Trust Governance & Compliance Manager

Thrive Education Partnership, Birmingham, B2 5QJ

Deadline is today

• Job start date

  16 March 2026

• Closing date

  14 December 2025 at 10:59pm

• Date listed

  14 November 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Administration, HR, data and finance
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £31,099.00 - £33,565.00 Annually (Actual) Salary FTE: £35,412-£38,220 Actual: £31,099-£33,565

Trust Governance & Compliance Manager job summary

36.5 hours per week term time only, home based, hours may vary depending on meetings; some evening work will be required

Key Responsibilities:

Support the efficient operation of the trust board, committees, and local governing boards, including clerking meetings for all. Ensuring governance at all levels is functioning appropriately:

Lead governance framework development and continuous improvement

Managing and coordinating the delivery and ongoing improvement of governance support across the trust

Collaborate with leadership to ensure compliance and alignment with strategic priorities

Acting as the lead adviser on issues relating to the governance of schools and the trust

Developing and implementing the MAT’s strategy for effective governance support services

Assessing capacity and developing the structure in line with organisational growth

Maintain effective communication with governing bodies and external stakeholders

Manage statutory filings, liaise with Companies House, and maintain GIAS records

Ensuring Disclosure and Barring (DBS) checks are completed for all members, trustees and Governors

Clerking for any other meetings e.g. disciplinary and grievance if required

2. Provide Advice and Guidance

Provide expert governance advice, ensure compliance with legal frameworks, support risk-informed decision-making, and oversee policy development and strategic implementation:

Provide expert advice on governance structures, procedures, and legal frameworks

Ensure risk-informed decision-making and governance interventions

Promote best practices in school governance

Fulfil company secretary responsibilities

Ensuring that all relevant procedures/policies are signed off by all Committees in time for implementation

Advising on policy development and strategic oversight of the Trust Policy Framework

Guiding trustees on compliance with the Academy Trust Handbook, Articles of Association, and Governance Handbook

3. Developing Governance

Clerk meetings of the trust board, its committees, and local governing boards ensuring these enable the successful delivery of strategic objectives by:

Keeping the board focused on its core strategic priorities, their strategic leadership responsibilities, and their duty to maintain the highest professional standards of conduct and ethics

Plan and manage trust board and committee meetings and prepare focused agendas

Satisfying all aspects of meeting compliance as stipulated in the trust’s articles of association, scheme of delegation, and the Academy Trust Handbook, and in accordance with arrangements agreed by the board

Developing governing structures, particularly in relation to committee structures and the scheme of delegation, and routines across schools and monitoring effectiveness

Ensuring governing structures are developed in parallel with organisational growth strategies

Developing, reviewing, and maintaining governance documents, such as articles of association, schemes of delegation, terms of reference, role descriptions, and code of conduct

Maintaining registers of trustees, members, board interests, and committee membership

Developing record management and communication methods that are fit for purpose and maintain confidentiality

Oversee board self-evaluation and external reviews

Lead governance induction and CPD programs

Developing and overseeing systems for board self-evaluation and review, including commissioning of external reviews

4. Leading on Compliance

Manage information and documentation that clearly details the trust’s governance arrangements and satisfies other statutory requirements, including (but not limited to):

Maintain trust governance records and oversee policy compliance

advising on policy review and approval cycle

Ensuring copies of statutory policies and other statutory documents such as the scheme of delegation and register of interests are published as agreed (on the trust and/or school website) and in line with statutory requirements

Ensure compliance with the Academy Trust Handbook e.g. Articles of Association, and the Academy trust Governance guide

Ensure governance risks are captured in the trust risk register

Supporting production of the annual report and governance statement published with the trust’s annual accounts

Managing the flow of information between the trust board, academy committees, members, and local governing boards

Developing trust-specific documents such as a governance code of conduct and skills matrix

Maintaining the trust’s online governance portal or equivalent

Ensuring the application of policies, procedures, and relevant legislation/guidance across the trust

Administer Freedom of Information (FOI), Subject Access Requests (SARs) and Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA’s) in collaboration with our Data Protection Officer

Oversee the Trust Policy Framework, ensuring alignment with legal requirements

Managing the trust websites uploads and information, audit and compliance

5. Leadership Management

If applicable effectively recruit, train, and oversee governance support staff whilst managing budgets, resources, and succession planning to ensure strong organisational leadership:

Recruit, train, and manage governance support staff

Provide performance management and succession planning

Manage governance-related budgets and resources

Provide administrative support to the trust leadership team and chair of trustees

6. Developing and Maintaining Productive Working Relationships

Develop and maintain productive working relationships whilst maintaining independence by:

Working collaboratively and holistically with stakeholders in and outside of the organisation so that governance supports and enables the operational delivery of strategic objectives

Ensuring relevant authorities are notified of changes to membership and governance structures as appropriate

Being a role model for effective and ethical governance

Providing coordinated support

Acting as a central point of contact

Providing advisory support to boards

Being an expert resource for the wider organisation

Quality assuring advice - acting as a high-level resource

Responding to issues including concerns and complaints related to governance

Facilitating networks and communication between governing boards

Feeding into annual appraisal

7. Delivering Wider and Targeted Support

Lead governance recruitment, training, and self-evaluation initiatives while ensuring compliance with legal and statutory obligations through effective systems and controls:

Oversee recruitment and induction for governance tiers

Lead CPD and governance training initiatives

Organise governance self-evaluations and targeted interventions

Monitor compliance with schemes of delegation and statutory obligations

Ensuring systems and controls are in place to comply with obligations under education legislation, funding agreements, charity legislation, company law, data protection legislation, safeguarding guidelines, and health and safety legislation

8. Professional Development

Continuing professional development in the role should include:

Liaising with relevant professional organisations and networks

Carrying out the duties of a company secretary

Advising the board of trustees on their role, constitutional and procedural matters

Stay updated on governance policy developments

Engage in professional training and performance management

Maintain statutory governance records and ensure compliance with Companies House and GIAS requirements

Undertake any other duties commensurate with the grade as required

9. Person specification

Knowledge

• extensive knowledge of the trust system
• extensive knowledge of governance law, structures, policy and practice in all types of schools
• awareness of current issues relating to the governance of schools and academy trust

Skills

• high level communication and IT
• highly organised and able to manage workload effectively to meet organisational priorities and deadlines
• high level strategic planning
• decision-making based on intelligent assessment of risk and benefits
• interpersonal/relationship building/stakeholder engagement skills
• leadership and line management: planning and coordinating the work of others
• relevant School and Academy Governance qualification or equivalent
• school and Academy Governance training

Attributes

• personal integrity and commitment to the principles of public life
• respecting confidentiality
• confidence and influence as a senior leader
• can manage and make decisions independently
• ability to lead by example, coach, motivate and inspire others
• agile thinker
• calm and resilient under pressure
• flexible approach to work
• commitment to CPD and modelling this to others

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Thrive Education Partnership

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/thrive-education-partnership

Thrive Education Partnership (TEP) is a growing Multi-Academy Trust consisting of six Special Needs Academies, an autism specific primary satellite provision and an SEMH/AS resource base within a large secondary mainstream school. TEP employs approximately 700 staff and supports approximately 1000 pupils (2-19 years of age).

The Warwickshire Academy caters for children and young people aged 9-19 years. This is a non-residential special school for boys and girls with Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH), Autism and behaviours that challenge.

We are seeking to appoint Governor’s for The Warwickshire Academy and would value your experience as this would complement the existing governance arrangements in place

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