Director of Governance

Shape the
Future of Governance Across Northern Education Trust

Post: Director
of Governance

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary Range: Grade 11 SCP 52 – SCP 54 (£70,412 - £74,566 FTE)

Working Type: Full Time, 37 hours per week
Base: North Shore Academy, Talbot
Street, Stockton TS20 2AY (some travel may be required)

Please note: the post holder will be engaging in regulated
activity, working mainly or wholly with children. This position is exempt from
the rehabilitation of offender’s act 1974. It is an offence to apply for this
role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to
children.

Northern Education Trust (NET) is a
charitable education trust with an excellent track record for school
improvement. The trust currently sponsors 30 academies; 17 secondary and 13
primaries across the North of England in fourteen local authority regions.

Position: Director of
Governance

Salary: Grade 11

Reporting To: Chair of the
Board and Chief Executive Officer (Matrix Management)

Contract
Type: Permanent, 37 hours per week, whole time

About the role

Are you a
forward-thinking governance leader looking to make a lasting impact in
education?

At Northern
Education Trust (NET), high-quality governance drives student achievement and
organisational success. As our Governance Professional, you will act as a
trusted expert, advising the board of trustees, committees, and the executive team,
on strategic, legal, and operational governance matters.

As our named
Governance Professional, this is a pivotal, strategic advisory role designed to
steer compliance, drive board effectiveness, elevate risk management, and
nurture strong relationships across all levels of trust leadership.

Key
Responsibilities

• Strategic: Serve as the expert adviser on the
  Academy Trust Handbook, charity/company law, statutory regulations, and
  internal governance frameworks.


• Board effectiveness & recruitment: Lead
  recruitment campaigns and succession planning for trustees and members. Design
  and implement comprehensive induction programmes and coordinate continuous
  training.


• Compliance & risk management: Oversee the trust’s
  assurance framework. Manage the scheme of delegation, declaration-of-interest
  forms, and statutory filings with Companies House and the DfE.


• Local governance: Build robust, two-way
  communication channels between central trustees and local academy
  committees. Oversee escalation processes, including independent appeals
  and panels (exclusions, complaints, suspensions).


• Corporate & board support: Manage board
  agendas, produce high-precision minutes, track post-meeting actions, and
  support corporate transactions such as academy conversions or mergers.


• Line management: Line manage the Data
  Protection Officer (DPO) and the Communications & Local Academy
  Council Officer.

What We Are
Looking For

We are
seeking a proactive, highly organised governance specialist with the confidence
to provide robust, objective advice to senior stakeholders. You will be
qualified to degree level or hold equivalent senior professional experience
with a proven track record advising or clerking boards within a multi-academy
trust, education or corporate governance setting. In addition, you will hold a
deep knowledge of the Academy Trust Handbook, DFE and Governance legislation,
GDPR and charity/company law. The ideal candidate will have excellent
diplomacy, sound ethical judgment, and the courage to provide objective advice
in challenging situations.

Why Join
Northern Education Trust?

• Drive real impact: Directly support our vision
  and values to improve children's life chances through robust, ethical
  governance.


• Professional development: Access continuous
  training and growth opportunities within a supportive central team.


• Collaborative culture: Enjoy matrix support
  from both the Chief Executive Officer and the Chair of the Board.

Northern
Education Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of
children. An enhanced DBS check is required for this role.

In
accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education, an online search will be
completed on all shortlisted applicants prior to interview. Any relevant
information will be discussed further with the applicant during the interview
process.

The trust is
committed to considering flexible working requests and to safer recruitment
practice. Pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is
confirmed. All posts are subject to enhanced disclosure and barring service
checks. We expect all adults to share our commitment to safeguarding and the
health and wellbeing of our students.

In order to apply for this
position, please visit:
https://northerneducation.octo-firstclass.co.uk/candidates/account/login/203418?aisId=12&rmId=3361

For more information, please contact Becky Bishop, Executive Assistant at b.bishop@northerneducationtrust.org

Closing date: 12 noon on Friday 6th November 2026. However, the trust reserves the right to close applications early, potentially after two weeks should a high volume of applications be received.