Company Secretary and Director of Corporate Governance

Go back Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 11 October 2026

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) is seeking an exceptional, highly credible and experienced governance professional to join our executive leadership team as Company Secretary and Director of Corporate Governance.

This is a rare opportunity to lead and continually improve corporate governance across a large, complex and highly respected NHS Trust serving communities across County Durham, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby. The Trust provides mental health and learning disability services and is committed to ensuring people feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

As the Trust's principal adviser on corporate governance, you will work directly with the Chair, Chief Executive, Board of Directors and Council of Governors, ensuring the highest standards of governance, accountability, assurance and compliance are embedded throughout the organisation.

This post is based at West Park Hospital in Darlington however, will have trust-wide responsibilities across the North East and North Yorkshire.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive and professionally accountable to the Chair, you will provide independent, authoritative and expert advice on all aspects of corporate governance. You will be responsible for leading the design, implementation and continuous improvement of the Trust's governance framework, ensuring that governance arrangements support strategic objectives while meeting statutory, constitutional and regulatory requirements.

We are seeking an exceptional governance leader to act as principal adviser to the Chair, Chief Executive, Board of Directors, Board Committees and Council of Governors on governance, constitutional and regulatory matters. The successful candidate will bring significant senior experience in corporate governance, board support, company secretariat or governance leadership roles, with a strong understanding of NHS governance arrangements, Foundation Trust constitutions and compliance requirements.

You will possess expert knowledge of the NHS Provider Licence, NHS Code of Governance and wider statutory frameworks, ensuring the Trust maintains the highest standards of accountability. You will have a proven track record of leading governance improvement, strengthening organisational effectiveness and developing frameworks that support high-quality decision making. Experience overseeing Board Assurance Frameworks, risk management and governance reporting is essential.

You will be confident advising and influencing Chairs, Chief Executives, Executive and Non-Executive Directors on complex governance matters, providing expert guidance and constructive challenge. Strong judgement, political awareness and the ability to work within complex environments are vital. Excellent communication and relationship-building skills are essential, together with experience of working effectively with governors, regulators, auditors, NHS England, the Care Quality Commission and system partners.

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care --our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

Why Join TEWV?

TEWV is recognised for its commitment to high quality services, innovation and partnership working. We are on an ambitious journey of governance and organisational development, strengthening assurance, accountability and decision‑making to support the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate care.

We are looking for an accomplished leader with a strong corporate governance background and a proven track record of advising Boards and senior…