Head of Governance/Pennaeth Llywodraethiant

The National Lottery Community Fund

Hybrid

Expires: Expiring in less than 3 weeks

Policy

Full time

£62,569 - £82,879 per year

Job summary

We are seeking a Head of Governance reporting into our Chief of staff and leading a team of four, comprising two Senior Governance Officers and two Governance Officers.

This is an exciting opportunity to join The National Lottery Community Fund in a pivotal leadership role, where you will be given the opportunity to shape and strengthen governance function and frameworks while providing expert support to executives, non-executives, and the Board.

As a trusted advisor to the Chair, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring robust governance, compliance, and assurance in line with our regulatory requirements. You will lead a skilled team delivering strategic governance oversight in a modern, agile way that supports the whole organisation.

Job description

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to shape governance at a senior level within a purpose-driven organisation. You will work alongside senior leaders and stakeholders, influence strategic direction, and lead meaningful improvements that make a lasting impact.

Key Responsibilities

Lead and develop all areas of governance across the Fund, ensuring efficient, effective, and compliant practices.
Provide strategic governance oversight, driving consistency and harmonisation across committees and decision-making forums.
Act as a proactive and trusted advisor to the Chair of the Board.
Oversee governance support for UK-wide and England-based decision-making bodies, simplifying and improving ways of working.
Manage a complex cycle of governance meetings, ensuring excellence in delivery and decision-making support.
Lead the appointment, induction, and development of non-executive members.
Build and lead a high-performing governance team, fostering development, coaching, and continuous improvement.
Work closely with the sponsor government department and lead governance improvement initiatives aligned to our One Fund ambition.
Contribute strategically as part of the Directorate leadership team, supporting corporate planning and taking collective responsibility for staff.

About You

You are an experienced and influential governance leader with a track record of delivering strategic oversight and driving organisational improvement. You bring:

Significant experience leading a governance function within a complex or public sector organisation.
Proven ability to streamline processes and strengthen governance assurance.
Experience providing strategic, proactive support to senior executives and Boards.
Strong knowledge of relevant legislative frameworks (including the National Lottery Act and Public Sector Equality Duty).
Expertise in delivering governance improvements through harmonisation and matrix working.
A strong people leadership background, with experience coaching and developing high-performing teams.
Excellent stakeholder management skills and a commitment to outstanding customer service.

Interview details:

Date: Week Commencing 6 July 2026
Format: Online
Location: UK Wide

The role can be based at any of our UK offices: Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, and Newtown.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact: Nic.Buckley@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

For any questions about the recruitment process, please email: recruitment@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

Person specification

How to apply:

Upload your CV in word format and write a supporting statement (1000 words) with the following criteria, we will use this to score your application.

Proven leadership experience of a governance function within a complex, regulated or public sector organisation.
Demonstrable expertise in governance frameworks and compliance, with the ability to ensure adherence to statutory and regulatory requirements.
Significant experience advising senior executives and Boards, including acting as a trusted and proactive strategic advisor.
Strong track record of improving governance practices, including streamlining processes and driving consistency across committees or decision making bodies.
In-depth knowledge of relevant legislation, including the National Lottery Act and Public Sector Equality Duty (or equivalent regulatory frameworks).
Experience leading and developing high-performing teams, with a focus on coaching, mentoring, and building capability.
Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and build strong relationships across internal and external stakeholders, including government departments.
Excellent organisational and operational skills, including managing complex governance cycles, delivering high quality outputs, and ensuring attention to detail and assurance.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.

We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,569, The National Lottery Community Fund contributes £18,126 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

A full list of our benefits can be found on our website.

Generous Civil Service Pension Scheme
Flexible working
Enhanced paid maternity/ paternity leave
Paid volunteering leave
Season ticket loan

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Upload your CV in word format and write a supporting statement (1000 words) with the following criteria, we will use this to score your application. Please click link to apply:

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

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Contact point for applicants

Salary range

£62,569 - £82,879 per year