Governance Officer in Somerset

As the Cathedral continues to implement its ten-year Strategic Plan and strengthen its governance structures to support an ambitious future vision, the Governance Officer will play an essential supporting role in ensuring the effective governance of Wells Cathedral. Working closely with the Chief Operating Officer (as Chapter Clerk) who holds formal responsibility for Chapter governance, the postholder will support the systems, processes, and documentation that underpin the work of Chapter, its committees and the Cathedral’s responsibilities as a registered charity. The postholder will help to ensure high standards of compliance, accountability and good governance and uphold the Cathedral’s legal and charitable obligations.

As part of a diverse organisation responsible for worship, ministry, heritage stewardship, visitor engagement, and regulatory compliance, the Governance Officer plays a key role in maintaining smooth and transparent governance operations. This includes:

• Coordinating governance workflows;
• Preparing, maintaining, and tracking key documents;
• Supporting meetings; and
• Assisting with reporting requirements consistent with the Cathedral’s dual regulation by the Charity Commission and Church Commissioners.

Key Responsibilities

Governance Processes and Administration:

• Manage all administrative aspects related to the Cathedral's governance bodies, including the Chapter and sub-committees, including scheduling and tracking deadlines.
• Coordinate meetings, prepare agendas, and distribute relevant documentation to members in a timely manner.
• Record minutes of meetings and ensure accurate documentation of decisions and actions.
• Maintain up-to-date registers of Chapter and Committee members, their terms of office, attendance records, safeguarding training and declarations of interests.
• Ensure that any conflicts of interest are properly reported to meetings and correctly managed.
• Support the recruitment, appointment and re-appointment of Chapter and Committee members including their induction and the completion of any safeguarding checks or training.
• Manage the process for annual Chapter effectiveness surveys.
• Advise on and manage any changes to the Cathedral’s constitution and statutes.

Regulatory Compliance:

• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements, and uphold the Cathedral’s legal and charitable obligations as a registered charity regulated by the Charity Commission and Church Commissioners including advising on serious incident reporting.
• Stay abreast of relevant legislation, regulations, and best practices related to charity and Cathedral governance.
• Liaise with regulatory bodies as necessary to fulfil reporting obligations including submitting the Cathedral’s Annual Return to the Charity Commission in a timely manner.
• Ensure governance processes and documentation reflect current statutory and policy requirements.
• Ensure compliance with data protection legislation, including the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, by maintaining appropriate processes, documentation, and controls across the organisation.

Policy Development and Review:

• Assist in the development, review, and implementation of governance policies, procedures, Committee terms of reference, individual role specifications and guidelines.
• Ensure policies are aligned with legal requirements, the Cathedral's mission, and best practices in governance.
• Facilitate communication and training to ensure awareness and understanding of governance policies among stakeholders.
• Ensure that all Cathedral policies are recorded and reviewed on a regular basis.
• Maintain up-to-date governance documents on the Cathedral’s website.
• Support the identification, assessment, and management of risks related to governance matters.
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to develop strategies to mitigate risks and strengthen internal controls.
• Monitor emerging risks and trends in governance and recommend appropriate actions to mitigate potential impacts.

Board Support and Advice:

• Provide secretariat support to governance bodies, advising on procedural matters, governance principles, and regulatory compliance as appropriate.

Confidentiality and Integrity:

• Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information discussed during governance meetings and in related documentation.
• Uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and ethical conduct in all aspects of the role.

Person Specification

Key Criteria

• Minimum of 5 GCSE’s (or equivalent) grade C.