Canada Life UK
Senior Assistant Company Secretary
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Company Secretary – Team Lead (Company Secretarial)
Location: Watford
About the Role
Canada Life UK looks after the retirement, investment, and protection needs of individuals, families, and companies, committed to building better futures for customers, intermediaries, and employees. As part of Great-West Lifeco, the company has operated in the UK since 1903, maintaining a reputation for expertise, integrity, and innovation.
Canada Life UK is now transforming into a more customer-focused business, offering:
- Expert financial and tax planning services
- Home finance and annuities propositions
- Collective fund solutions to third-party customers
JOB SUMMARY
To support the Company Secretary and Deputy Company Secretary in delivering high-quality company secretarial services across Canada Life UK (CLUK) entities, including The Canada Life Group (U.K.) Limited.
Responsibilities include:
- Managing company secretarial processes, including subsidiary accounts maintenance and regulatory application workflows
- Providing board governance and meeting support for certain CLUK entities
- Leading company secretarial / governance initiatives and projects
- Assisting in delivering the annual governance process
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
You will be responsible for:
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Owning specific company secretarial processes, including:
- Subsidiary Accounts Process
- Regulatory Application Process for Non-Executive Directors
- Annual Governance Process
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Board & Board Committee Support – Preparing, coordinating, and facilitating governance meetings
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Governance Oversight & Advice – Guiding senior executives and directors on UK Companies Act compliance and Corporate Governance Codes
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Leadership on Projects – Driving company secretarial and governance projects to enhance compliance and efficiency
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Coaching & Mentoring – Supporting Junior Company Secretarial staff (Company Secretarial Assistant / Senior Company Secretarial Assistant and Work Experience Students) in their professional development
REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
✔ Substantial Company Secretarial experience with a deep understanding of regulatory and governance complexities
✔ Proven experience in a highly regulated financial services environment
✔ Strong written and verbal communication skills – Able to present clearly, concisely, and influentially to senior stakeholders
✔ Excellent organisational and time-management skills – Ability to handle multiple priorities concurrently
✔ End-to-end governance support for Boards or Board Committees
✔ Expertise in interpreting and applying the UK Companies Act alongside Corporate Governance Codes (UK Stewardship, FCA rules, etc.)
✔ Diligent with information technology skills, including expertise in Diligent or GEMs (Integrant Cuisine), or similar board governance / entity management systems
✔ Qualifications preferred:
- Associate Corporate Governance (ACG) or Associate Company Secretary (ACS) – Chartered Governance Institute
BENEFITS PACKAGE
Canada Life UK believes in recognising and rewarding employees through a competitive salary and benefits package reviewed annually.)Preliminary benefits include:
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📍 Competitive Salary – Market-aligned, aligned to your experience and responsibilities
🏦 Generous & Sought-After Rewards
- Pension & bonus scheme
- Income protection insurance
- Comprehensive private medical insurance
- Life assurance coverage
🚀 Development & Support
- Training programs to develop skills and career growth
- Flexible working arrangements (including part-time options)
- **Diverse руг tin urgeing by difficult aud alien re pic risks
WORKING CULTURE AT CANADA LIFE UK
Our culture is forward-thinking, inclusive, and passionate about making a difference. Guided by our blueprint behaviours—curious, outcome-oriented, collaborative, and innovative—we:
🔹 Invest in our people’s growth, meaning careers with purpose and progression 🔹 Prioritise DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), creating an inclusive workplace for everyone 🔹 Commit to social impact, supporting local communities and stakeholders worldwide
Quote from Our Chief People Officer:
"At Canada Life, we believe in great people from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives coming together to build better futures. Emerging talent is vital to our growth, and we aim to create an environment that inspires all." — Nick Harding, Chief People Officer, Canada Life UK
We welcome flexible working arrangements—if you need part-time or alternative working conditions, we encourage you to discuss this openly.
[Note: Apply via Canada Life’s careers portal or directly with your recruitment contact.]
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