Governance and Advocacy Officer

Royal Economic Society

Hours
35 hours per week

About the Organisation

Royal Economic Society (RES) is a professional membership body and learned society dedicated to the study and application of economics. The RES has been at the forefront of advancing economic knowledge globally since 1890 and has been foundational in building capability and excellence in the profession.

With over 3,000 individual members worldwide and a dozen organisational members, we are one of the oldest economic associations in the world. Increasingly, we are focused on improving the public understanding of economics through engagement with schools and the wider public. Improving diversity, inclusion, and professional conduct within the discipline is a key strategic priority of the Society.

About the role

The purpose of the Royal Economic Society is to promote the study of economic science. With over 3,000 individual members worldwide and a dozen organizational members, we are one of the oldest economic associations. We are a registered charity, and membership is open to anyone who shares our aims and objectives. We are seeking an experienced governance officer to support our governance processes, committees, boards, and senior leadership meetings with coordination, administration, and secretariat support.

Responsibilities

Governance:

• Coordinate meetings for Trustee Board, Council, and other assigned committees or working groups, including venue bookings, AV and IT requirements
• Prepare meeting agendas, collate and circulate papers, and take accurate minutes for assigned meetings
• Maintain accurate governance records and contact information for committees and working groups
• Support the Chief Executive with Trustee and Council onboarding and offboarding, including inductions
• Coordinate the nominations and elections process, including Council ballots and Trustee Board appointments.
• Coordinate the Society’s Annual General Meeting
• Provide secretariat support for the CHUDE Committee and other governance groups as required
• Develop and maintain guidance and resources relating to volunteer and committee engagement
• Coordinate arrangements for the annual RES Services to the Profession medal

Advocacy:

• Provide secretariat support for the Chief Executive in the development and delivery of the Society’s advocacy work

Fellows:

• Coordinate the Society’s Fellows programme, including applications, nominations, panel meetings, and communications
• Act as a key point of contact for Fellows, managing the Fellows inbox and responding to queries
• Maintain accurate records and reporting data relating to Fellows activity
• Coordinate the planning and delivery of the Fellows Annual Dinner

Office Management Support:

• Support the Office & Operations Manager with office policies including maintaining the policy register and review calendar. Monitor and maintain RES general inbox and VOIP system and forward enquiries as appropriate
• Provide cover for agreed responsibilities of the Finance Officer during periods of absence
• Provide cover for agreed responsibilities of the Office & Operations Manager during periods of absence

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Experience supporting governance processes, committees, boards, and senior leadership meetings
• Experience preparing agendas, collating papers, and taking accurate, high-quality minutes
• Strong understanding of good governance, confidentiality and record management
• Excellent organisational skills with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and competing priorities effectively
• Excellent written communication skills, including drafting correspondence and reports
• Confidence working with data, records, and reporting information accurately
• Strong IT skills including Microsoft Office (especially Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams)
• Proactive and self-motivated
• Flexible and willing to support across a range of organisational priorities

Desired Skills & Experience:

• Experience working in a membership organisation, learned society, charity, university, or policy environment
• Knowledge of charity governance and Charity Commission requirements
• Experience covering finance or office management functions  

Compensation & Benefits

• Employee assistance programme
• Enhanced pension

Working locations

• Hybrid model, working in the London office and remotely
• In addition, the postholder will be expected to attend in person for Trustee Board, Council, committee and other governance meetings when acting as secretariat to these groups. Occasional travel to meetings within the UK will be required.

How to apply

• Please apply by sending your CV and a personal statement outlining how you meet each point in the person specification. Applications that have not linked the personal statement to the person specification points will not be considered.
• Applications should be emailed to [email protected] by 10 am Friday 24th July 2026. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Enquiries for further information, or if you require any reasonable adjustments in submitting your application, please contact the Office Manager via e-mail at [email protected]. The Royal Economic Society is committed to equality and valuing diversity.

Interviews

• Shortlisting will be done on an ongoing basis with interview slots held both w/c 20th July (for early applicants) and 27th July 2026.

Policies

Royal Economic Society is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful applicant will be subject to appropriate safer recruitment checks, which may include a DBS check, references, and verification of qualifications and employment history. All staff are expected to share our commitment to safeguarding and to maintain the highest standards of professional conduct when working with students.

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