About this role
Job summary
We're hiring a band 6 Governance Manager to sit at the heart of how NEAS is led and assured. You'll provide expert governance and secretariat support to the Trust Board, its committees and the Council of Governors--helping ensure decisions are clear, compliant, transparent and well-documented.
What it takes:
Board-level confidence: experience advising or supporting senior leaders/boards, with sound judgement & the ability to influence.
Strong governance practice: knowledge of corporate governance, committee business and assurance processes.
Clear communicator: produces high-quality papers & minutes, explains complex issues simply.
Analytical & discreet: handles sensitive information professionally, spots risks, and makes defensible recommendations.
Organised under pressure: manages competing priorities to tight deadlines.
People leadership: able to lead and develop others.
Why work for NEAS?Everything we do supports our vision: "Unmatched quality of care, every time we touch lives." Your governance expertise will strengthen the foundations of safe, effective services--helping leaders make the right decisions and giving confidence to patients, partners and communities. We value people who make a difference, take responsibility, strive for excellence and innovation, and bring respect, compassion and pride to their work.
If you thrive on bringing clarity, structure and assurance to complex decision-making--and you're motivated by public service--we'd love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
As Governance Manager, you'll provide expert governance and procedural advice to the Chair, Chief Executive, Board, committees and Council of Governors. You'll plan and deliver high-quality secretariat support (agendas, papers, minutes, action tracking and forward plans), maintain governance systems/standing orders and the annual cycle of business, and ensure key statutory registers and records are accurate and accessible. You'll support director/governor induction and assurance requirements, oversee policy management and compliance, lead Foundation Trust governance activity (including elections and member/public engagement meetings), line manage colleagues and deputise for senior staff when needed. We're looking for proven board-level support experience; strong corporate governance knowledge; excellent writing and minute-taking; sound judgement and analytical skills; organisation and pace under pressure; integrity and discretion with confidential information; confident stakeholder management; people leadership; and strong digital skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams. Regular attendance is required at our Head Office in Newburn, Newcastle upon Tyne and other sites across the North East, at dates and times as required by the Trust.
About us
We employ 3,500 staff in 63 locations and serve a population of 2,600,000 in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham, and Tees over 3230 square miles.
Many people think the job of the ambulance service is to collect patients and take them to hospital, but we do much more!
Paramedic skills have developed hugely in recent years, meaning we carry out more treatment at the scene and en-route to hospital.
We have a dedicated clinical assessment service that allows us to provide patients with the most appropriate care from the beginning of the patient journey.
We have a specialised branch of the Trust called HART which deal with explosions or terrorist attacks.
Ultimately patients are the heart of everything that we do to support our mission of "safe, effective and responsive care for all".
We value and respect the diversity employees bring to our workplace. We recruit a workforce that reflects the community we serve, and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds. To ensure we deliver on our aims in relation to diversity and inclusion we assess ourselves against a range of frameworks. We are ENEI Gold employer, Disability Confident Leader, Dementia Friendly, and part of Mind Blue Light programme and the Race at Work Charter from the Princes Responsible Business Network and are achieving across all objectives in NHS Equality Delivery System.
From 01/04/25 If your role needs a DBS you'll be subject to salary deduction totaling £49.50, spread over first and second pay.
Job description Job responsibilities
Please see attached PDF job description for the full details of the role, and the job overview and main duties of the job for a summary.
Person Specification
Education, Qualifications and Training Essential
Bachelor's degree or equivalent by experience
Desirable
Working knowledge of the NHS or similar large-scale organisation with a significant public-facing remit
Key Skills, Knowledge and Aptitude Essential
Experience of working at the executive or board level, influencing and advising to effect strategic change High level of analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills Experience of line management or managing a team
Desirable
Comprehensive understanding of the NHS and its infrastructure
Experience Essential
Excellent written communication skills including strong report writing and presentation skills, and experienced minute taker Ability to deal with confidential issues in a professional and sensitive manner Ability to quickly grasp and understand complex issues and the impact on service delivery
Desirable
Proficient in the use of Board management software
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Address Bernicia House
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE15 8NY
Employer's website https://www.neas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)