Job detail for Governance Manager (FTC)

About Us

At CIPFA, we're driven by a singular purpose: to transform lives through exceptional public financial management. As a leading international accountancy body, we champion integrity, transparency, and efficiency in the use of public funds. We believe that every pound spent should deliver tangible improvements to public services, creating a better future for individuals and communities worldwide. Join us in shaping a world where public money truly makes a difference.

About the Role

We are currently seeking an experienced Governance manager on a fixed term basis for a duration of 6 months.The Governance Manager will play a key role in supporting CIPFA's governance framework, working closely with the Company Secretary to ensure effective decision-making, regulatory compliance, and strong governance practices across the CIPFA Group. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced governance professional who enjoys working at a strategic level while maintaining strong operational oversight and attention to detail.

About the role:

As Governance Manager, you'll provide expert governance support and advice across the organisation.

You'll coordinate and oversee governance activities including:

• Supporting the Board, Council and senior committees

• Managing agenda planning, committee papers and minutes

• Maintaining governance policies, records and registers

• Supporting statutory compliance and regulatory reporting

• Coordinating governance and risk reporting cycles

• Leading governance reviews and assurance activities

• Delivering committee member induction and development programmes

• Advising colleagues and senior leaders on governance requirements and best practice

• Supporting organisational governance projects and continuous improvement initiatives

You'll work closely with senior leaders, committee chairs, Board members and stakeholders across the CIPFA Group, helping ensure effective and transparent decision-making arrangements.

What you'll bring:

We're looking for someone who combines strong governance knowledge with excellent organisational and stakeholder management skills.

Essential Experience:

• Significant experience supporting Boards, Councils, committees or other senior governance bodies

• Experience preparing agendas, reports, meeting packs and high-quality minutes

• Experience developing and managing effective governance processes and systems

• Experience coordinating risk management processes and reporting

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines

• Experience handling confidential and sensitive information with discretion

Essential Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong knowledge of charity governance, corporate governance, or both

• Excellent organisational and project management skills

• Sound judgement and ability to identify and escalate risks appropriately

• Strong written communication and report-writing skills

• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy

• Strong Microsoft Office skills

Personal Qualities:

• Proactive and self-motivated

• Collaborative and approachable

• Confident working with senior stakeholders

• Diplomatic and influential communicator

• Flexible and solutions-focused

Desirable:

• Degree-level education or equivalent experience

• Governance, legal or related professional qualification

• Experience working within a membership, charity, regulatory or professional body environment

Our Employee Offer

In exchange for helping us to make a difference we offer:

• Reward – Giving you fair pay and generous benefits, which includes completive salary, generous pension scheme, holiday scheme, family friendly benefits and more!

• Wellbeing – Empowering you to work flexibly, balancing your personal and professional live through our permanent 4-day working week (work 4 days, get paid for 5) and hybrid working, alongside with a range of health benefits, such as access to an Employee Assistance Helpline and the opportunity to join our Health Cash Plan.

• Purpose – Connecting the work you do with its social value and impact through paid volunteering days and charity and community work.

• Growth – Enabling you to develop your skills and knowledge through access to training opportunities, paid professional membership subscriptions, and career break options.

• Culture – Our culture is one of respect. We give you a sense of belonging, supporting you to work with autonomy, openness, and collaboration.

We know that not all people come from the same background, or think the same – so why should we? At CIPFA, we want to be a great place to work where a diverse group of people from all backgrounds can turn up and thrive. When we hire, we want you to feel empowered to bring your best self to work.

Please let us know if you need any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.