Assistant Company Secretary in Haywards Heath

As the Senior Assistant Company Secretary, you'll assist the Head of Company Secretary in all aspects relating to Executive and Board governance and with the day-to-day running of the department, to ensure departmental and company objectives are met.

Responsibilities

• Support the Head of Company Secretary in leading the team and in all relevant duties and activities across the First Central Group, including ensuring the Group's legal entities adhere to all relevant Corporate Governance and Company Law.
• Manage the ongoing maintenance of the CoSec Manual and the team's library of process notes, ensuring internal review targets are met and identifying actions to improve the efficiency of the Team's operations.
• Take a lead role in the organisation and management of all Group Board and Executive meetings as well as other forums as required.
• Organise, prepare agendas for, and take high quality minutes of all relevant Board and Executive meetings and annual general meetings (AGMs).
• Review Board and Executive meeting submissions and information, providing timely feedback to stakeholders to improve the quality of Board reporting.
• Lead and support the team in scheduling and coordinating the annual Board and Executive meeting calendars and wider logistics.
• Create and deliver the director induction and ongoing development programmes.
• Assist the Head of Company Secretary in the delivery of the annual Board and Committee effectiveness reviews, including preparation of internal questionnaires, analysing results and preparing reports to the Boards, monitoring and tracking agreed improvements plans to completion, and assisting with any external evaluation processes from time to time.
• Lead on the renewal of the Group's corporate insurance cover for employees, equipment and premises and manage, with support from the team, any claims that may arise.
• Oversee the team's ongoing maintenance of statutory information held within CoSec Software to ensure statutory compliance of all Group entities.
• Work with the Head of Company Secretary on strategic governance projects and on continuous improvement activities within the CoSec team, as agreed from time to time.
• Provide expert advice to the business on all relevant governance and company law matters.
• Comply with the requirements and act in accordance with the Group Code of Conduct and Fitness and Propriety policies at all times.
• Ensure compliance with Company Policies, Values and guidelines and other relevant standards / regulations at all times.

Qualifications

• Minute Writing: Proven ability to write clear and concise minutes.
• Regulatory Knowledge: In-depth understanding of the Companies Act 2006 and the UK Corporate Governance Code.
• FTSE Listed Business Experience: Hands-on experience working within a FTSE listed company.
• Diplomatic, Personable, and Pragmatic: Strong interpersonal skills, tact, and practical problem-solving abilities.
• Travel Availability: Flexible and able to travel to board meetings as required, including trips to our Guernsey office.
• Experience of working in a senior role within a Company Secretariat or Governance team.
• Strong knowledge of legal and/or corporate governance processes.
• Experience managing senior stakeholders at Executive and Board level.
• Understanding of UK Motor Insurance industry.
• Associate or Fellow of the Corporate Governance Institute with strong post qualification experience.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Outlook, Excel and Teams as well as Diligent Boards.
• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to work at pace against challenging deadlines.
• Excellent work ethic and diligence in production and ownership of work and responsibilities.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills with an ability to prioritise effectively.
• Good numeracy and literacy skills.

Behaviours

• Able to proactively support the development of the team, creating a safe environment where constructive feedback is encouraged and provided with sensitivity.
• Leads by example, setting high standards for their own work as well as the work of others.
• Able to handle information in a confidential manner.
• Keen to embrace, embed and incorporate the Company Values.
• Self-motivated and enthusiastic.
• An organised and proactive approach.
• Able to work on own initiative and as part of a team.
• A flexible approach and positive attitude.
• Strives to drive business improvements to contribute to the success of the business.

We're First Central Insurance & Technology Group (First Central for short), an innovative, market-leading insurance company. We protect the things customers love so they can get on with what matters to them in life. Data drives us. It fuels our outstanding distribution, finance, technology and legal services. Our underwriting skills are built on data expertise; it creates the insights we need to give the right cover to the right customers at the right price. But, it's the people inside and outside our business that power us. They make us stand out, help us succeed. We're ambitious. We're growing. We've won awards. We're seeking a Senior Assistant Company Secretary to join our Governance team. We strongly support flexible working, so you can choose to work remotely or maybe you live within a commutable distance from one of our offices in Salford Quays, Manchester, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, or Guernsey, and want to work in the office occasionally.