About this role
Job summary
The Board Secretary provides high-quality governance, administrative and organisational support to ensure the smooth functioning of the Board and its committees. The postholder ensures meetings are well planned and compliant with statutory and organisational requirements, supports the Chair in fulfilling their leadership responsibilities, and contributes to strong governance practice across the organisation.
The role also provides excellent, proactive and confidential executive support to the Chair, including manages the Chairs complex and high profile diary, balancing strategic priorities and ensuring the Chair is fully briefed, prepared and supported for all internal and external commitments.
Main duties of the job
In this role, you will be at the heart of Board and committee activity, ensuring meetings are expertly planned, papers are coordinated to a high standard, and governance processes run efficiently and effectively.
You will also:
provide dedicated executive support to the Chairmanaging a complex diarycoordinating key engagementsensure the Chair is fully briefed and well prepared across a demanding and varied agenda
About us
The NHS Alliance is the independent membership body that represents and supports the health and care system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We represent, strengthen and support providers and commissioners of NHS care so that the NHS performs at its best and improves patient care across the UK representing frontline reality to government, shaping policy and building capability. We work across the whole NHS as well as within its individual sectors.
Job description Job responsibilities
Board Secretary
Deliver the Confederations board secretarial functions, including coordinating board and committee
meetings, ensuring that work is conducted in accordance with agreed processes and legal timescales, and actions are followed up.Deliver a clear annual plan for the board and its committees, ensuring effective planning and
preparation for board and committee meetings as well as demonstrating an ability to deal with urgent and ad hoc priorities as and when they occur.Work with the wider governance team to ensure an effective forward planner and agenda setting process that ensures the meeting cycle reflects organisational needs.Ensure the Chair of the Board or Committee has a comprehensive brief to support their effective chairing of the meetingAttend Board and Committee meetings, record accurate minutes, and track actions to completion.Maintain an up-to-date repository of Board and Committee documentation, decisions, and governance records.
PA to the Chair
Collaborate across the organisation to develop a clear proactive strategy for coordinating and prioritising the Chairs commitments, maximising impact and stakeholder engagement.Manage the Chairs diary, including scheduling, prioritising, and planning meetings.Coordinate travel, logistics and event arrangements
Ensure the chair is appropriately briefed and fully supported to fulfil the role.Handle all incoming and outgoing correspondence on behalf of the Chair, including managing emails, letters, and other communications, and support the Chair in responding to organisational requests, such as reviewing and signing official documents, approving communications, and preparing responses to enquiries.Work closely with the CEO office to promote close collaboration between the Chair and CEO
Maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion in managing sensitive information.
Support the wider governance of the organisation
Support the wider governance team delivering team objectives around governance, ethics, risk and compliance, as delegated by the Assistant Director of Governance and Compliance.Ensure the Board complies with statutory, regulatory, and constitutional requirements and uphold high standards of governance
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Excellent organisational skills, meticulous attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple competing deadline and demand.
Demonstrable experience preparing agendas, coordinating meetings, and producing accurate minutes quickly.
Familiarity with Board cycles, reporting expectations, and governance documentation, with excellent record-keeping and document control capability.
Demonstrable experience supporting a senior leader, Chair, CEO, or Director; and working collaboratively and proactively across an organisation
Experience of working in a fast-paced PA and governance environment
Desirable
Experience working within the NHS, charity, public sector, or a large, complex membership organisation.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details Employer name The NHS Alliance
Address 2nd Floor, 18 Smith Square
Westminster, London
SW1P 3HZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://thenhsalliance.org/ (Opens in a new tab)