Head of Secretariat and Legal Services Salary: c. 80,000 dependent on experience Hours: Full time - 35 hours Contract: Permanent Location: Hybrid (Head Office, West Bromwich) The West Brom are looking to recruit a Head of Secretariat and Legal Services on a permanent contract. Reporting into the Chief People Officer and Group Secretary, the post holder will provide a strategic level of legal advice on all aspects including corporate governance and legislative matters across the society, as well as managing the governance framework to comply with legislation and regulation. The successful candidate will be a self-starter, capable of initiating positive interventions under their own volition, with a strong eye for detail. The Head of Secretariat and Legal Services will operate at the highest level and use their specialist legal knowledge to support the society, and to effectively lead the current Legal team. The Post holder will provide comprehensive legal and secretariat support to the Executive and Board, and other third parties. Key Responsibilities: Manage the governance framework and to ensure compliance with relevant legislation, regulation, as well as company secretarial and governance best practice. Including the Building Societies Act, UK Corporate Governance Code and other similar legislative measures Lead on, and direct appointed external legal firm, on the negotiation, drafting and review of commercial agreements as necessary to protect the Society s interests and advance business requirements; to lead on the management of contractual issues, as well as generate and maintain precedent agreements; Develop and embed a legal risk framework across the Society to ensure compliance with all required legislation. Advise on and oversee the application and development of the Society s policies and procedures, including in relation to lending policy and requirements and the operation of savings accounts Under the direction of the Group Secretary, provide a comprehensive secretariat and legal support service including to the Society s Board, Board Committees and Executive Committee. This includes the drafting and review of minutes, Board Committee policies, terms of reference and papers, the Schedule of Matters reserved and similar documentation; Lead and manage the Annual General Meeting (AGM), including the preparation of all relevant notices and returns; and review and approval of all AGM communications; Assist in the preparation of the Annual Report, including drafting of the governance disclosures and committee reports to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulation Provide secretariat support to the Society s pension trustee board and the Society s charitable foundation; To manage and provide strategic and legal advice in relation to material disputes, complaints and litigation, complaints lodged with the Financial Ombudsman; and gathering evidence and liaising with external counsel where necessary; Coordinate and provide legal support (and sign-off where required) in the delivery procurement processes, including RFIs and RFPs and on product related legal requirements, particularl y existing and future mortgage and savings products, as well as lending and savings activities to ensure that the Society meets business, regulatory and legislative requirements. Skills and Experience Required: Education may include qualified lawyer or chartered governance institute or a Head of Secretariat in a previous/similar role holding a minimum of 2 years regulated financial services experience A hands-on and proactive approach to include reviewing and negotiating contracts and other legal documents to protect the organisations interests; Skilled in producing high quality minutes; and live minuting of meetings; A confident stakeholder manager, with the gravitas to effectively communicate and manage third parties (i.e. external law firms and suppliers) and senior internal colleagues; Exceptional analytical, issue-spotting and problem-solving skills demonstrated capability to quickly analyse complex factual situations, evaluate key risk issues and make appropriate decisions; Strong knowledge of company secretarial, governance, frameworks and regulatory environment as related to financial services organisations; Strong technical knowledge and experience of litigation matters, including working knowledge of the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR); Ideally experience of delivering AGMs, ensuring all regulatory, legal and governance requirements are met; Strong drafting skills in relation to the production or review of documents required to support the Society s conveyancing processes e.g. transfers of equity; deeds of substituted security; sales of land; Experience of RFP and RFI procurement processes; Experience of managing and developing teams; What s in it for you? We wholeheartedly believe that our people are our greatest asset, that s why in addition to your salary you will be rewarded with a wide range of other benefits: Generous annual leave starting at 25 days 8 bank holidays, (pro rata) Pension scheme where we will augment your contribution by 0.6% (Up to 10.6%) Social club membership dozens of discounts available for a wide variety of family days out and events Performance related pay scheme Corporate health plan with the option to include family members Discounted travel cards Life assurance provided by the Society at 4 times your salary When we say our people are the West Brom s biggest asset that doesn t mean just viewing them as employees. We also recognise they have a life outside work, one that has responsibilities and rewards which the Society respects and supports in ways that aim to bring the best out of them. We operate flexible/hybrid working at our Head Office, our Recruitment team will be happy to share further details of this with you if you are interested in applying for a role. Why choose the West Brom? At the West Brom we appreciate that our employees are unique individuals with differing needs depending on their specific circumstances and stages in life. When we say our people are the West Brom s biggest asset that doesn t mean just viewing them as employees. We are proud of our heritage and absolutely believe that the West Brom is a great place to work. The West Brom are a Disability Leader employer and encourage disabled applicants and applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply. We will consider requests to make adjustments to our recruitment process and offer a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants meeting the essential criteria. Should you require assistance please do not hesitate to email careerswestbrom.co.uk. Check out our careers page to find out more about our culture, values and benefits. https://www.westbrom.co.uk/careers. If you share our values and our enthusiasm, then you will find a home at the West Brom. Do it today and click apply Please note We reserve the right to withdraw our adverts earlier than the original published expiry date, therefore if you are interested please submit your application as soon as possible Head Office: 2 Providence Place West Bromwich B70 8AF. www.westbrom.co.uk The West Brom is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. Register no. 104877. the West Brom is a trading name of West Bromwich Building Society.