Assistant Company Secretary - Financial Services

Job Description

Highly reputable and long standing banking brand is seeking an Assistant Company Secretary to assist their designated CoSec / Head of Legal in the overall department objectives. You will support the Company Secretary in providing proactive and effectiveCompany Secretarial support to the Board and subsidiary boards and their committees.General - to assist the Head of Legal DPO & Governance with the following: -

• Maintain and keep up to date the banks Corporate Governance Policy
• Record all changes to membership of the Board and all Board and Executive Committees
• Maintain all the required statutory registers for the bank and its other subsidiaries
• File all required returns and notifications at Companies House and inform Compliance of any changes that need to be notified to the PRA and/or FCA.
• Ensure terms of reference of the Board, Board Committees and all Executive Committees are reviewed at least annually and are being adhered to
• Ensure that at the beginning of the year dates are set for Board and committee meetings that year
• Ensure that adequate D&O cover has been arranged by Group for directors and managers
• Seek to improve Board and committee processes

Committee membership/involvement

• May attend any executive committee. Expected to provide a full assistant secretarial service to the Executive Management Committee.

Board and Governance

• Oversee the arrangements for all meetings of the Board and Board Committees
• Act as secretary to the Board and Board Audit & Risk Committee (including taking the minutes)
• Ensure that an AGM is held each year for the bank and that this is properly minuted
• Maintain the training records of all directors
• Facilitate training for directors, including induction training for new directors
• Ensure required fitness and propriety checks are carried out when directors join the Board and at regular intervals thereafter
• Ensure that the performance of individual directors is assessed annually by the Nominations and Remuneration Committee
• Ensure that the performance of the Board is assessed annually by the Nominations and Remuneration Committee
• Ensure that once every three years the Board is assessed by external consultants
• Review compliance with the latest version of the UK Corporate Governance Code and any relevant PRA or FCA guidance on governance and advise the Board accordingly
• Ensure that non-executives are operating under a current letter of appointment and where such letters are due to expire, bring this to the attention of the Chairman of the Board
• Ensure that each non-executive on the Board has an up to date role description
• At least annually review and advise on the Succession Plan Policy.

Committees

• Act as secretary to the Executive Management Committee
• Ensure that each executive committee is capturing action points arising at meetings and that these are being followed up and monitored.
• Maintain a comprehensive action list arising out of Board or committee meetings and internal audit points
• Ensure all executive committees are meeting as planned

Essential competencies

• Previous experience as an assistant or company secretary - *a must-have*
• Experience in a similar role within financial services - *a must-have*
• Experience in interacting with senior Board members - *a must-have*
• Associate or Fellow of ICSA - *a must-have*
• Experience of minute taking at a senior level - *a must-have*
• An understanding of what the PRA and FCA expect in terms of corporate governance - ideal to have.
• A solid grasp of the requirements of the Companies Act - ideal to have.
• A solid understanding of Corporate Governance best practices, and experience of applying this understanding pragmatically in support of boards and committees within financial services. - ideal to have.
• Data Protection knowledge or other legal issues - would be beneficial

Keyskills :
BankingCommitteeCompany Secretarial WorkICSAcompany secretariat