Location: Bury St Edmunds Hub / Hybrid
Salary: £40,632 FTE, pro rata for part-time hours
Hours: Full-time, 4 days or 3 days per week
Contract: Permanent
About the Role
Solo Housing is looking for an experienced and confident Governance Officer to join us in this newly created role.
This is an opportunity to genuinely make your mark. Our governance function is developing, and we need someone who can understand where we are today, identify what needs to improve and put the right structures, processes and practices in place.
You'll work closely with our Chief Executive, Board and Sub-Committees, providing trusted advice and ensuring our governance arrangements are effective, transparent and compliant.
We need someone who is proactive and comfortable working independently - someone who can identify what needs to happen, take ownership and bring solutions rather than problems.
Key Responsibilities
• Provide high-quality governance support to the Board, Sub-Committees, Chief Executive and Senior Leadership Team.
• Manage Board and Sub-Committee meetings, including agendas, papers, minutes and actions.
• Build effective relationships with the Board Chair and proactively manage expectations.
• Develop and review policies and working practices to ensure regulatory compliance and best practice.
• Maintain the Register of Interests and annual declarations.
• Manage the Strategic Risk Register and ensure risk owners are accountable.
• Coordinate and quality assure Solo's approach to safeguarding.
• Coordinate and quality assure the complaints process in line with the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code.
• Prepare clear, accurate reports and translate complex information for different audiences.
• Provide governance advice and appropriate challenge to senior stakeholders.
• Identify gaps and opportunities to strengthen Solo's governance arrangements.
• Support compliance with the requirements of the Regulator of Social Housing and our obligations as a Registered Charity.
• About You We're looking for someone with at least three years' experience in a governance role and a strong understanding of organisational governance principles and practices.
Experience within social housing is desirable, but we're open to candidates from other regulated environments such as financial services, the NHS or housing. What's important is that you can quickly understand and apply the specific requirements of the social housing sector.
You'll also have:

• Experience working with Executive Teams and Non-Executive Directors.
• Strong knowledge of governance, with the ability to quickly develop an understanding of the Regulator of Social Housing's Consumer Standards and Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to translate complex information clearly.
• Strong attention to detail and experience producing high-quality minutes.
• The confidence to provide advice and challenge where required.
• Excellent organisational and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to work independently and manage competing priorities.
• Experience developing clear and practical policies.
• Strong Microsoft 365 skills and the ability to learn new systems.
• A high level of confidentiality, integrity and professional judgement.
• An understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion within a social housing environment.
• A full UK driving licence with unrestricted access to a suitable vehicle for work purposes.
• The ability to successfully pass and maintain an Enhanced DBS check.
• Working Arrangements We are flexible on how this role is structured and are open to full-time, 4-day or 3-day working arrangements.
The full-time salary is £40,632, with part-time salaries calculated pro rata.
Based at our Bury St Edmunds hub, we offer a flexible approach to hybrid working. Full-time employees would generally work from the office around 3 days per week, while those working 4 days would generally attend around 2 days per week, particularly at the start.
Working hours are broadly 8:30am-6:00pm, with flexibility around this.
If you're an experienced governance professional looking for a role where you can take ownership, improve processes and make a genuine impact, we'd love to hear from you.


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