Governance Manager

Senior Governance Manager - £45,000-£55,000 per year - Birmingham About the Role

HS2 Ltd is seeking two Senior Governance Managers to support the delivery of high-quality governance and company secretarial services across the organisation.

Working closely with the Company Secretary
, you will play a key role in ensuring the effective operation of HS2’s governance framework, supporting the Board, Board Committees and Executive leadership teams in their decision-making processes.

This role will help ensure decisions are taken in the right forum, at the right time, and in line with governance best practice for a major publicly funded infrastructure programme.

As a Senior Governance Manager, you will:

• Support the Board, Board Committees and Executive Committee by coordinating governance processes and meeting schedules.
• Oversee the planning and delivery of board and committee meetings (over 200 meetings annually).
• Ensure high-quality board papers, reports and minutes are prepared and recorded accurately.
• Maintain governance documentation and ensure version control across internal systems and websites
  .
• Monitor compliance with governance frameworks, including HS2’s Framework Document and Development Agreement
  .
• Lead governance effectiveness reviews and help implement improvements to governance structures and processes.
• Manage the organisation’s Board Portal system and ensure secure distribution of governance materials.
• Provide guidance across the business on governance processes and decision-making pathways
  .
• Support the onboarding of new Board members and senior leaders
  .
• Maintain registers including conflicts of interest and Board member records
  .
• Contribute to the preparation of HS2’s Annual Report and Accounts
  .

• Line management of a Governance Manager
  .
• Provide support and guidance to the Company Secretariat Assistant
  .
• Act as an escalation point for governance matters within the team.
• Support the Company Secretary in strengthening governance processes across HS2.

We are looking for a governance professional with experience supporting senior leadership or board-level decision making within a complex organisation.

You will bring:

Skills

• Strong report writing and document drafting skills.
• Experience preparing board papers, agendas and minutes
  .
• Ability to interpret complex information and present it clearly.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• High levels of discretion and confidentiality.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

Knowledge

• Understanding of corporate governance frameworks
  , ideally within a public sector or regulated environment.
• Familiarity with government governance frameworks and oversight processes is advantageous.
• Knowledge of Freedom of Information (FOI) and public accountability processes would be beneficial.

Experience

• Experience working within a Company Secretariat or Governance function
  .
• Experience supporting Board and committee governance processes
  .
• Experience using Board Portal software such as Admin Control or Diligent.
• Experience maintaining formal governance records and implementing governance improvements.
• Experience working on large programmes or infrastructure projects would be advantageous.