Working hours: 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Duration: Permanent

Location: Gloucester or London

Job Ref: 204789

About the role

Benefact Group are looking for a Deputy Company Secretary to join our Gloucester or London office.

As Deputy Company Secretary, you'll be the lead Secretary and trusted advisor to Boards, providing effective oversight of a portfolio of companies within the Group including the Managed Companies, leading a small and proactive technical team, and being a member of the Senior Secretarial Management Team.

The role can be based in London or Gloucester, but a minimum of one day per week in the Gloucester office is required, regardless of base location.

Why join us?

Join a collaborative and inclusive culture that’s committed to making a difference and building a more sustainable future. Ranked amongst the UK's 15 Best Big Companies to Work For in 2025, we offer fantastic career and development opportunities within a rapidly growing, innovative Group — where all profits go to charity and good causes.

What you'll be doing

• To manage and develop a small and proactive technical team providing a comprehensive company secretarial service to Group and Managed Companies, which complies at all times with current legal, regulatory and governance requirements.

• To act as Lead Secretary to build an effective relationship with the Chairs of the Managed Companies to help ensure the efficient functioning of the Boards.

• To oversee or act as Lead Secretary and trusted adviser to the Managed Companies and other Group Companies organising and administrating Board, Committee and Annual General Meetings, as required, including the preparation of minutes and agendas.

• To ensure that each Company adopts best practice governance standards and to advise and support the Chair in facilitating governance activities such as induction, board evaluations and board composition reviews.

• To ensure the Companies maintain and comply with the Governance Framework and ancillary documents.

• To monitor and assess the impact of legislative and regulatory developments affecting the companies at a corporate level making recommendations to the Board on implementation and compliance.

• To oversee specific projects for the Managed Companies and lead other projects across the Group working effectively with key external legal, regulatory, and other stakeholders to deliver results.

• Assist in the production of the front end of the Annual Report & Accounts ensuring they comply with current legal, regulatory and governance requirements.

• To oversee registrar duties for the Managed Companies ensuring effective share registrations and transfers, dividend payments, shareholder communications and maintaining the statutory registers.

What you'll need to have

• Associate of the Chartered Governance Institute or equivalent (minimum three years).

• Experience in managing and developing teams.

• Experience of working in a diverse PLC Group/Financial Services and in particular insurance.

• Detailed knowledge of UK Listing Authority Rules and Corporate Governance Codes.

• Proficient in dealing with, and presenting to, Senior Executives, Non- Executive Directors and Board Committees.

• In depth knowledge of Companies Act and other legislative requirements.

• Proven track record in supporting, challenging and coaching Directors and Senior Leaders to embed best practice governance and compliance with regulatory and legal requirements.

• Excellent communication skills.

What makes you stand out

• Strong leadership skills.

• Highly credible, with proven ability to build effective relationships and to influence key stakeholders, including Directors, executives and senior managers.

• Demonstrates sound and commercial judgement and ability to design practical and proportionate solutions.

What we offer

• A competitive salary - let's discuss it

• Hybrid working

• Group Personal Pension - up to 12% employer contribution

• Generous annual bonus scheme: on-target bonus between 7.5% and 30%

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and a holiday buy and sell scheme

• An array of health and wellbeing benefits, including private healthcare, income protection and life assurance

• £200 annual personal grant to a charity of your choice

• Encouraged to take at least one volunteering day per year

• Employee Assistance Programme

• Full study support to gain professional qualifications

• Access to virtual GP

• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

Hear from the hiring manager

"This is a unique opportunity to join a well-established, award-winning organisation and a high-calibre team as Deputy Company Secretary reporting to the Company Secretary. The role will provide support to the Board of Directors and Committees, oversee the secretarial service provided to the Managed Companies and deliver first-class governance and corporate administration. We’re looking for an ambitious, proactive, governance professional seeking variety, visibility, and the chance to influence and build trusted relationships at board level."

About us

Benefact Group is a unique international financial services Group made up of over 30 businesses. We are owned by a charity and have been the 3rd largest UK corporate donor over a decade*, having given away £250 million since 2014. We have ambitious plans to become the UK’s number one corporate donor, with strategic objectives in place to double the Group’s size.

We believe it’s essential to attract, empower, grow and reward talented people, offering fantastic opportunities for career and personal development. Our giving ethos, 135-year history and the diversity of what we do, has enabled us to build a culture of kindness, great ambition, and of passionate people driven to do better and be better. 

At Benefact Group, we are committed to creating an inclusive culture and building an environment where each and every one of us feels valued and respected. We are a community made up of people with a range of different backgrounds, abilities, perspectives, beliefs and interests and we value the strength this brings to us as a Group. We welcome applications from everyone.

If you need any additional support during the recruitment process, then please let us know.

*Directory of Social Change’s UK Guides to Company Giving 2017-26