Trust Governance Professional and Executive Assistant (Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust)

Salary: £47,410 to £50,582 per annum pro rata (actual salary range: £45,161 to £48,183 per annum).

Contract type: Permanent.

Working pattern: Full time, term-time.

Closing date: Monday 15 June, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.

Interview date: Friday 19 June, 2026.

How to apply:

Please complete an application form and return to: [email protected]. Application forms are available to download on the DCAT website: Welcome to DCAT - Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust.

For more information please download the application pack.

Please note that CV’s will not be considered.

Who to contact if you have a query:

If you are a senior leader and you’d like to know more about the Trust Governance Professional and Executive Assistant role, please contact our Director of Operations and Governance, Jo Saunders: [email protected].

At DCAT, our mission is rooted in our Every Child Strategy, a commitment to ensuring that every pupil flourishes academically, socially and personally. Achieving this ambition relies upon strong governance, high-quality leadership and effective collaboration across our schools and central team. This role plays a vital part in enabling that success by ensuring our governance is robust, our leadership is well supported, and our strategic priorities are effectively coordinated.

This is a unique opportunity to work at the centre of Trust leadership, supporting the work of the Trust Board, its committees and the Executive Leadership Team. The postholder will provide professional governance advice, ensure high standards of compliance and organisation, and play a key role in facilitating effective decision-making across the Trust. At the same time, the role offers the opportunity to contribute to executive coordination, communication and strategic delivery at the highest level.

We are seeking an individual who brings professionalism, discretion and strategic awareness, alongside excellent organisational and communication skills. The successful candidate will be confident working with senior leaders and Trustees, able to manage complex priorities, and committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance and integrity.

At DCAT, we pride ourselves on being a collaborative and supportive organisation, underpinned by our values of wisdom, respect and aspiration. We are committed to professional development, continuous improvement and creating an environment in which colleagues can thrive and make a meaningful contribution to our shared mission.

We hope the information within this pack gives you a clear insight into the role and the opportunities it offers. We look forward to receiving your application.

The Trust Governance Professional and Executive Assistant plays a pivotal role in ensuring the effective functioning of high-quality governance and executive leadership across the Trust.

The postholder provides professional governance advice, clerking and compliance support to the Trust Board and its committees, while also delivering high level executive assistance to the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Leadership Team.

The role ensures that governance is robust, decision making is well informed, and the Executive Team operates efficiently through excellent organisation, high quality briefing support and strong coordination across the Trust.

This role sits at the centre of Trust leadership and requires professionalism, discretion, strategic awareness and the ability to work confidently with senior leaders, trustees and stakeholders.

The Trust is committed to delivering the Every Child Strategy, ensuring that every pupil flourishes academically, socially and personally. Achieving this ambition requires strong governance, effective leadership and clear communication across the organisation.

The Trust Governance Professional and Executive Assistant plays an important enabling role in this work. By ensuring that governance operates effectively, executive leaders are well supported, and strategic priorities are clearly coordinated, the postholder helps create the conditions in which schools and leaders can focus on what matters most: improving outcomes and opportunities for every pupil.

Through professional governance support, excellent organisation and strong relationships across the Trust, the role contributes to the collective leadership that underpins the Trust’s mission.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Governance Advice:

• Provide independent, high quality governance advice to the Chair, CEO and Trustees, ensuring adherence to the Academy Trust Handbook, statutory frameworks, Trust policies and best practice guidance.
• Support the Chair in creating conditions for effective board operation, constructive challenge, and balanced contribution from all trustees.
• Support the design, implementation and continuous improvement of governance systems, processes and documentation, for the Trust Board and Local Governing Bodies.

Governance Framework and Compliance:

• Maintain and regularly review the Articles of Association, Scheme of Delegation, committee Terms of Reference, governance handbook ensuring full compliance and up to date publication.
• Ensure correct recording and publication of appointments, registers of interest, GIAS entries, policy cycles, and statutory reports (e.g., gender pay gap, modern slavery).

Trust Board and Committee Administration:

• Provide clerking to Trust Board meetings, including working groups
• Plan agendas with Chairs and senior leaders to enable strategic, forward looking discussion, and ensure papers are high quality, succinct and circulated in good time.
• Produce accurate minutes, action logs and maintain oversight of meeting cycle planning.
• Support efficient management of panels and working groups, identifying opportunities to streamline processes

Board Evaluation, Training & Development:

• Coordinate the board’s self-evaluation cycle, including skills audits, succession planning and training needs analysis.
• Plan whole board and targeted training ensuring statutory training completion.
• Ensure the recruitment of Trustees and Governors is undertaken strategically and informed by skills audits and succession planning, ensuring the Board and Local Governing Bodies benefit from a broad and relevant range of expertise.
• Maintain induction programmes for trustees and local governors, ensuring onboarding is comprehensive and timely.

Stakeholder Communication & Two Way Governance Engagement:

• Act as a professional point of contact between the Executive Team and key stakeholders including Trustees, school leaders, governors and external partners.
• Support Local Governing Bodies and clerks with governance advice and guidance, providing training and support when required.
• Line manage DCAT Clerks.
• Work closely with the Trust’s Marketing, Communications, Events and PR Lead to ensure executive communications, announcements and strategic messaging are accurate, timely and aligned with Trust priorities.
• Support the preparation and coordination of executive communications including Board briefings, leadership updates, Trust announcements and key strategic documents.
• Ensure communications arising from governance meetings, Executive decisions and strategic initiatives are effectively shared with the Marketing, Communications, Events and PR function for wider dissemination where appropriate.
• Provide administrative and briefing support for Trust communications including newsletters, strategic updates, events and leadership messages.
• Coordinate with the Marketing, Communications, Events and PR Lead to ensure consistent messaging across governance papers, executive communications and Trust publications.
• Maintain clear communication channels between the Executive Team, governance structures and the Trust’s communications function.

Executive Assistant Support:

• Provide proactive and confidential EA support to the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Leadership Team.
• Manage complex executive diaries, ensuring priorities are clearly structured and time is used effectively.
• Support the preparation of board reports, strategy papers and Trust wide communications.
• Act as a central coordination point for Executive Leadership Team activity.
• Support administrative coordination for Executive Leadership Team meetings, ensuring they are well organised, documented and followed up through clear action tracking.
• Anticipate executive needs and proactively manage information, deadlines and priorities.
• Support the CEO in maintaining oversight of strategic initiatives and Trust priorities.
• Support the planning of Trust-wide projects and operational initiatives.
• Engaging with sector to ensure that ELT is informed of sector best practice and emerging issues.

Administration:

• Work with all members of the Trust team to develop and improve systems, policies and initiatives in line with the Trust development plan.
• Liaise professionally with schools, central teams and external stakeholders.
• Support the onboarding and governance integration of new schools joining the Trust.

Professional Development & Personal Qualities:

• Engage actively in CPD relevant to governance, administration and Trust leadership.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of education, charity and company law, safeguarding and compliance.
• Demonstrate excellent communication, organisation, resilience and relationship-building skills.

General Responsibilities:

• Adhere to Trust safeguarding policies and undertake all required safeguarding training. Carry out duties reasonably required within the scope and level of the role. Promote the values and mission of the Trust and contribute positively to a culture of professionalism, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Other:

• To undertake such duties at the discretion of the Executive Team as may reasonably be required by the changing needs of the Trust.
• To maintain a positive view of change and be prepared to adapt the role as the Trust grows, matures and evolves.
• The list of duties is not exhaustive and the postholder may be required to undertake other responsibilities appropriate to the grade of the post.
• Christian principles underpin the way the organisation runs and its partnership with schools and academies and the post-holder must be committed to the organisation’s vision and values.

This job description only contains the main accountabilities relating to the post and does not describe in detail all the duties required to carry them out. The postholder may be required to undertake other duties and responsibilities that are commensurate with the nature and level of the post.

All successful appointments are subject to receipt of three satisfactory references, and all applicants will undergo safer recruitment screening, including checks with previous employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All appointments will be subject to safeguarding checks including an enhanced DBS check. All school-based jobs are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act as the work brings employees into contact with children who are regarded by the Act as a vulnerable group. Applicants for school-based jobs must, therefore, disclose all spent and unspent convictions.

Additional Information

Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is part-time or term-time only.