Chief Governance Officer (Company Secretary)

Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

Flexible across Devon and Cornwall (with travel as required)

  • Location Flexible across Devon and Cornwall (with travel as required)
  • Sector Health
  • Client Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
  • Job Type Permanent
  • Salary/Remuneration VSM c£131,181- £171,292
  • Reference GSe132554
  • Closing Date 9am Monday 8th June 2026

We are seeking an exceptional and innovative Chief Governance Officer (Company Secretary) to provide expert, system-level leadership of governance, assurance, and corporate services across NHS Devon and NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, working within a single ICB Cluster arrangement ahead of an anticipated future merger.

This is a pivotal executive leadership role at a critical point of transformation for the NHS. As ICBs transition towards a more strategic commissioning and system leadership model, the Chief Governance Officer will ensure that governance enables change, assures Boards and regulators, and underpins safe, transparent and effective decision‑making across the system.

Reporting directly to both the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer and acting as a formal participant of the Board, you will be the principal adviser on all matters of governance, assurance and statutory compliance, risk operating at the heart of system leadership.

Together, we serve one of the largest, most complex, and geographically challenging health systems in England, covering extensive rural, coastal, and island communities, and urban areas.

As our Chief Governance Officer (Company Secretary), you will play a central role in ensuring that governance arrangements are robust, proportionate, and future-focused, supporting transformation whilst maintaining public trust, accountability, and statutory assurance. You will work closely with NHS England, system partners and senior leaders to ensure governance arrangements support evolving operating models, shared leadership structures and future integration.

In this appointment, we are seeking a qualified senior governance professional with significant experience at Board or system level within complex, regulated environments. You will bring deep expertise in corporate governance, assurance, risk management, and statutory compliance, ideally within the NHS or wider public sector. With the confidence and credibility to advise and influence Boards, you will have strong political acumen, diplomacy, and communication skills, and the ability to build trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of governance for our ICB Cluster and our governance arrangements with Providers and Local Authorities, at a defining moment for the NHS and our organisations. You will be at the heart of system leadership decision making, ensuring that governance enables innovation, collaboration, and improvement of outcomes for our populations.

For a discussion in confidence, please contact our retained recruitment partners at GatenbySanderson:

Lucy Deane

E:  lucy.deane@gatenbysanderson.com

T: +44 (0) 7825 990 792

 

Melanie Shearer, Partner

E: melanie.shearer@gatenbysanderson.com

T: +44 (0) 7785 616 548

 

 

To view the job description and person specification, please scroll to the bottom of the page, tick to agree to the privacy policy, then click 'Continue to full details'.

Documents

  1. Fit and Proper Person Declaration - New.docx

Continue to full details and apply

Share this job

Featured jobs

Chief Executive Officer and Chief Land Registrar

HM Land Registry

UK-wide (with a significant presence in Croydon)

Chief Executive Officer

Coin Street

London

Chief People Officer

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust

Hertfordshire

Corporate Director, Growth & Environment

London Borough of Lambeth

Lambeth, London