Governor Support Manager in Gateshead

Do you want to help make Gateshead a place where everyone thrives? If that sounds like you, keep reading – we might be the perfect match. We’re delighted that you’re interested in working with us. You’d be joining us at a very exciting time. We pride ourselves on our ambitious and forward‑thinking approach to taking care of Gateshead and its people, and we passionately believe that our employees reflect that spirit in truly enabling Gateshead to thrive.

At Gateshead Council you’d be a highly valued member of a team that recognises and respects the skills that you bring to your role, encourages creativity and passionately advocates a great work / life balance. Our actions speak louder than words, and with flexi‑time and hybrid working available across many of our roles, as well as a full suite of outstanding employee benefits, we’re confident that it isn’t just the salary that attracts our staff.

The Governor Support Service is a busy, high‑performing team providing high‑quality clerking, advice and governance support to school governing bodies and academy trust boards. The team delivers expert guidance on governance regulations, prepares agendas and documentation, supports meetings, and ensures boards have the information they need to make effective decisions. Their work plays a vital role in strengthening local school governance and fostering strong, professional relationships with chairs, trustees and school leaders.

This is a senior and influential role, providing strategic leadership for governance support across schools and education settings. As Governor Support Manager, you will act as the organisation’s lead expert on school governance, shaping high‑quality, compliant and effective governance arrangements that enable boards and leaders to focus on improving outcomes for children and young people. You will combine deep technical knowledge with strong leadership, commercial awareness and relationship‑building skills to design, deliver and continuously improve governance services that are trusted, sustainable and responsive to the needs of schools.

What You Will Get To Do

• Provide strategic leadership for governance support across schools, ensuring services are effective, compliant and aligned with organisational priorities.
• Act as the lead adviser on school governance, including academies and trust structures, offering expert advice on complex governance, legal and procedural matters.
• Design, deliver and continuously improve governance support services, including managing budgets, income generation, delivery models and pricing.
• Develop and strengthen governance arrangements, including structures, documentation, policies, recruitment, CPD, self‑evaluation and due diligence activity.
• Lead on governance compliance and assurance, including DfE guidance, statutory reporting, data protection and website requirements.
• Lead, manage and develop governance professionals, overseeing recruitment, induction, performance management and succession planning.
• Build strong relationships with boards, senior leaders, colleagues and external partners, acting as a role model for effective and ethical governance.
• Coordinate high‑quality governance support, acting as a central point of contact, quality‑assuring advice, resolving issues and facilitating governance networks.
• Deliver targeted support and intervention where required, including training, briefings, bulletins, intelligence reporting and Headteacher induction.
• Carry out company secretary duties, advising trustees and maintaining statutory registers.

What You Will Bring

• Senior‑level experience and qualifications: Degree‑level qualification (or equivalent) with significant experience in a senior governance or operations role, ideally within education or a comparable regulated environment (legal, charity or commercial).
• Expert governance knowledge: Extensive understanding of the schools system, governance law, structures, policy and practice across all school types including academies, alongside knowledge of charity law and cross‑sector governance.
• Strategic and commercial capability: Proven ability to think strategically, manage budgets, assess risk intelligently and apply commercial acumen to service design and income generation.
• Strong leadership and people management skills: Experience leading, motivating and developing teams, with the ability to plan, coordinate, appraise and support others effectively.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills: High‑level written, verbal, IT, presentation and facilitation skills, with the confidence to advise senior leaders, boards and external stakeholders.
• Professional integrity and resilience: A strong commitment to the principles of public life, confidentiality and ethical leadership, remaining calm, decisive and independent under pressure.
• Forward‑thinking and development‑focused mindset: An agile, innovative thinker who values continuous professional development and models learning, improvement and best practice for others.

What’s In It For You

• Competitive Salary: We offer fair and transparent pay that reflects your skills and experience.
• Outstanding Pension Scheme: We invest in your future, providing a local government pension.
• Learning & Development: Access a wide range of training, development and progression opportunities to help you grow your career.
• Health & Wellbeing Support: From discounted gym memberships through our partner GLL to mental health resources, we care about your wellbeing.
• Cycle to Work Scheme: Save money and stay active with our tax‑efficient cycle to work programme.
• Electric & Hybrid Car Scheme: Get behind the wheel of a brand‑new electric or hybrid vehicle through our salary sacrifice car scheme in partnership with NHS Fleet Solutions.
• Exclusive Discounts & Salary Sacrifice: Through our VIVUP employee benefits platform, enjoy discounts on shopping, travel and services plus salary sacrifice options on white goods, electronics and more.

We’re an equal‑opportunities employer and aim to have a culture and a workplace where our people feel a sense of belonging, are respected and empowered to do their best work. At Gateshead Council we’re an employer who embraces, and welcomes diversity, who truly is inclusive and demonstrates equality for all. We’ll go the extra mile so that our approach is representative of the communities we serve and each other. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, we’d love to hear from you. You can apply online by pressing the apply now button. Within the form, you’ll be asked for details about you, your career history, skills, experiences and qualifications. We advise you to be as detailed and specific as possible, paying particular attention to any of the above which are relevant to the role to which you are applying.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. However, in high‑volume recruitment situations, it may not always be practicable to interview every eligible candidate. In such cases we may need to prioritise those who best meet the essential criteria, based on the information provided in the application. Additionally, the Council reserves the right to close this vacancy early or adjust the shortlisting criteria, including the pass mark for interview selection, to ensure a fair and manageable recruitment process. We encourage early applications.