Corporate Governance Manager

CIBSE (the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers) is the professional body that exists to advance and promote the art, science and practice of building services engineering, to invest in education and research, and to support our community of built environment professionals in their pursuit of excellence. We support building services engineers throughout their careers by setting standards, accrediting education and influencing industry and policy. Working at CIBSE means being part of a collaborative organisation with a clear social purpose, where your work contributes to positive, real‑world impact in a growing and evolving sector.

The Corporate Governance Manager will support the effective operation of CIBSE’s governance framework across the UK and international organisation. The role will provide practical governance support to the Board, senior committees and internal stakeholders, helping CIBSE meet its legal, regulatory and constitutional obligations while keeping governance clear, consistent and proportionate. The postholder will manage core governance processes, maintain accurate records, support policy development and help deploy governance arrangements across CIBSE’s non‑UK entities and regions. This is a hands‑on role requiring strong judgement, excellent drafting skills and the confidence to work with senior colleagues, Trustees, committee members and Regional Representatives across the globe.

Key responsibilities:

• Board and Committee governance: Oversee the operations of the Board and Committees and ensure the quality assurance and effective implementation of CIBSE’s governance processes. Prepare agendas, papers, minutes and action logs for Board, Council and all governance meetings as delegated by the Executive. Manage the schedules of business including training, development activity and formal meetings of the CIBSE Board, including agenda preparation, meeting organisation and minute taking. Maintain the annual governance calendar, ensuring meeting cycles, reporting deadlines and approval routes are planned and communicated. Manage the Institution’s Nominations Panel and processes including awards and appointments to the Board. Manage the Professional Conduct Committee and support the processes for investigating complaints.
• Policy and governance framework: Co‑ordinate the Institution’s compliance with GDPR and Data Protection requirements, working with the external GDPR consultant and Data Protection Officer. Lead and coordinate business policy work across the organisation, including drafting, review, consultation, approval and version control. Maintain a central policy register, ensuring policies have clear owners, review dates and approval status. Support the development and improvement of governance documents, terms of reference, delegated authorities, decision records and related procedures. Advise colleagues on appropriate governance routes for decisions, approvals and escalation. Help ensure CIBSE’s governance framework remains practical, compliant and aligned with charity, company and internal requirements.
• Global Governance: Carry out reviews of governance structures for our non‑UK entities, identifying gaps, risks and opportunities for improved alignment. Support the management and implementation of governance arrangements for CIBSE’s non‑UK entities and regions. Maintain governance records for non‑UK entities and regions, including terms of reference, reporting lines, delegated authorities and compliance requirements. Manage the company risk register. Monitor governance risks and help ensure issues are reported through appropriate channels.

The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform other related tasks to meet the overall business objectives of the Institution.

What you will need to be successful:

Essential experience: Governance, company secretarial, committee management, charity governance or similar role. Experience maintaining policy registers, governance calendars or corporate records systems and preparing agendas, meeting papers, minutes and action logs for senior meetings. Policy development and managing formal governance processes with attention to detail and a practical approach to improving processes with sound judgement, discretion and confidence handling sensitive information. Confident and experienced in working with senior stakeholders, including boards and committees with the ability to work collaboratively across teams, regions and levels of seniority. Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear minutes, policies, reports and governance records. Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple meeting cycles, deadlines and processes at the same time.

Desirable experience: Experience in a charity, professional body, membership organisation, regulator or not‑for‑profit environment. Familiarity with UK charity and company governance requirements. Experience supporting governance across international entities, branches, regions or subsidiaries. Knowledge of risk, auditor finance committee governance. Experience liaising with Privy Council in Government.

What CIBSE offers you: Supportive and friendly working environment. Starting at 25 days Annual Leave increasing to 27 days with length of service, plus Bank Holidays. Contributory Pension Scheme. Family Friendly Leave. Three paid volunteering days per year. Annual Travel Season Ticket Loan. Cycle to Work Scheme. Life Assurance. Private Medical Insurance. Cash Plan – cash back for routine healthcare treatments. Health and Wellbeing benefits, including Mental Health support and access to a 24/7 GP service. Shopping portal, rewards programme and gym discounts. Referral Scheme. Hybrid Working – where people are 'in the office more days than they are not'. The chance to be part of an evolving, changing and exciting organisation that genuinely does change the world.

The Institution is an equal opportunities employer. The post‑holder will be expected to adhere to and support the Institution’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.