Governance

• Act as Secretary to the Board of Governors and its sub-committees, ensuring the effective operation of governance processes and compliance with regulatory and constitutional requirements.
• Provide high-quality governance advice and assurance to the Board, its committees, and the Senior Management Team on matters relating to governance, risk, quality, and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure effective governance structures, reporting arrangements, and lines of accountability are maintained across the institution.
• Lead the development, implementation, and review of governance-related policies, procedures, and frameworks to support institutional effectiveness and regulatory compliance.
• Maintain oversight of the institution's governance framework, including risk registers, policy registers, committee records, and governance documentation.
• Coordinate the annual governance cycle, including meeting schedules, forward plans, action tracking, and Board effectiveness reviews.
• Lead institutional preparations for external reviews, audits, inspections, and regulatory engagement, ensuring the timely provision of accurate documentation and evidence.
• Monitor and report on governance, regulatory, and compliance risks, escalating significant matters to the Senior Management Team and Board as appropriate.
• Provide regular reports and assurance to the Board and its committees on governance effectiveness, regulatory compliance, and institutional risk management.

Internal Audit and Compliance

• Lead and manage the Internal Audit and Compliance function, ensuring effective assurance and monitoring arrangements are in place across the institution.
• Lead institutional compliance with Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) requirements and wider consumer protection obligations.
• Develop and implement compliance monitoring frameworks to ensure ongoing adherence to regulatory, statutory, and institutional requirements.
• Monitor compliance with Office for Students (OfS) conditions of registration and other applicable regulatory requirements, identifying and mitigating compliance risks.
• Oversee the planning and delivery of the internal audit programme and ensure audit recommendations are implemented and monitored effectively.
• Produce and present compliance, audit, and assurance reports to the Senior Management Team, Board of Governors, and relevant committees.
• Maintain oversight of regulatory risks and support the development of appropriate control and assurance mechanisms.
• Promote a culture of compliance, continuous improvement, and accountability across the institution.

Student Voice & Representation

• Ensure student feedback is systematically collected, analysed, and used to inform institutional decision-making, quality enhancement, and continuous improvement activities.
• Oversee mechanisms for student representation across academic and governance committees, ensuring meaningful and effective student participation.
• Monitor trends arising from student feedback, surveys, complaints, and student representative activity, providing reports and recommendations to the Senior Management Team and Board.
• Oversee the training, development, and support of student representatives to enable effective engagement with quality assurance and governance processes.
• Foster a culture of partnership between students and the institution to enhance the student experience and academic provision.

Person Specification

Essential

• Significant experience in quality assurance, governance, regulatory compliance, or a related field within UK higher education.
• Developing OfS application and dealing with conditions of registration specifically under transitional arrangement applied to Franchise provision
• Strong working knowledge of the Office for Students (OfS) Regulatory Framework and Conditions of Registration.
• Experience of supporting or servicing Boards, committees, or senior governance structures.
• Experience of developing, implementing, and monitoring policies, procedures, and compliance frameworks.
• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to prepare high-quality reports, papers, and regulatory submissions.
• Strong organisational, project management, and key contact management skills.
• Ability to interpret complex regulatory requirements, guidance, and data, and translate these into practical institutional actions.
• Experience of analysing and presenting data to support decision-making and assurance activities.
• High level of accuracy, attention to detail, and professional judgement.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and promoting a culture of quality and compliance.

Desirable

• Experience of leading or supporting a successful Office for Students registration application.
• Knowledge of QAA Quality Code, CMA guidance, UK GDPR, and higher education regulatory requirements.
• Experience of risk management, internal audit, and assurance processes.
• Experience of acting as Secretary to a Board, governing body, or senior committee structure.
• Experience of managing staff and leading cross-institutional projects.
• Relevant professional qualification in quality assurance, governance, compliance, audit, risk management, or higher education administration.

Benefits

• Annual leave (7.2 weeks)
• Workplace pension scheme.
• Company Sick Pay.
• Statutory maternity and paternity pay.
• Employee Assistance Programme (HA Wisdom Wellbeing)
• Virtual GP access (Livi)
• 'Speak Up Service' - confidential support service to report any workplace concerns
• Specialist physical and mental wellbeing support services with 24/7 confidential counselling support (Wisdom)
• Specialist menopause support, including online CBT (Wisdom)
• Financial, legal and medical advice services provided (Wisdom)
• Life & Leadership coaching (Wisdom)
• Financial coaching (MUNNY)
• Discounts and perks, offering savings on shopping, activities and more (Bright Exchange)
• Career development and training opportunities.
• Training and self-development opportunities.