Governance Administrator in Surrey

The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve. We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve. As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff. Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.

The Governance Administrator provides high-quality administrative and operational support to the Governance Team, enabling effective academy-level governance across the Trust. The role focuses on meeting coordination, clerking support, record-keeping, and day-to-day governance administration, ensuring that Local Governing Bodies (LGBs) and governance professionals are well-supported and compliant with Trust policies and statutory requirements. This includes a willingness to work some evenings to support governance meetings and the ability to travel across the Trust as required. This role is essential in ensuring efficient governance operations, accurate documentation, and timely communication, contributing to the smooth functioning of governance at academy and Trust level.

As a Governance Administrator, you will play a key role in supporting effective governance across our academies by providing high-quality administrative and operational support to the Governance Team. You will support Local Governing Bodies through meeting coordination, clerking, and accurate record-keeping, helping to ensure governance processes are compliant, well-organised, and run smoothly at both academy and Trust level. The role requires a willingness to work some evenings to support governance meetings and the ability to travel across the Trust as needed.

• Governance Administration & Coordination

• Coordinate governance meeting schedules, including AGB meetings, training sessions, and panel hearings.
• Prepare and distribute meeting agendas, documentation, and information packs according to Trust timelines.
• Support the Governance Manager in producing templates, forms, and administrative tools for use across the governance function.
• Maintain governance calendars, distribution lists, SharePoint/Teams sites, and other communication platforms.

• Clerking & Meeting Support

• Maintain accurate governance records including: registers of interest, governor attendance records, training logs, membership lists and terms of office.
• Support onboarding and offboarding processes for governors, including DBS checks, induction materials, and profile updates.
• Ensure relevant governance documents, policies, and registers are updated and stored in line with Trust protocols.
• Assist with preparing documentation and evidence for governance audits and internal audit assurance checks.

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Qualifications to Level 3 or equivalent experience.
• Willingness to undertake governance-related training, with NGA or clerking qualifications desirable.
• Experience in administration, clerical, or coordination roles.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills, with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to produce clear, accurate minutes and documentation.
• Confident communication skills, both written and spoken.

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation. Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date. When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application. A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

Harris has a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level. You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including:

• Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression.
• Annual performance and loyalty bonus.
• Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution.
• 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts.
• Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare.
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice.
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme.
• Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts.
• 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees.
• Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans.

For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.