust-wide responsibilities across the North East and North Yorkshire.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive and professionally accountable to the Chair, you will provide independent, authoritative and expert advice on all aspects of corporate governance. You will be responsible for leading the design, implementation and continuous improvement of the Trust’s governance framework, ensuring that governance arrangements support strategic objectives while meeting statutory, constitutional and regulatory requirements.

Main duties of the job

We are seeking an exceptional governance leader to act as principal adviser to the Chair, Chief Executive, Board of Directors, Board Committees and Council of Governors on governance, constitutional and regulatory matters. The successful candidate will bring significant senior experience in corporate governance, board support, company secretariat or governance leadership roles, with a strong understanding of NHS governance arrangements, Foundation Trust constitutions and compliance requirements. You will possess expert knowledge of the NHS Provider Licence, NHS Code of Governance and wider statutory frameworks, ensuring the Trust maintains the highest standards of accountability. You will have a proven track record of leading governance improvement, strengthening organisational effectiveness and developing frameworks that support high-quality decision making. Experience overseeing Board Assurance Frameworks, risk management and governance reporting is essential. You will be confident advising and influencing Chairs, Chief Executives, Executive and Non-Executive Directors on complex governance matters, providing expert guidance and constructive challenge. Strong judgement, political awareness and the ability to work within complex environments are vital. Excellent communication and relationship-building skills are essential, together with experience of working effectively with governors, regulators, auditors, NHS England, the Care Quality Commission and system partners.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Master’s degree or equivalent postgraduate qualification, or equivalent specialist knowledge acquired through substantial senior experience and with accredited elements
  • Educated to degree level or able to demonstrate equivalent accredited senior-level knowledge and experience
  • Chartered Governance Professional status or membership of the Chartered Governance Institute, or another relevant professional body OR
  • Advanced Certificate in Health Service Governance (CGI UKI) or undertaking the CGI UKI qualifying program and achieved the level of graduate

Desirable

  • Legal Qualification

Knowledge

Essential

  • Highly developed specialist knowledge derived from significant experience and / or education
  • Highly developed specialist governance administrative skills and understanding from significant experience and/ or education
  • Expert knowledge of NHS corporate governance, foundation trust constitutional arrangements, regulatory requirements and Board assurance

Experience

Essential

  • Substantial senior leadership experience in corporate governance, risk and assurance, legal or related corporate services within a large and complex organisation
  • Experience of operating with and at senior manager or Board level
  • Experience of corporate affairs in a large, complex organization

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Closing Date: 11 October 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.