Senior Governance Manager

Senior Governance Manager – £45,000-£55,000 per year – Birmingham

About the Role

HS2 Ltd is seeking two Senior Governance Managers to support the delivery of high-quality governance and company secretarial services across the organisation.

Working closely with the Company Secretary, you will play a key role in ensuring the effective operation of HS2’s governance framework, supporting the Board, Board Committees and Executive leadership teams in their decision-making processes.

This role will help ensure decisions are taken in the right forum, at the right time, and in line with governance best practice for a major publicly funded infrastructure programme.

Key Responsibilities

As a Senior Governance Manager, you will:

• Support the Board, Board Committees and Executive Committee by coordinating governance processes and meeting schedules.

• Oversee the planning and delivery of board and committee meetings (over 200 meetings annually).

• Ensure high-quality board papers, reports and minutes are prepared and recorded accurately.

• Maintain governance documentation and ensure version control across internal systems and websites.

• Monitor compliance with governance frameworks, including HS2’s Framework Document and Development Agreement.

• Lead governance effectiveness reviews and help implement improvements to governance structures and processes.

• Manage the organisation’s Board Portal system and ensure secure distribution of governance materials.

• Provide guidance across the business on governance processes and decision-making pathways.

• Support the onboarding of new Board members and senior leaders.

• Maintain registers including conflicts of interest and Board member records.

• Contribute to the preparation of HS2’s Annual Report and Accounts.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Line management of a Governance Manager.

• Provide support and guidance to the Company Secretariat Assistant.

• Act as an escalation point for governance matters within the team.

• Support the Company Secretary in strengthening governance processes across HS2.

About You

We are looking for a governance professional with experience supporting senior leadership or board-level decision making within a complex organisation.

You will bring:

Skills

• Strong report writing and document drafting skills.

• Experience preparing board papers, agendas and minutes.

• Ability to interpret complex information and present it clearly.

• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.

• High levels of discretion and confidentiality.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

Knowledge

• Understanding of corporate governance frameworks, ideally within a public sector or regulated environment.

• Familiarity with government governance frameworks and oversight processes is advantageous.

• Knowledge of Freedom of Information (FOI) and public accountability processes would be beneficial.

Experience

• Experience working within a Company Secretariat or Governance function.

• Experience supporting Board and committee governance processes.

• Experience using Board Portal software such as AdminControl or Diligent.

• Experience maintaining formal governance records and implementing governance improvements.

• Experience working on large programmes or infrastructure projects would be advantageous.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.