Head of Governance

The Very Group – Liverpool, City and Borough of Liverpool

We are The Very Group and we’re here to help families get more out of life. We know that our customers work hard for their families and have a lot to balance in their busy lives. That’s why we combine amazing brands and products with flexible payment options on Very.co.uk to help them say yes to the things they love. We’re just as passionate about helping our people get more out of life too; building careers with real growth, a sense of purpose, belonging and wellbeing.

About the role

Reporting into the Group Legal Director, the Head of Governance (Group) is responsible for providing strategic corporate governance advice and support to The Very Group Board and its Committees. They are tasked with establishing and maintaining the highest standards of governance and supporting the delivery of good customer outcomes through effective oversight.

They are also responsible for ensuring TVG and all of its subsidiary companies complies with its financial and legal reporting requirements, providing support on all company secretarial matters, as well as ensuring TVG maintains high standards of corporate governance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Convene and provide administration support for TVG Board and Committee meetings, produce agendas, take minutes, convey decisions and handle meeting correspondence.
• Provide corporate governance and strategic advice during and outside of meetings, supporting the Chair, Directors and other members of the Board or Committees with discharging their duties.
• Keep up to date with key regulatory or statutory changes and policies that might affect the organisation, liaising with the Legal Team and Compliance & Risk Team in this regard.
• Oversee and mature TVG’s Governance and Regulatory Reporting Control framework.
• Ensure TVG Terms of Reference, Policies and Procedures relating to Corporate Governance matters are implemented, up to date and approved by the relevant Board or Committee.
• Manage TVG’s Governance routines and instigate annual effectiveness reviews to ensure the Boards and Committees are fit for purpose and provide clearly accountable decision making and oversight, enabling the Chairs to implement enhancements.
• Communicate and manage company secretarial and corporate governance matters with external professionals, such as external law firms and auditors.
• Maintain all Corporate Governance frameworks and documentation, including company registers, managing Companies House, annual reports, financial statements, as well as contractual reporting requirements.

SMCR Captured Role - This role will undertake activity on behalf of the financial services businesses, who are part of The Very Group, and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA’s Senior Managers and Certification Regime requires the individual who performs this role to be approved. We will tell you more about this during the interview process.

About you

We are seeking a highly experienced Company Secretary or an individual with extensive Company Secretarial experience in retail or a similar sector with a first class understanding of the key legal and regulatory environment.

The ideal candidate should possess excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build strong relationships with key internal stakeholders. It is crucial for the candidate to establish trust and credibility with board members and business leads, while also maintaining their independence and objectivity.

We are also looking for the successful candidate to bring:

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify and critically evaluate the elements of risk in an organisation and provide insight by relating these in a commercial sense to risk, brand and customer outcomes.
• Ability to ask the right questions of the right people to identify the Company’s hidden risks and weak points and who can train and develop management to think about their own hidden risks and impacts within their remits.
• Ability to shape and develop a Corporate Governance agenda for the business with an appropriate level of sophistication.
• Ability to be a champion for Corporate Governance but can partner with the business in a commercially sensitive manner.
• A strong leader with the presence, intellect, accomplishment, and skill to quickly establish rapport and credibility at board level and beyond.
• Ability to use their judgement effectively to identify which issues are important from those which are not.
• A proven track record of successfully implementing a Corporate Governance framework.
• A proactive operating style with the ability to consider and react to key legal and regulatory issues before they impact the business.

Some of our benefits

• Flexible, hybrid working model
• Inclusive culture and environment, check out our Glassdoor reviews
• £10,000 flexible benefits allowance to suit your needs
• 30 days holiday + bank holidays
• Udemy learning access
• Bonus potential (performance and business-related)
• Up to 25% discount on Very.co.uk
• Matched pension up to 6%
• More benefits can be found on our career site

How to apply

Please note that the talent acquisition team are managing this vacancy directly, and if successful in securing this role which is captured under SMCR you will be required to undertake enhanced pre-employment checks including; a credit, CIFAS and standard DBS check. Should your application progress we require you to let the team know if there is anything you need to disclose in relation to any of these checks prior to them being undertaken, including any unspent criminal convictions.

What happens next?

Our talent acquisition team will be in touch if you’re successful so keep an eye on your emails! We’ll arrange a short call to learn more about you, as well as answer any questions you have. If it feels like we’re a good match, we’ll share your CV with the hiring manager to review. Our interview process is tailored to each role and can be in-person or held remotely.

You can expect a two-stage interview process for this position:

1st stage - A 45 video call with the hiring team to discuss your skills and relevant experience. This is a great opportunity to find out more about the role and to ask any questions you may have.

2nd Stage - A one-hour formal face to face interview which will include both technical and competency based questions.

As an inclusive employer please do let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.

Equal opportunities

We’re an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.