Strategic Lead for Governance Professionals

National Governance Association

Hours
22.5 hours per week

About the Organisation

Governance has risen up the political and school improvement agendas, and this provides more opportunities for NGA to deliver our charitable objectives. NGA is the only national membership organisation for governors, trustees, and governance professionals in state schools in England, and we work to improve the effectiveness of governing boards in both maintained schools and academies. As such, it is the first port of call for many of the policy makers in the education sector who are looking for governance expertise or wish to understand the governor's view. We have been at the forefront of developing new programmes, tools for improving governance, and resources for new governance structures. We pride ourselves on our knowledge andthe  quality of our products and services. Alongside our membership, NGA offers training, e-learning, and consultancy.

NGA is an independent charity and not-for-profit national membership organisation for state school governors, trustees, and governance professionals in England. Our work aims to improve the educational standards and well-being of young people by increasing the effectiveness of governing boards and promoting high standards. As expert leaders in school and academy governance, we provide information, advice, guidance, professional development, and e-learning

About the role

We are seeking a highly experienced and strategic individual to lead NGA’s advocacy for governance professionals and strengthen our influence at a national level. This role involves shaping policy, developing partnerships, and ensuring NGA remains the authoritative voice for governance professionals. The successful candidate will drive initiatives that promote the role and value of governance professionals, lead the development of resources and events, and contribute to training and professional development programmes.

Responsibilities

National Advocacy & Representation:

• Proactively develop relationships with the governance professional community and consciously attract and, with authority through experience, speak on behalf of that audience
• Act as the leading voice for governance professionals at conferences, panels, roundtables, and through external media.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including DfE, MAT leaders, professional bodies, and training providers.
• Shape and influence the national discourse on school governance by contributing to consultations, policy responses, and sector-wide initiatives.
• Develop effective working relationships with established national partners, such as the Chartered Governance Institute, to enable joint working. 
• Work independently and alongside the Head of Governance Development to identify other partnerships that align with campaigning objectives.  
• Promote and encourage constructive dialogue with associations and networks committed to raising the status and standard of clerking in schools and trusts.

Strategic Leadership:

• Lead on the development and implementation of NGA’s strategy to promote the role and value of governance professionals
• Identify opportunities to influence policy and practice at the regional and national levels.
• Work with internal teams to align advocacy with NGA’s broader strategic goals.
• Determine the operational goals, activities, owners, and timescales included in the strategy. 
• Develop success criteria based on measurable outcomes with specific reference to NGA’s reach and influence.
• Maintain routine reporting arrangements through NGA policy and practice meetings and other forums as appropriate.  
• Collect feedback from the governance professional community and use that knowledge to adapt the strategy and NGA’s offer.

Lead in the creation, improvement, and quality assurance of NGA’s published content and the suite of events for the governance professional community:

• Lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of the suite of events, ensuring high-quality, relevant content.
• Lead in the development of new and continual improvement of existing e-learning modules for governance professionals
• Work alongside the Head of Content to identify, design, and develop new resources for the governance professional.
• Lead in the development of the governance professional area on the website, ensuring it is constantly being reviewed and updated, and is appropriate for use.
• Produce high-quality written content, including blogs, webinars, articles, briefings, and presentations.
• Act as an expert resource supporting and advising NGA staff involved in producing guidance and other content.
• Keep up to date with emerging trends and best practices in governance and share insights with the wider sector.
• Acting as an expert resource working with the professional development team to design, develop, and provide quality assurance training and e-learning offered by NGA to governance professionals.
• Contribute to the production of consultancy services, training, and e-learning content as required.
• Ensure that, as far as possible, the training and e-learning are aligned with the relevant guidance and content on the Knowledge Centre and NGA’s policy positions.
• Be an advocate for NGA’s governance professional training

Leading Governance Programme Development and Design:

• Create and continuously improve the curriculum for the Leading Governance training programme, ensuring it meets the needs of participants and aligns with industry standards.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders, including senior management, governance experts, and external partners, to ensure the programme content is relevant and impactful.
• Coordinate the delivery of training sessions, workshops, and seminars, utilising a variety of instructional methods to engage participants and enhance learning outcomes.
• Develop and implement assessment tools to measure participant progress and programme effectiveness, using feedback to drive continuous improvement.
• Oversee the development and distribution of training materials, ensuring they are up-to-date, comprehensive, and accessible to all participants.
• Ensure the training programme adheres to all relevant regulations and best practices in governance and training delivery.
• Consider feedback on programme performance, including participant feedback and learning outcomes, and implement a cycle of continuous improvement.
• Stay informed about the latest trends and innovations in governance and training, incorporating new ideas and technologies into the programme as appropriate.

Capacity Building:

• Support the professional development of governance professionals by leading on training, resources, and accreditation pathways.
• Champion the professionalisation of governance support roles by promoting clear career pathways, standards, and frameworks for development.
• Identify gaps in training, qualifications, and guidance for governance professionals, and work with stakeholders to identify solutions
• Collaborate with the training and consultancy team to ensure alignment with sector needs.
• Collaborate with training providers, professional bodies, and employers to ensure governance professionals have access to high-quality, relevant CPD.
• Facilitate networks and peer-learning opportunities to share best practices and foster a sense of professional identity
• Support schools, trusts, and local authorities in understanding how to effectively recruit, retain, and develop governance professionals
• Develop evaluation methods to measure the impact of capacity-building initiatives and continuously improve their reach and effectiveness. 

Contributing to NGA’s policy, information, and research work:

• Work with the wider policy, research, and advice team on identifying consultation opportunities 
• Directly contribute to Governing Matters magazine, writing articles, particularly with an eye to demonstrating to members both our national presence and ability to influence change
• Write for all NGA’s channels, including news items, blogs, and social media 
• Promote policy positions and research findings 
• Proactively engage with NGA’s consultancy service and NGA’s regional leads to identify emerging issues, ensuring NGA’s policy agenda remains relevant
• Maintain the profile and status of our work-focused on clerking and governance professionals.
• Promote innovation and continuous improvement in the work focused on clerking and governance professionals.
• Advise, seek feedback, and gather intelligence from the NGA’s teams and services to inform the strategy focused on clerking and governance professionals.  
• Work with the NGA policy team and the head of marketing to ensure that data and intelligence gathered from research, the annual governance and membership surveys, are meaningful to the work focused on clerking and governance professionals

Be an active member of NGA:

• Participate in Policy, Research, and Information team meetings with the aim of continuously improving standards of service 
• Participate in Leading Policy & Practice meetings, leading discussions where appropriate 
• Represent NGA at internal and external events and meetings
• Support the induction of new members of the NGA staff 
• Participate in other internal NGA meetings, communications, staff meetings, etc.
• Support NGA’s policies, values, and ethos

Skills, Competencies & Experience

Knowledge & Experience:

• Significant experience in school and trust governance or a related education policy environment.
• A strong understanding of the role and challenges of governance professionals. 
• Experience of working directly as a governance professional within a multi-academy trust and local authority.
• Experience in designing and delivering training.

Skills & Abilities:

• Excellent relationship-building and influencing skills.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to develop and deliver impactful initiatives.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including a proven ability to write confidently and concisely for a variety of audiences
• Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders, including members, partners, and officials
• Exceptional organisational and project management skills
• An analytical mindset with the ability to interpret data and metrics 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, social media, and media monitoring tools

Desirable:

• Background in communications, public affairs, or professional development.
• Experience in running a clerking service.
• Experience in public affairs, advocacy, or external affairs
• Experience of influencing public policy and/or parliamentary business
• Willingness to volunteer as a school governor or academy trustee

Required Qualifications

• Educated to degree level equivalent, or similar ability gained through work experience relevant to the role

Compensation & Benefits

• 25 days annual leave (FTE) + bank holidays + 3 days Christmas closure (increases to 26 after 3 years’ continuous service and to 27 after 6 years’ service)
• Pension contribution at 7%
• Flexible working arrangements
• Wellbeing support through our employee assistance programme and health cashback plan
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Option to buy and sell annual leave
• Probation period 6 months
• Healthy CPD budget

Working locations

• Remote working with occasional office visits in Birmingham.
• Occasional weekend or evening working may be required

How to apply

• Please submit a current CV, accompanied by a personal statement setting out why you wish to be considered for this role, linking to the essential criteria in the person specification. Please submit your application by email to: [email protected] with “Strategic Lead for Governance Professionals” in the subject line by 9 am on Monday, 8th December 2025. Early applications are encouraged.
• If you have any questions about the role, please email [email protected] with “Strategic Lead for Governance Professionals” in the subject line.

Interviews

• NGA is actively recruiting for this position and may contact shortlisted candidates prior to the published closing date, so early applications are encouraged.
• If you have not been contacted by 31st December 2025, please assume that you have not been successful

Policies

Our equality and diversity monitoring form (Annex 1) is optional and will not be used as part of the application process. This information is used for internal monitoring purposes only and is confidential. Equality and diversity monitoring form

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