Director of Governance & Compliance

The Great Schools’ Trust is a growing, dynamic and values-led multi-academy trust of five academies with a further four in development for September 2024. As the trust is expanding rapidly, we require a Director of Governance & Compliance to play a pivotal role in ensuring that our academies operate within a framework of excellence, integrity, and accountability.

Your role is instrumental in championing a transparent, accountable governance culture that aligns with our ethos of offering a free, independent school quality education within the state sector. This requires a visionary approach to how governance and compliance can drive educational excellence, innovation, and social equity.

You will be a strategic leader, who can offer expert guidance as part of a collaborative ethos. You will set a benchmark for excellence in governance and compliance and be the lead governance professional for the Local Academy Council for each academy, the board of trustees and the members of the trust.

This role offers the opportunity to significantly impact the education and lives of children within the Trust. By ensuring robust governance structures, meticulous compliance with the latest educational regulations, and a proactive approach to risk management, this role supports our strategic vision of providing every child with the choice over their university destination and career.

Core Purpose

The Director of Governance & Compliance is pivotal in ensuring our academies uphold a framework of excellence, integrity, and accountability. Tasked with ensuring exemplary governance and compliance standards across all academies within the Trust, the role encompasses a broad remit, including oversight of legal, regulatory, and educational compliance, governance structures, GDPR and data protection.

The Director of Governance & Compliance is charged with leading the Trust’s risk management strategy. This includes identifying, evaluating, and mitigating risks across various areas such as operational, financial, legal, and reputational risks to safeguard the Trust’s assets and ensure the wellbeing of its community.

The purpose of this role extends well beyond compliance; it is about embedding our values of Aspiration & Achievement, Self-Awareness, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Endeavour (ASPIRE) into every facet of our governance and operational practices, fostering a culture of high standards, ethical leadership, and continuous improvement across our family of academies. In this capacity, the Director of Governance & Compliance acts as the cornerstone of the Trust’s commitment to delivering outstanding education to children from disadvantaged communities.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Governance Leadership and Strategic Planning
• Compliance Oversight
• Data Protection Officer
• Risk Management
• Financial Compliance
• Policy Development and Implementation
• Governance Standards
• Trust Governance and Executive Support
• Clerking to the Trust Board and Committees

The post holder will have:

• Demonstrable experience in a governance and compliance leadership role within the education sector, preferably in a multi-academy trust setting.

• Proven track record of developing and implementing governance frameworks, compliance strategies, and risk management processes.

• In-depth understanding of the Academies Handbook 2023, GDPR, educational legislation, health and safety laws, and financial regulations affecting academies.

• Familiarity with the operational dynamics of multi-academy trusts and the challenges and opportunities they face.

• Strong leadership and strategic planning abilities, capable of setting and delivering a vision for governance and compliance across the Trust.

For more information about the role, please email the CEO, Shane Ierston at: recruitment@ greatschoolstrust.com

Applicants should submit an application form and a covering letter of application which fully addresses the competencies outlined in the job description and person specification.

Completed applications should be sent to the trust’s HR Business Partner, Dominique Stead at: recruitment@greatschoolstrust.com

Closing Date for Applications: Midday, Thursday 25th April.

Interviews W/C 29th April.