Interim Deputy Company Secretary

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

The Opportunity

Plan International is seeking an experienced and motivated Deputy Company Secretary to join our Governance and Executive team. This is a unique opportunity to play a central role in supporting the governance of a leading international organisation advancing children's rights and equality for girls worldwide.

Working closely with the fellow Deputy Company Secretary, you will ensure the smooth and effective operation of Plan International's governing bodies, including the International Board, Members' Assembly and their committees. You'll provide expert governance advice, help ensure compliance with legal and constitutional requirements, and support high-quality decision-making at the most senior levels of the organisation.

This role offers the chance to work with senior leaders, governors and stakeholders across multiple countries, influencing governance practice and helping strengthen organisational effectiveness across a complex global network.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the delivery of governance and secretariat support to Plan International's International Board, Members' Assembly and their committees, ensuring the effective planning and administration of meeting cycles, workplans and governance processes.
• Prepare, review and coordinate high-quality agendas, board papers, minutes, resolutions and action logs, ensuring documentation is clear, accurate and aligned with good governance practice.
• Build trusted relationships with governors, senior leaders and colleagues, providing expert advice and guidance on governance processes, constitutional requirements and decision-making.
• Ensure effective coordination between governance bodies and executive leadership teams to support informed decision-making and implementation.
• Support the induction and ongoing development of governors, including the provision of guidance materials, resources and training.
• Help ensure compliance with legal, constitutional and regulatory requirements across Plan International and its subsidiaries.
• Maintain accurate governance records and oversee company secretarial processes, including Powers of Attorney, written resolutions and other corporate documentation.
• Manage governance policies and procedures relating to areas such as conflicts of interest, confidentiality and related-party transactions.
• Support governance-related compliance activities, including board elections, due diligence processes and regulatory reporting requirements.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen governance systems, processes and controls, driving continuous improvement and organisational effectiveness.
• Monitor developments in governance, company secretarial practice and relevant legal and regulatory requirements, ensuring best practice is reflected across the organisation.

About You

We're looking for someone who combines strong governance expertise with excellent stakeholder management skills and a proactive, solutions-focused approach.

You will have:

• Experience in corporate governance, company secretarial, legal, compliance or a related governance role, with a strong understanding of governance frameworks and good governance practice.
• Experience supporting boards, committees and senior decision-makers, ideally within a complex international or multi-jurisdictional environment.
• Demonstrable experience drafting high-quality minutes, board papers, resolutions and other governance documentation.
• Strong understanding of legal, regulatory and constitutional requirements and the ability to interpret and apply governance policies and procedures.
• Excellent organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver to tight deadlines.
• Exceptional attention to detail, accuracy and follow-through.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and effectively.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships and work confidently with senior leaders, governors and stakeholders at all levels.
• Sound judgement, discretion and professionalism when handling confidential and sensitive matters.
• A collaborative and proactive approach, with the confidence to challenge constructively and identify opportunities to improve governance processes and ways of working.
• Experience working within an international NGO, charity or other complex global organisation is desirable.

Location: The preferred location for this role is the UK. However, alternative locations may be considered where Plan International has an office* that can employ on behalf of the Global Hub and you have the pre-existing right to work and live.

Type of Role: 12-month FTC

Salary: Please kindly note that the salary and employment benefits will be set according to your location and therefore it is not possible to include full details here. Please note this will not be an international contract.

Closing Date: 1st November. Early application is strongly encouraged. We review applications on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close the advert ahead of the advertised closing date.

 *Applicable locations may include: Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, China, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.