At a Glance
- Tasks: Support governance for Boards and Committees while managing your own responsibilities.
- Company: Join QBE, a global insurer with a human touch and a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy 30 days holiday, flexible working, and comprehensive health insurance.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth in a supportive team environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in governance while exploring innovative processes and technology.
- Qualifications: Experience in Company Secretarial roles and strong stakeholder management skills required.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
About QBE
At QBE, we get to the heart of what matters for our customers. And we do it all with a human touch. We’re an international insurer with more than 13,000 people working across 26 countries, which means we’re big enough for your ambitions, yet small enough for you to make a real impact. It’s an exciting time. We’re building momentum towards our vision to become the most consistent and innovative risk partner.
The opportunity
We’re looking for an experienced Senior Assistant Company Secretary to join our established Company Secretarial team in London, taking on a broad role with significant ownership across subsidiary governance and corporate governance matters. You’ll work closely with senior stakeholders, including Executive and Non-Executive Directors, supporting effective governance across QBE’s European Operations. Alongside managing your own areas of responsibility, you’ll have direct reports and the opportunity to support their development while contributing to the wider direction of the team. This is a great opportunity for someone who brings strong technical Company Secretarial experience but also enjoys looking at how things can be done better. We’d particularly welcome someone curious about continuous improvement, smarter processes and opportunities to use technology (particularly AI), and automation effectively. The role may also offer occasional travel across Europe, predominantly to our Belgium office.
Your new role
Acting as principal support to the Deputy Company Secretary, you’ll deliver high-quality Company Secretarial support to Boards, Board Committees and Management Groups, working with colleagues and senior stakeholders to ensure robust governance and statutory compliance. You’ll have plenty of autonomy and responsibility, while joining an experienced and supportive team with exposure across a wide range of governance matters.
Main responsibilities:
- Support the Deputy Company Secretary as their right-hand person.
- Deliver Company Secretarial support to Boards, Board Committees and Management Groups, helping ensure effective governance across QBE’s European Operations.
- Manage governance activity for a portfolio of subsidiary companies, including Board and Shareholder meetings, meeting packs, written resolutions, actions and minutes.
- Build trusted relationships with Executive and Non-Executive Directors and other senior stakeholders, providing practical governance support and guidance.
- Lead and support direct reports, helping manage priorities and contribute to their ongoing development.
- Maintain strong knowledge of the UK Companies Act, relevant regulatory requirements, corporate legislation and evolving corporate governance best practice.
- Support the implementation of regulatory and legislative changes across relevant governance processes.
- Identify opportunities for continuous improvement across the Company Secretarial function, including smarter processes, technology and automation.
- Contribute to wider governance initiatives and ad hoc projects across QBE’s European Operations.
About you
You’ll be an experienced Company Secretarial professional who is comfortable operating with autonomy, managing direct reports, managing senior stakeholder relationships and navigating complex governance matters. You’ll combine strong technical knowledge with a practical and commercial approach. Just as importantly, we’re looking for someone proactive and curious, who isn’t afraid to challenge existing ways of working and explore how processes could be simpler, smarter or more efficient.
Skills you’ll need:
- Fully qualified with the Chartered Governance Institute is a preference.
- Strong Company Secretarial and corporate governance experience, ideally gained within a large, complex or regulated organisation in Financial services is preferred.
- Experience supporting Boards and Committees, including producing high-quality minutes from complex and technical discussions at pace.
- Confidence working directly with Executive and Non-Executive Directors and other senior stakeholders.
- Strong working knowledge of the UK Companies Act, corporate governance requirements and relevant regulatory developments.
- Previous people management or leadership experience, with the ability to support and develop others.
- A hands-on, organised and proactive approach, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities at pace.
- An interest in continuous improvement, technology and automation, and how these can improve Company Secretarial processes and ways of working.
- Experience using entity management databases such as Diligent Entities (formerly Blueprint), and Board portals such as BoardVantage, would be beneficial.
- Experience gained within insurance or a legal/regulatory background, would be advantageous.
Benefits
We offer a range of benefits to help provide holistic support for your work life, whatever your circumstances. As a QBE employee you will have access to and benefit from:
- 30 days holiday a year with the option to buy up to 2 additional days.
- Flexible working - balancing work and life is important so our flexible working opportunities are open to all, this can include part-time, job share and compressed hours.
- Pension – you are automatically enrolled into the QBE pension plan, which entitles you to receive employer contributions of 10% of your basic salary.
- Private medical insurance – we fund fully comprehensive private medical cover for you and all the family.
- Family friendly policies – we offer 26 weeks leave at full pay regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation or how you become a parent.
- Short term remote work abroad - you can request up to 20 days per year to work remotely from certain locations abroad.
- Sustainable investing - we believe sustainable integration is important for long term financial, environmental, and social outcomes.
- Cycle-to-Work – benefit from regular exercise whilst making your commute greener and cheaper, select and bike and/or accessories up to the value of £5,000.
Awards & Recognition
We value our employee’s experience with us and are proud to have been recognised for the following awards:
- General Insurer of the Year 2026 at the British Insurance Awards
- Winner of Excellence in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award 2025 at the Insurance Business Australia Awards
- Winner: Commercial Lines Insurer of the Year, Winner: Reinsurer of the Year - QBE Re, Winner: ESG, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative of the Year, Winner: Insurance Personality of the Year - Chris Wallace, Executive Director UK insurance at Insurance Post British Insurance Awards 2025
- Winner: Network Management of the Year at AXCO Global Insurance Awards 2024
- QBE rated as a 5-Star Cyber Insurer at Insurance Business UK 5-Star Cyber Awards 2024
- Winner: Green Technology Innovation of the Year at UK IT Industry Awards 2023
- Winner: Parental Policies Award at Working Dads Employer Awards 2023
- QBE rated as a 5-Star Employee at Insurance Post British Insurance Awards 2023
Your career. At the heart of it.
Equal Employment Opportunity: QBE is an equal opportunity employer and is required to comply with equal employment opportunity legislation in each jurisdiction it operates.
Senior Assistant Company Secretary in London employer: QBE
At QBE, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer, offering a supportive and inclusive work culture that values innovation and collaboration. As a Senior Internal Auditor in London, you'll enjoy flexible working arrangements, generous holiday allowances, and comprehensive benefits including private medical insurance and family-friendly policies, all while contributing to meaningful projects that impact our global operations. Join us to grow your career in a dynamic environment where your contributions are recognised and rewarded.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Assistant Company Secretary in London
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We think you need these skills to ace Senior Assistant Company Secretary in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Us Your Leadership Skills:In the corporate leadership and management field, it's essential to highlight your leadership experience. Use your CV to flesh out examples of how you've led teams to success or managed significant projects. We want to see specific instances where your actions made a tangible difference in your previous roles!
Quantify Your Achievements:Numbers talk, especially in management! When detailing your achievements in your CV or cover letter, don’t just say you improved team performance. Instead, say you boosted productivity by 30% over six months through effective strategy implementation. This makes your application pop and shows us what you can bring to QBE.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to narrate your professional journey. We’re looking for motivation and a clear understanding of what corporate leadership means to you. Dive into your aspirations and how they align with the values and vision of QBE. Make it personal – we want to get to know you!
Tailor Your CV for Management Roles:Ensure your CV reflects the management skills that are essential for this role. Focus on competencies like strategic planning, team building, and problem-solving. Use a clean layout, and don’t forget to align your experiences with those keywords mentioned in the job listing. This will help you stand out from the crowd!
How to prepare for a job interview at QBE
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
You’ll want to thoroughly convey your unique approach to leadership. During the interview with QBE, be ready to share real-life examples of how you've inspired and motivated teams in the past. Think about specific achievements that illustrate your strategic thinking and your ability to drive results.
✨Brush Up on Management Theories
Expect some technical questions related to management theories and practices. Brush up on concepts like transformational leadership, servant leadership, or situational leadership. Be prepared to discuss how you would apply these theories to the role at QBE, especially in the specific context of the challenges they’re currently facing.
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Since this is a full-time leadership role, spending time thinking about your vision for QBE could really set you apart. Consider potential strategies for growth and how you would lead teams towards achieving them. This shows not just enthusiasm, but also strategic foresight that they’ll likely be looking for in a candidate.
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