Company Secretary

At Alzheimer's Society, we're a team of advisors, supporters, fundraisers, researchers, and advocates, united by one purpose: to make life better for everyone affected by dementia. Everything we do must be worthy of that purpose. We're looking for a Company Secretary and Governance Lead to play a vital leadership role in ensuring our registered charity operates to the highest standards of governance, transparency, and integrity. This isn't just about compliance; it's about enabling an organisation to do its best work for the people who need it most.

Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer and working closely with the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Chief Executive, Executive Leadership Team, and Board Committees, you'll shape and strengthen our governance framework, creating the conditions for confident, informed decision-making that supports delivery of our strategy and our impact. If you're a strategic governance leader who combines technical expertise with strong relationships and a genuine belief that good governance matters, we'd love to hear from you.

• Act as Company Secretary for Alzheimer's Society and its subsidiaries, ensuring compliance with Charity Commission and Companies House requirements.
• Provide trusted, expert advice to the Chair, Board of Trustees, and Executive Leadership Team on their legal, fiduciary, and regulatory responsibilities.
• Oversee governance arrangements, ensuring effective information flow and clear decision-making structures across the organisation.
• Develop and lead a team of governance professionals, fostering a culture of high performance, collaboration, accountability, and inclusivity.
• Lead the design and continual improvement of our governance framework, embedding transparency, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making at every level.
• Serve as Whistleblowing Officer for the Society, championing integrity and openness in all governance processes.
• Support the governance team to deliver efficient Board and Committee meetings, forward planning, and statutory reporting.
• Build strong relationships across the organisation, helping teams see governance and compliance as enablers of effective, ethical leadership, not obstacles to it.

You're a confident, collaborative leader who brings professional rigour without losing sight of people. You know how to advise senior leaders with authority and earn trust at every level. You can hold the big picture and the detail at the same time, and you genuinely care about the organisation you work for.

We're looking for someone who can:

• Demonstrate a strong track record of advising Boards and senior leaders on governance, compliance, and organisational risk.
• Bring excellent knowledge of charity law, company law, and the UK governance landscape.
• Communicate complex information clearly and credibly, whether to lawyers, trustees, or people who've never read a governance report in their life.
• Lead with authenticity and integrity, building trusted relationships across all levels.
• Drive continuous improvement, simplifying processes and fostering a culture of learning and accountability.
• Lead and develop a small team, championing their collaboration and professional growth.
• Model Alzheimer's Society's values of Determination, Better Together, Compassion, and Trusted Expertise in everything you do.

This role is home-based with occasional travel across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 1st March 2026. Interview invites will be issued from 2nd March 2026. First stage interviews will take place across W/C 2nd March and 9th March 2026. The Involvement (lived experience) Panel will take place W/C 16th March 2026. The Competency Panel interview will take place at our Crutched Friars London office, with dates to be confirmed. Candidates will have the opportunity to meet virtually with our Chair of the Board of Trustees prior to any offer of employment.

Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime. At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be. Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society. We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people.