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Governance and Compliance Manager

Teach First
Full-time
Listed today
Governance and Compliance
Manager

About us

Teach First is a charity that understands that for a child growing up in poverty, all too often
their future is already written. We know that education can flip the script. We find and train
teachers  to  work  in  the  schools  that  need  them  most,  we  equip  school  leaders  with
evidence-led training, we support local teacher training providers, and we plug education
leaders into supportive professional networks. We’re at the centre of a movement, rewriting
the  future  within  the  classroom  and  beyond,  ensuring  every  child,  no  matter  their
background, gets the opportunities they need to thrive

About the team

This role sits within the Governance and Compliance team. To help staff in Teach
First operate ethically, legally and effectively, the Governance and Compliance team
creates and maintains the frameworks that support sound decision making, such as our
governance and risk management structures, and our compliance and audit
programmes.

The team sits within the People & Governance directorate. This directorate is responsible
for supporting our people and ensuring strong governance across Teach First. By bringing
together People and Governance functions, we help create a positive working
environment and ensure the charity operates responsibly, effectively, and in line with its
values.

About the role

The Governance & Compliance Manager will be central to managing the charity’s
governance and compliance obligations, providing support to our Board of Trustees and
sub-committees, managing our Internal Audit process, leading the risk management
process via our risk management system, and ensuring operational resilience by
maintaining a robust Business Continuity Management System.

You’ll ensure that our work is compliant with regulation and our own policies, that we drive
equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do and that we align our work with Teach
First's purpose of ending educational inequality.

In this role you will:

•  Provide advice, guidance and support to the charity on compliance, assurance,
Board governance, business continuity, internal audit and risk management.
•  Advise on the development and implementation of charity-wide policies via the

•

policy framework, ensuring they are up-to date, accessible, user-friendly, have an
appropriate review cycle and are legally and regulatorily compliant.
Implement and maintain a streamlined risk management process, developing
maturity in our risk management practices, action planning and reporting and
providing support and training to colleagues on the risk identification, logging and
review process.

•  Work with the Head of Governance and Compliance, develop and maintain a
Business Continuity Management System, provide support to the Business
Continuity Steering Group and implement a business continuity response training
and exercise schedule for the charity.

•  Lead the design, development, and maintenance of the charity’s compliance and

assurance documents, frameworks and registers and embed a culture of
accountability with senior leaders.

•  Provide clerking support to a sub-committee of the Board of Trustees.
•  Line manage, coach and develop the Governance and Compliance Officer in their

day-to-day work.

You will report into:

•

 Head of Governance and Compliance

You will line manage:

•  Governance and Compliance Officer

You will work closely with:

•  Various teams across the entire charity to implement and oversee governance and

compliance frameworks and processes.

•  External stakeholders, including software vendors, auditors, and regulatory bodies

as needed.

About you

To be successful in this role you will be able to demonstrate the following skills, knowledge
and experience:

•  Proven experience in developing and implementing compliance processes, plans,

and frameworks, for example, in policy management, internal audits, risk
management and business continuity.

•  Confidence in advising, influencing and engaging stakeholders at all levels, to

ensure robust compliance.

•  Ability to analyse organisational risk and compliance data and simplify complex

concepts to inform robust decision-making.

•  Take ownership and lead initiatives, including rolling out new processes and

training.

•  Proven line management experience.
•  Excellent attention to detail and an innovative approach to reviewing and updating

information and data.

At Teach First, we’re committed to building a diverse, high‑performing team. We particularly
welcome  applications  from  candidates  from underrepresented groups;  and  whose  socio-
economic background reflects that of the pupils we work with.

If you’re excited about this role but don’t tick every box, we still encourage you to apply. You
may be exactly what we’re looking for — for this role or another.

Working for us

At Teach First, we want you to thrive because when you’re at your best, our mission moves
forward. We offer pay, benefits and flexibility that support your wellbeing, and in return we
ask  you  to  bring  your energy,  commitment and  passion  to  helping every  child  reach  their
potential. Find out more

Our  culture:  We  live  by  our  values.  They  underpin  our  culture  and  identity. And  inform
everything we do.

•  Purpose: Ending educational disadvantage guides us - We stay focused on our mission

and strive to get better every day.

•  Community: We  are  a  movement  for  change  - Together  we  are  stronger,  we  support
and learn from one another, working with and through the diverse communities we serve.

•  Bravery: Change requires courage - We take bold risks and aren’t afraid to try, fail and

learn in pursuit of our vision.

•

Innovation: We will succeed through new ideas - We are restless for impact and creative
with our solutions.

Diversity and inclusion: We want to be a place where everyone can perform, learn and
contribute with the confidence to be themselves. We are passionate about building a work
force that reflects the community we serve, and our employees are expected to contribute
to advancing diversity and inclusion within the charity. Find out more

Safeguarding: Safeguarding children is at the heart of our work and a non‑negotiable part
of every role at Teach First. All colleagues must complete a Disclosure and Barring Service
(DBS)  check  before  starting.  We  follow  safer  recruitment  practices  and  expect  our
employees to share our commitment to keeping children safe.

Agile working: Our agile way of working gives you flexibility. Need to start late or finish
early? Our Agile Working policy focuses on outcomes, not presenteeism. Find out more

Flexible Working: We are happy to consider flexible work patterns for our roles where
they align with the needs of the charity. So, if you want to discuss a set and regular
working pattern, let us know in your application.  Find out more