Senior Manager, Governance & Resilience

Job Location:

Milton Keynes, Remote/Hybrid

Department:
Governance

Closing Date: 4 March 2026

Weekly

Working Hours:

37

Contract Type:
Permanent

Fixed Term

Contract:

End Date:
Not Applicable

Welsh Language:
Not Applicable

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The Senior Manager, Governance and Resilience, is a key role within the Governance team as part of the Governance, Compliance and Legal Services (GCLS) unit. Working collaboratively, the post‑holder provides project, corporate and academic governance and relationship management support to key groups and committees across the University, supporting a range of stakeholders to achieve organisational resilience and promote good governance practice.

Maintaining an awareness of the changing policy and regulatory environment, the post‑holder contributes to the sustainability and delivery of business continuity and crisis management across the University, as well as to the development and promotion of efficient and effective governance. Providing expert advice on business continuity and resilience to stakeholders across a variety of Units will be an important feature of this role, supporting the University Secretary in overseeing the organisational approach to business continuity and resilience and in ensuring all relevant plans remain current and are regularly tested.

In addition, the postholder will promote good governance practice across the University, providing a full secretariat service to formal committees within the University’s governance structure, as well as provide management support to other advisory groups.

Management of business continuity & resilience activity

• Provide assurance & oversight of Business Continuity activity, working with departmental leads to ensure that plans are in place, validated, tested & reviewed appropriately.
• Maintain & annually review the Business Continuity Policy & Framework, ensuring they are aligned to professional standards & embedded within strategic & operational planning activities.
• Review & update (at least annually) the Crisis Management Plan & list of key contacts.
• Organise & manage one‑off and annual exercises to test existing business continuity & resilience plans.
• Support the delivery of the objectives of the Governance Team & the GCLS unit, building collaborative relationships across the University to enable clear institutional accountability through effective, efficient, & compliant corporate & academic governance.
• Lead on the continuous review & development of processes, policies & guidance owned by the Governance Team, ensuring they remain fit for purpose in line with sector best practice.

Provision of advice & guidance

• Maintain effective communication & engagement with key internal & external stakeholders & planning communities which is customer focussed, collaborative, transparent & drives continuous improvement.
• Provision of strategic advice to the Crisis Management Team (when in place), & undertake a lessons learned exercise post‑incident/crisis.
• Maintain & develop the business continuity hub as an important source of information, training & resources for staff. Oversee the production, development & review of training materials, templates, & guidance for use in formal governance settings across the University, as well as for business continuity purposes.
• Provision of advice and guidance on business continuity & governance issues, contributing to increased awareness of both areas & ensuring the adoption of best practice across the University. Monitor legal & regulatory developments in relation to business continuity & resilience.
• Awareness of the HE policy environment, especially as it applies to the four Nations in the UK, & of trends in governance.
• Draft committee papers & policy documents, communicating complex issues clearly & fluently to a…