Director of Governance

Post:
Director of Governance

Contract Type:
Permanent

Salary Range:
Grade 11 SCP 52 – SCP 54 (£70,412 - £74,566 FTE)

Working Type:
Full Time, 37 hours per week Base:
North Shore Academy, Talbot Street, Stockton TS20 2AY
(some travel may be required)

Please note:

the post holder will be engaging in regulated activity, working mainly or wholly with children. This position is exempt fromthe rehabilitation of offender’s act 1974. It is an offence to apply for thisrole if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

Northern Education Trust (NET) is acharitable education trust with an excellent track record for school improvement. The trust currently sponsors 30 academies; 17 secondary and 13primaries across the North of England in fourteen local authority regions.

Position:
Director of Governance

Salary:
Grade 11

Reporting To:
Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (Matrix Management)

Contract Type:
Permanent, 37 hours per week, whole time

About the role

Are you aforward-thinking governance leader looking to make a lasting impact in education?

At Northern Education Trust (NET), high-quality governance drives student achievement and organisational success. As our Governance Professional, you will act as atrusted expert, advising the board of trustees, committees, and the executive team,on strategic, legal, and operational governance matters.

As our named

Governance Professional, this is a pivotal, strategic advisory role designed tosteer compliance, drive board effectiveness, elevate risk management, and nurture strong relationships across all levels of trust leadership.

• Strategic:
  Serve as the expert adviser on the Academy Trust Handbook, charity/company law, statutory regulations, and internal governance frameworks.
• Board effectiveness & recruitment:
  Lead recruitment campaigns and succession planning for trustees and members. Designand implement comprehensive induction programmes and coordinate continuous training.
• Compliance & risk management:
  Oversee the trust’sassurance framework. Manage the scheme of delegation, declaration-of-interest forms, and statutory filings with Companies House and the DfE.
• Local governance:
  Build robust, two-way communication channels between central trustees and local academy committees. Oversee escalation processes, including independent appeal sand panels (exclusions, complaints, suspensions).
• Corporate & board support:
  Manage board agendas, produce high-precision minutes, track post-meeting actions, and support corporate transactions such as academy conversions or mergers.
• Line management:
  Line manage the Data Protection Officer (DPO) and the Communications & Local Academy Council Officer.

We are seeking a proactive, highly organised governance specialist with the confidence to provide robust, objective advice to senior stakeholders. You will bequalified to degree level or hold equivalent senior professional experience with a proven track record advising or clerking boards within a multi-academy trust, education or corporate governance setting. In addition, you will hold adeep knowledge of the Academy Trust Handbook, DFE and Governance legislation,GDPR and charity/company law.

The ideal candidate will have excellent diplomacy, sound ethical judgment, and the courage to provide objective advicein challenging situations.

• Drive real impact:
  Directly support our visionand values to improve children's life chances through robust, ethical governance.
• Professional development:
  Access continuous training and growth opportunities within a supportive central team.
• Collaborative culture:
  Enjoy matrix support from both the Chief…