Paddle UK
Governance and Integrity Lead
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Location: Hybrid – National Watersports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham (Office-based 2–3 days per week)
Hours: Full-time (37 hours per week)
Salary: £53,000 - £55,000
Closing date: 26/07/2026
Paddle UK is seeking a strategic, hands-on, and resilient Governance and Integrity Lead to join our team. In this essential role, you will act as both the architect of our governance frameworks and the senior operator responsible for executing high-stakes integrity, safeguarding, and disciplinary processes. Serving as the "bridge" between the Board’s strategic intent and our daily operations, you will ensure vital compliance standards and athlete safety measures are robustly maintained.
This position acts as a central hub for integrity compliance, requiring a decisive individual who can balance enterprise-level strategy with compassionate, clear leadership when guiding staff, volunteers, and athletes through sensitive matters.
Key Responsibilities
- Governance & Board Advisory: Direct adherence to the UK Code for Sports Governance, acting as the primary advisor to the Board and the Integrity & Welfare Sub-Committee.
- High-Stakes Case Management: Lead investigations and resolutions for complex complaints, whistleblowing concerns, and disciplinary matters, acting as the senior decision-maker for Stage 2 escalations.
- Safeguarding Leadership: Serve as the strategic lead for the #SaferTogether strategy, overseeing Case Management Group (CMG) decisions, high-level triage, and adverse DBS disclosures.
- Risk & Data Architecture: Own the enterprise risk register across performance programmes and home nations, and act as the Data Protection Officer (DPO).
- Team Leadership: Directly manage and mentor the Safeguarding Manager and Legal & Governance Officer, empowering them to handle frontline operations.
- Policy & Operations: Translate complex legal, regulatory, and constitutional updates into simple, actionable operational guides for staff, coaches, and volunteers.
- Cross-Functional Support: Provide real-time integrity support to the Performance team for athlete selection panels and international hearings, whilst managing relationships with external legal counsel and the CPSU.
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Why Join Us?
This is an exceptional opportunity for a governance, legal, or compliance professional looking to protect and shape the infrastructure of a national governing body. You will join a team that values:
- Meaningful Change: A culture focused on ensuring safeguarding and governance principles are lived behaviours that actively protect our community.
- Collaborative Success: Close integration across internal teams, performance programmes, and volunteer networks to build safe, shared sport environments.
- Strategic Impact: The opportunity to directly influence our organizational health, ensuring the sport operates with the highest ethical standards from grassroots to elite level.
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About You
We are looking for a visionary, proactive leader who remains calm under pressure and is highly attentive to detail in time-sensitive situations. This role is perfect for you if you possess:
- Strategic & Operational Expertise: A proven track record in developing governance frameworks and risk strategies, combined with substantial, hands-on experience managing sensitive safeguarding and disciplinary files.
- Technical & Legal Knowledge: An understanding of the UK Code for Sports Governance and relevant frameworks (e.g., Data Protection Act, Company Law).
- Qualifications: A recognised qualification or significant professional experience in Safeguarding, Legal, or Compliance Management.
- Sector Experience: Demonstrable experience handling high-pressure situations within a sporting or non-profit environment.
- Leadership Style: Excellent investigative, drafting, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to mentor a team and foster a positive compliance culture.
Benefits
- 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
- Dress for your day (jeans acceptable)
- Free onsite parking and bike storage
- Company pension scheme
- Employee benefits platform (including Bike to Work, Health and Wellbeing)
To find out more about Paddle UK, our benefits, culture and recruitment process please visit our Careers Centre.
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