ShareAction and the global system of finance

It is said that “money makes the world go around” but the global financial system in its current form is in danger of making our world a very inhospitable place indeed for future generations.

Though it has lifted many out of poverty, today the global financial system has an oversized impact on many of the existential challenges we face. Biodiversity loss is such an example, as is climate change and the growing gap between rich and poor in terms of both income and health. Investment, lending and insuring decisions can enable destructive and exploitative industries or they can support a transition to a more sustainable way of living and use of precious resources. The latter approach is known as responsible or ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investment.

ShareAction’s vision is of a world where the financial system serves our planet and its people. Our mission is to define the highest standards of responsible investment and to drive change until these standards are adopted worldwide. We work towards our mission by:

• advocating for change in the investment industry using our research and rankings
• campaigning with allies to strengthen investor stewardship and change corporate behaviour
• pushing for public policy reform to transform the financial system

This is an exciting opportunity to join this growing organisation in the newly created role of Governance Manager. Working with fantastic colleagues and an impressive board of committed and collaborative members, you will lead on shaping the governance of the organisation.

As well as ensuring that ShareAction meets the highest standards of governance, in accordance with external regulatory compliance obligations and internal constitutional and administrative procedures, you will also develop internal capacity and capability. As an organisation that champions governance considerations as part of its mission, you will be working with fertile ground as you develop shared ownership and embed good practice internally.

You will be responsible for establishing and maintaining a comprehensive and effective organisation-wide policy framework that ensures compliance with laws and regulations, gives guidance for decision-making, and streamline internal processes. Supported by colleagues, this will then develop into the continuous improvement of ShareAction’s governance through the development and implementation of a programme of work that reflects the recommended practice of the Charity Governance Code. You will also act as the de-facto company secretary is the key interface between the ShareAction’s Leadership Team and its Trustees.

Key responsibilities:

Governance framework

• Support effective alignment of high-level organisational planning and governance, and decision making to ensure appropriate and consistent delegation of responsibility throughout ShareAction
• Develop and implement a short-to medium term strategy to deliver continuous governance improvement in line with recommended practice outlined in the Charity Governance Code
• Liaising with the Board and Committee Chairs, CEO and Leadership Team as appropriate lead the development and maintenance of a forward-looking calendar which includes the Board and Committee meetings, and strategy away days.
• Manage and co-ordinate ShareAction’s suite of governance policies working with the respective Directors and Committee/Board Chairs to ensure ShareAction has a comprehensive governance policy framework that has clear responsibilities and accountabilities throughout the organisation
• Identify and manage governance risks, and the conflict of interest and gift registers
• Provide advice on governance and compliance matters to key stakeholders and keep abreast of and ensure compliance with regulatory changes in the governance sphere

Trustee board and committee support

• Lead the delivery of effective and productive Board and Committee meetings through effective pre-meeting engagement and planning, agenda setting in liaison with the CEO and Chair, paper collation and circulation, meeting delivery and logistics, and the preparation and presentation of minutes and actions
• Lead the delivery of effective all Annual General Meetings (and any Extraordinary General Meetings)
• Manage the process of trustee recruitment and induction in liaison with the Chair of the Governance and Nominations Committee
• Support Board succession planning, Board and trustee development and Board performance reviews

Compliance, regulation and risk

• Ensure the compliance of ShareAction with the requirements and guidelines of the UK Charity Commission and Companies House
• Ensure the compliance of ShareAction Europe with the requirements and guidelines of the Belgian regulatory authorities
• Support the Director of Finance and Operations in the operation of ShareAction’s risk management policy, by scheduling meetings, working with risk owners to track action plans and update reporting
• Assist the Director of Finance & Operations in the creation of legal entities in the UK or overseas
• Manage any necessary update to the Articles of Association of either ShareAction, ShareAction Europe or other
• Support the Director of Finance and Operations in the preparation of the Trustee’s Report (front half of the annual report)

Please note that this list isn’t exhaustive and the role might change slightly from time to time

We are looking for a passionate, determined individual, with the following experience and skills:

ESSENTIAL

• Significant experience of governance best practice within a third or public sector setting.
• Proven track record of a diplomatic approach and the confidence to influence and negotiate with colleagues at all levels (including Board Members).
• Evidence of integrity and discretion when handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Ability to plan, manage and prioritise a number of work streams simultaneously.
• Excellent written communication skills for report, minute, and agenda writing, document editing and general correspondence.
• Experience of arranging and preparing for senior level meetings, including preparing agendas, notes of decisions and papers, making sure the documentation is despatched on time and in accordance with policy and procedures.
• Experience of drafting and interpreting governance documents and designing mechanisms for the implementation of governance best practice.
• Experience of developing, and supporting learning and development and appraisal/performance review systems, at Board level.
• Understanding of risk management.
• Committed to equality and diversity.

DESIRABLE

• Membership or part-membership of the Chartered Governance Institute or other relevant professional qualification.
• Experience of developing and embedding risk management frameworks.
• Experience of working with Microsoft Office 365, particularly SharePoint.
• Experience of working with CRM systems, ideally Salesforce.
• Basic knowledge of data protection regulations / GDPR.

Hours: Full-time, but with some flexibility possible

Contract type: Permanent

Salary: £37,668 to £39,668 + 8% pension (non-contributory) and benefits including a healthcare scheme

Deadline for applications: 9am, Monday 6 December 2021

Interview dates: 1st stage interviews Friday 10 December

ShareAction values and respects all differences in people (seen and unseen) and welcome applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities and so if you are not 100% sure that you meet all the requirements but believe you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply and use the application questions to tell us about your experience and what you hope to bring to this role.

We also actively encourage staff to work in ways that best suit their needs and our flexible working policy outlines many of the options available- such as part-time and term-time working, job sharing, home working and working compressed hours. Please talk to us at the interview about the flexibility you need. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise not to judge you for asking.

Please note that to be considered for this post you must be legally eligible to work in the UK. Due to current restrictions we are unable to hire anyone that isn’t already living in the UK.
Due to our size we are unable to sponsor visas.