Governance Officer

Job Title: Governance Officer
Organisation: Self Help Africa
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Contract: Permanent, full time.
Reports to: Head of Governance and Strategic Initiatives

About Self Help Africa

Self Help Africa is an international development organisation that works through agriculture and agri-enterprise development to end hunger and extreme poverty. In 2021, Self Help Africa merged with United Purpose, doubling our size. Our annual income is now in the region of €50m. The organisation works in 15 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

In early 2023 we launched a new five-year organisation strategy, which defines
shared mission as the alleviation of hunger, poverty, social inequality and the
impact of climate change through community-led, market-based and enterprise-
focused approaches, so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean
water, decent employment and incomes, while sustaining natural resources.

Our wider organisation also includes social enterprise subsidiaries Partner Africa,
which provides ethical auditing and consultancy services, TruTrade, an innovative
trading platform in East Africa, and CUMO, Malawi’s largest micro-finance
provider.

Our three core values are:
▪ Impact: We are accountable, ambitious and committed to systemic change.
▪ Innovation: We are agile, creative and enterprising in an ever-changing world.
▪ Community: We are inclusive, honest and have integrity in our relationships.

Job Purpose:

Working closely with the Management Team and reporting to the Head of Governance and Strategic Initiatives, the Governance Officer will provide administrative and company secretarial support to the organisation. The Governance Officer will play a vital operations role in supporting the Group to fulfill its governance, legal and statutory obligations ensuring files are accurately maintained.

Key Responsibilities:

Management Team Support:

Provide administrative support to the Management Team including co-ordinating meetings, setting agendas, taking minutes, and tracking and following up on agreed actions and support the Management Team with internal communications.

Governance:

• Supporting Boards and management on company secretarial work facilitating the development and implementation of processes to support good governance and ensure that board members are presented with up-to-date information in advance of meetings.
• Support the Group with UK and Irish governance, including scheduling of meetings, minute taking of United Purpose, Village Aid, Self Help UK, War on Want, Committee meetings, Gorta Group Board meetings and AGMs and other related fora as requested.
• Maintain accurate governance records, including charities’ records on Companies House, Charity Commission, Charities Regulator and Companies Registration Office in the relevant jurisdictions. Ensure all confirmation statements are submitted on time and submit returns for lobbying in Ireland.
• Assist in the future planning for subsidiaries within the group, including the closure of entities.
• Support the board and its committees in fulfilling their responsibilities and following best practices.
• Support the Chairs through the board development process, including trustee recruitment, inductions and arranging training where necessary. Ensure accurate and up-to-date membership records are maintained.
• Advise colleagues on the Memorandum and Articles of Association.
• Implement governance related systems and roll-out of same to staff and board members in conjunction with ICT.
• Support in the development of Governance and relevant compliance documents and the development of a Governance Manual
• Assist with Internal and External audit requests as required.
• Develop, administer and monitor the Corporate Compliance Calendar ensuring organisational compliance is maintained throughout the year and the Governance Calendar ensuring meetings are planned and participants are aware of all events.
• Support the CEO on all matters and queries related to the governance of the organisation.

Key Relationships:

Internal:

• CEO, Director of Finance & Operations and reporting to the Head of Governance and Strategic Initiatives
• Global Leadership Team and Country Directors
• Chair of the Board(s), Subcommittees of the Board and Members of Gorta

Essential

• Educated to degree level or significant equivalent work experience with a minimum 2 years relevant work experience
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy in text, numbers and graphics
• Excellent planning, co-ordination, delegation, and prioritisation skills
• Demonstrable experience in working with confidential information
• Good strategic thinking skills; able identify the core elements of a task and the steps needed to achieve it, taking context into consideration
• Excellent communication, writing and team-working skills
• Proven track-record in a fast-paced work environment with the ability to plan, prioritise and deliver under pressure
• A team-player, prepared to get involved in a range of activities

Desirable

• Excellent numeric skills, including proven understanding of financial management
• Commitment to the fight against poverty, and to the values and mission of the organisation