Assistant Company Secretary

An opportunity has arisen to join this high profile, fast-paced and collegiate FTSE30 team. This important and varied role will involve a broad range of general company secretarial duties with regular exposure to senior stakeholders in the business, ownership of projects and participation in transactions. The role calls for a confident and energetic self-starter with a good understanding of corporate governance and company law who is eager to learn and apply their knowledge.

 

You will be responsible for

 

As an Assistant Company Secretary in the team, you will have responsibility for a variety of matters across the areas below. A periodic rotation of responsibilities is anticipated to ensure development and a depth of knowledge and experience across the team. Your responsibilities may include:

 

Listed Governance & Statutory Compliance:

Supporting listed and subsidiary Board and committee governance

 

Overseeing compliance with the Market Abuse Regulations and the Group’s payment practice reporting requirements

 

Advising the business on the application of the Group’s Delegation of Authority and signing policies and maintaining the powers of attorney register

 

Supporting with the drafting and production of the PLC Annual Report and maintaining the regulatory sections of the PLC website

 

Preparing and releasing UK and International Stock Exchange announcements, FCA notifications and NSM submissions

 

Managing a portfolio of UK and international companies, including providing support to ensure that the best standards in governance are adopted and maintaining statutory records on Blueprint

 

Organising subsidiary board meetings, preparing minutes and other ancillary documents

 

Supporting and deputising for a Senior Assistant Company Secretary with managing our Dutch subsidiary board and attending meetings where required

 

Supporting on the end-to-end annual subsidiary accounts process in collaboration with other company secretaries, cross-functional teams and external auditors; preparing and reviewing accounts, engagement letters, management representation letters and comfort letters

 

Preparing and supporting in the delivery of training and inductions to statutory directors

 

Assisting with the global half-yearly health checks

 

Assisting with general team administration, and provide support to other team members as and when required

 

​​ Transactional and Project Support:

Providing company secretarial support on UK and international corporate transactions and intra-group restructurings, including: group acquisitions, investments and disposals, bond issuances, EMTN programme updates, corporate simplification activities, equity injections, liquidations and inter-company dividends

 

Responding to ad hoc queries from international businesses, joint venture partners and third-party service providers

 

Shareholder Matters:

Assisting with preparations for the PLC Annual General Meeting, production of shareholder documentation, directors’ briefing material and management of the meeting on the day

 

Supporting the ongoing relationship with the Group’s Registrar, including in relation to share registration matters, PLC dividends and shareholder strategy initiatives

 

Responding to routine shareholder enquiries and assist with shareholder queries from around the business

 

Working with the reward function to assist in the Group’s management of executive and employee share schemes

 

Overseeing all aspects of the company's Sponsored Nominee

 

You will need

 

Attention to detail and the ability to work well as a team player will be key strengths. You will be able to adapt quickly in a fast-changing environment. The role will encourage you to think outside the box and proactively offer both ideas and solutions to support the evolving needs of the team and the wider business. You will be able to work autonomously on tasks and manage your own workload to ensure that all relevant deadlines are met. In addition, you must:

 

Be part or ICSA qualified with a good working knowledge of company law and governance requirements

 

Have experience of working in a listed company environment is desirable, but not essential as training will be provided

 

Have good written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail is essential

 

Be able to work cross-functionally and form strong working relationships internally with senior managers and Directors

 

Have good project management, planning and organisational skills; must be able to manage own time, prioritise and meet deadlines without compromising on quality

 

Be able to adapt well to change in a fast-changing retail environment

 

Have strong PC skills including Word, Excel, Outlook and Blueprint (or similar entity management system)