Salary: £50,544 to £59,464 (dependent on experience)
Contract type: Permanent
Hours: Full-Time
Location: Poole, Dorset, England
Location description: Hybrid (with the expectation to be in the office up to 2 days per week)
Interview date: Stage 1 via Teams: 29th & 30th July; Stage 2 in-person: date TBC
Closing Date: 19-07-2026
Reference: 21720
About us
Our purpose is simple: to save lives at sea. 24 hours a day, every day, RNLI lifesavers are ready to launch to the rescue.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Deputy Company Secretary to join our Company Secretary Team, which is part of the Chief Executive’s office.
The Deputy Company Secretary is responsible for the effective and efficient coordination of corporate governance activity across RNLI and its subsidiaries, and deputising for the Company Secretary on matters of governance.
Some of the benefits
- Salary £50,544 to £59,464 (dependent on experience)
- Flexible working
- 26 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays
- Competitive pension scheme (employer contributions of up to 10% of basic salary)
- Life assurance
- Health cashplan option
Your Role
As the Deputy Company Secretary, you will be a key member of the team, which is made up of the Company Secretary, Assistant Company Secretary and Governance Officer.
You will be tasked with focus on the following areas:
- Taking the lead in providing and coordinating the day-to-day secretariat services to the RNLI Council, Committees and subsidiary companies, working with the relevant Chairs and ET members and assigning Company Secretary team resources.
- Responding and coordinating requests for governance advice within the organisation and handling KYC requests for trustees.
- Revising Governance Policies with regard to the latest requirements and best practice.
- Leading on the recruitment for Council and Committee members in conjunction with the volunteering team, identifying the skills required, convening recruitment panels, organising interviews and liaising with the Membership and Nomination Committee.
- Writing first drafts of Board papers and appropriate reports for RNLI Committees.
This role will require you to travel throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland, including overnight stays.
About You
You’ll be professional and self-motivated, enjoy working with detail, with excellent planning, organisation and communication skills. To be considered as Deputy Company Secretary, you will need:
- Part-qualified by Chartered Governance Institute UKI (formerly ICSA) or equivalent (Essential).
- Previous experience as an assistant or deputy Company Secretary in a broad Governance role, ideally at a charity or in the not-for-profit sector.
- Working knowledge of the Companies Act and Charities Act.
- Experience planning and delivering meetings and events involving trustees and/or senior individuals.
- Experience preparing board packs and other governance documents.
- Working knowledge of electronic board or meeting portals.
If you think this is the role for you, please apply via the button shown.
Safeguarding
The RNLI is committed to safeguarding; protecting a person’s health, wellbeing, and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment and have a zero-tolerance approach. The suitability of all prospective employees and volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. This will include relevant criminal record checks being carried out dependent on the eligibility of the role. (England & Wales; DBS check, Scotland; Disclosure Scotland PVG, Northern Ireland; Access NI, Republic of Ireland; Garda Vetting; International, International Child Protection Certificate process).
Diversity at the RNLI
Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable) and helping us work towards Our Vision: To save Every One
Salary description
£50544.00 - £69464.00 per year