Morgan Philips Specialist Recruitment are presently representing one of the leading power companies in the UK and Ireland. Our client is currently looking to hire a core role within their Legal function, responsible for ensuring high standards of corporate governance, legal process control, and contract management across the business.
The role combines Company Secretariat leadership with operational legal and compliance support, ensuring that Board governance, legal documentation, and third-party engagements are robust, auditable, and consistently applied.
A key focus of the role is to own and continuously improve governance and legal control frameworks, including NDA lifecycle management, contract governance, and KYC / counterparty due diligence, working closely with the Head of Legal and other members of the legal and compliance function.
Key Accountabilities:
Company Secretariat & Board Governance:
- Act as Company Secretary (or deputy) across UK and Irish entities, ensuring full compliance with corporate law requirements.
- Own end-to-end Board and Committee governance processes, including:
- Forward agenda planning aligned to business priorities
- Coordination and quality assurance of Board papers
- Preparation and distribution of Board packs
- Attendance at meetings and production of clear, accurate, decision-focused minutes and action tracking
- Maintain statutory registers and ensure timely, accurate filings
- Establish and maintain best-in-class governance standards, including:
- Clear decision records and audit trails
- Consistent paper quality and structure
- Support Board effectiveness through ongoing governance improvements and induction/training where required
Contract Management & NDA Governance:
- Own and operate a centralised contract and NDA governance framework, including
- Approval workflows aligned to Delegation of Authority
- Version control and execution tracking
- Efficient turnaround using standard templates
- Clear audit trail from request to execution
- Escalation of non-standard terms
- Work closely with the legal and compliance team
- Introduce and maintain a Contract Register, providing:
- Visibility of key terms, obligations, and renewal dates
- Tracking of contractual commitments and risks
- Support the Head of Legal in ensuring contractual risk is actively managed, not just documented
KYC & Third-Party Risk Management:
- Own and continuously enhance KYC / counterparty due diligence processes, ensuring:
- Proportionate, risk-based checks are embedded
- Clear thresholds for escalation and approval
- Develop a structured third-party risk framework, covering:
- Onboarding controls
- Documentation standards
- Approval and review processes
- Ensure that no third-party engagement proceeds without appropriate governance and documentation
- Maintain complete and auditable records supporting compliance and audit requirements
Governance Frameworks, Policies & Controls:
- Own and maintain core governance and legal control policies, including:
- Delegation of Authority
- Contracting and approval processes
- Board and Committee procedures
- Ensure policies are:
- Clearly documented
- Embedded in day-to-day processes
- Regularly reviewed and updated
- Drive continuous improvement in governance maturity, including:
- Standardisation of documentation
- Reduction of process ambiguity
- Support internal audits and ensure strong evidence of control effectiveness
Legal Function Support & Operating Model:
- Act as the operational backbone of the Legal function, ensuring:
- Efficient workflow management
- Clear tracking of legal requests and outputs
- Coordinate with the legal and compliance team to:
- Ensure consistency in legal documentation
- Support the Head of Legal with:
- Governance reporting
- Management information on contracts and counterparties
Regulatory & Cross-Functional Alignment:
- Ensure governance and legal processes are aligned with regulatory compliance requirements
- Work closely with Regulation & Compliance teams to ensure:
- Consistency between legal controls and regulatory obligations
- Provide practical guidance to the business on:
- Documentation standards
- Approval processes
- Governance expectations
About You:
- Qualified or part-qualified Chartered Secretary or Chartered Governance Professional would be highly desirable
- Experience in a Company Secretariat, Legal Operations, or Governance role (preferably in a regulated industry)
- Strong understanding of UK company law and corporate governance standards
- Experience managing contract lifecycle processes, NDAs, and/or KYC frameworks
- Experience establishing or improving processes, controls, and documentation standards
- Excellent drafting skills, especially for Board-level materials and formal records
- Strong organisational and workload management capability
- Ability to balance legal risk, governance, and commercial pragmatism
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Company Secretary and Legal Manager – Energy Transition & Utilities -(M&F) UK880008 in London employer: Morgan Philips Group
As a leading independent oil and gas exploration and production company, we pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative and innovative work culture in our London office. Employees benefit from competitive remuneration, comprehensive professional development opportunities, and the chance to work alongside industry experts in a dynamic environment that encourages growth and creativity. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking team that is shaping the future of energy.
