Lead Governance and Legal Manager in Gillingham

About the team

OSB Group PLC is a UK-listed specialist bank with a governance framework that supports a FTSE-listed company operating in a regulated financial sector. The Governance team plays a critical role in supporting OSB’s corporate governance, statutory compliance and Board accountability. The Group Governance Office ensures that OSB’s governance framework:

• Supports effective decision-making at Board and Committee level
• Maintains compliance with statutory, regulatory and listing obligations
• Enables transparent and accurate shareholder and market disclosures
• Embeds industry-best governance and risk culture across the Group

The team acts as a trusted governance partner to the Board, Board Committees, Executive Committee and senior leadership, helping to safeguard the organisation’s legal and regulatory standing and ensuring robust, transparent and effective governance practices. Through strong governance oversight, the team supports sound decision-making, statutory compliance and shareholder confidence across the Group.

What you will be doing?

As the Lead Governance and Legal Manager, you will have the opportunity to lead the delivery of governance projects and change initiatives across the Group, provide legal-technical support to the team (including legal research, drafting and document execution), and advise on company law and regulatory matters applicable to OSB Group plc and its subsidiary undertakings. You will also assist in ensuring compliance with all legal, regulatory and shareholder requirements relevant to the organisation, promote good practice throughout the organisation and help ensure that corporate and governance conduct is of the highest standard.

Your responsibilities will include:

Governance Projects and Change

• Lead the planning and delivery of governance projects and change initiatives across the Group, including reviews of governance frameworks, delegated authorities, legal entity structures and wider strategic programmes.
• Own the end-to-end Group policy process, overseeing the policy lifecycle from development and review through to approval, implementation and ongoing maintenance, ensuring a consistent and effective approach across the Group.
• Maintain key constitutional and governance documentation, including Articles of Association, terms of reference, matters reserved and delegated authorities, managing updates and approvals as required.
• Monitor legal, regulatory and corporate governance developments, assessing their impact and supporting the business to implement appropriate actions.
• In conjunction with colleagues in the wider Governance and Legal Team create and innovate self-help to those business areas, including giving training sessions, creating and maintaining intranet resources and establishing processes for common queries.
• Identifying opportunities for standardising precedents to improve efficiency and reduce legal and governance risk.

Paralegal Support

• Provide legal research, analysis and practical guidance on company law, financial services regulation and governance matters, including relevant UK legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Draft, review and support the execution of legal and corporate documentation, while providing paralegal support for subsidiary transactions, corporate changes and liaison with external legal counsel.
• Providing any other legal assistance that is required by the Group General Counsel & Company Secretary and Group Heads of Legal across a broad range of matters including assessing and reporting to senior management on legal risk across the business.
• Assisting the Governance team in ensuring the Group is effectively informed and advised on changes in legislation and relevant regulations.

Board and Committee Support

• Provide end-to-end support to executive and Board Committees as required, including agenda planning, paper review, minute taking and action tracking, alongside supporting PLC governance activities, Director induction and training.

General

• Act as a trusted governance and company law SME, working collaboratively with colleagues to provide clear, practical advice and develop robust solutions that support the needs of the business.

What's in it for you?

We offer a base salary depending on experience from £75,000 and a competitive benefits package including:

• Annual discretionary bonus opportunity
• 30 days annual leave
• Choose to contribute 3% or 5% pension, with employer contributions of 6% or 8% respectively
• Enhanced family-focused benefits
• Hybrid-working

Please use this link to see the fantastic benefits available at OSB: OSB Careers

About us

At OSB Group, we understand how much our people bring to our organisation, which is why we try our best to give back too! Our Purpose is to help our customers, colleagues and communities prosper and we are on a transformation journey to become ‘the bank of the future’. Our commitment to professional development, flexible working, and employee well-being fosters a dynamic and supportive workplace.

Do you have the skills?

We are looking for talented individuals who have the experience and knowledge set out below:

• Significant experience within a company secretariat, governance team, in-house legal function or private practice, with experience supporting governance, legal or regulatory change projects.
• Strong knowledge of company law and UK corporate governance requirements, including the Companies Act 2006, UK Listing Rules and UK Corporate Governance Code, with financial services regulatory knowledge beneficial.
• Strong legal drafting, research and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex legal or regulatory information and turn it into clear, practical advice.
• Ability to manage projects and priorities end-to-end, building trusted relationships with Directors, Senior Executives and other stakeholders while exercising discretion and sound judgement.
• A highly organised and collaborative approach, with strong communication, attention to detail and interpersonal skills, and the confidence to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Law degree, Graduate Diploma in Law (or equivalent legal qualification), or CGI qualification (or part-qualification) with a demonstrable legal background.

Next steps

If this sounds like you, please apply now! For internal applications please visit the internal careers page to apply. Still on the fence? Hear from our team or explore our process: OSB Careers

Shortlisted candidates will go through a personalised recruitment process, that is relevant and conversational. If you need any adjustments or support, we’re here to make sure you can show your best self. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and encourage candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions to apply. If you meet the minimum criteria for the role and would like to be considered under our Disability Confident Scheme, please indicate this on your application.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Our team value spending time together in the office, typically 3 days a week to support collaboration and connection with colleagues, but we’re happy to have a conversation about what flexibility might look like for you. Not sure if you meet the spec? Let us decide. Research tells us that those from marginalised groups feel like they need to meet 100% of the criteria to apply. Here at OSB, we are committed to inclusivity and understand the value different experiences and perspectives can bring, so please don’t feel like you need to check every box to apply for a role internally. We champion diversity at all levels, with Board-level Diversity Champions tracking our progress. We are proud to be signed up to the Women in Finance Charter to actively support the growth and development of senior women in our sector and are dedicated to treating all our employees and job applicants equally, opposed to discrimination on any grounds.