Head of corporate governance

We are seeking an experienced governance professional to lead the delivery of high-quality governance and assurance across the organisation, providing expert advice to Boards, Committees and the Council of Governors while ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.

About You

• A senior governance professional with substantial experience operating at Board and executive level within a large, complex organisation.
• Strong knowledge of corporate governance frameworks, statutory requirements, regulatory obligations and governance best practice.
• Proven ability to provide expert advice and constructive challenge to senior leaders, executives and Board members.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to build effective relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Highly analytical, with the ability to interpret complex information, identify key risks and provide clear, pragmatic recommendations.
• Experienced in navigating organisational complexity and driving improvements to governance processes and frameworks.
• A strategic thinker who can balance attention to detail with a broader organisational perspective

Experience from the NHS is welcomed but not essential. We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates with governance leadership experience within complex public sector environments such as local government, central government, defence, regulatory bodies, higher education, or other large-scale organisations.

As Head of Corporate Governance, you will lead the Corporate Governance function across the organisation, helping colleagues across the Group and its sovereign Trusts to build governance arrangements that are effective, consistent and continuously improving. Your work will support clear decision‑making, strong accountability and the delivery of high‑quality patient care.

You will play a central role in shaping how governance operates across a newly merged organisation, influencing strategic decision-making and ensuring governance, risk, assurance, and organisational performance are aligned.

What you'll be doing

• Leading the Corporate Governance function and Company Secretary services across the organisation
• Developing and embedding a new governance framework for the merged organisation
• Providing expert, authoritative governance advice across the organisation, working closely with the Group Director of Corporate Governance
• Leading the operational delivery and continuous development of the Group's corporate governance framework, ensuring alignment with the Group operating model, strategic objectives, statutory and regulatory requirements
• Developing and implementing corporate governance policies, processes and assurance arrangements in line with recognised NHS governance standards
• Leading the implementation of governance self-assessment processes aligned to the Insightful Board Provider Board Framework and support the Board in meeting Provider Capability Assessment requirement.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward- thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Lavinia Rowsell Job title: Group Director of Corporate Governance Email address: ***email_hidden***