Assistant Company Secretary

The Ardonagh Group; London; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 70,000

Job description

This is a Permanent, Full Time vacancy that will close in 24 days at 23:59 BST.

The Vacancy

Job Title: Assistant Company Secretary

Location: London/Hybrid (Approximately 1 day a week)

Type: Full time – Permanent (If you are a job share partnership, work reduced hours, or any other way of working flexibly, please do still get in touch)

At Ardonagh Specialty, we provide much more than just a workplace. We are dedicated to fostering skill development and knowledge within a team that is passionate about their work, values their Employees, and truly celebrates diversity.

Working at Ardonagh Specialty means you’ll be part of The Ardonagh Group. We are proud of our innovative environment offering many opportunities for growth across the wider group. Employees regularly move between our united teams, and we encourage you to make your role your own.

Our offices are lively and exciting places to be, but we understand that life needs flexibility and offer a genuinely flexible approach to working. If you are looking to join a thriving, energetic business with exciting plans, this role could be an ideal fit for you.

What we can offer:

We offer much more than just an inclusive culture with apprenticeships, study support, participation in our annual Spotlight Awards, Community Trust, Sports Teams, office socials, events and so much more. All of this with a supportive management team as well as working alongside some of the industry’s top talent.

You’ll have access to wellbeing programs, fantastic discounts across many big-name businesses including supermarkets, gym memberships, restaurants, and healthcare cash plans etc.

Further perks of working with us (Fixed benefits):

• Employer pension contribution of 10% (providing you, the Employee provides 5%).
• Good work life balance - flexibility to suit you.
• Life Assurance at X4 of your base salary.
• Group Income Protection.
• Generous Annual Leave entitlement.
• Private Medical Insurance.

The purpose of this role is to assist the Platform Company Secretary in ensuring that the Ardonagh Specialty Company Secretariat runs smoothly, that appropriate legal and statutory compliance is maintained and that an efficient service is provided to our Non-Executive Directors, Boards and Board Committees.

What you will do:

• Act as the assistant company secretary for the Ardonagh Specialty Business areas, as directed by the Platform Company Secretary, providing company secretarial services and administration.
• Assist with the statutory and regulatory administration of Ardonagh Specialty, its subsidiary companies and committees, including ensuring compliance with statutory filings, confirmation statements, annual reports and accounts, filing of resolutions and any other filings required to be made with Companies House or with any other statutory authority.
• Maintain and manage data held on Diligent Entities, the Company Secretariat database.
• Provide company secretarial support for Board Meetings, General Meetings and Committee Meetings, to include room bookings, circulation of dates, liaison with executive assistants and Non-Executive Directors;
• Assist with the production and maintenance of the Board Annual Planner.
• Manage the corporate calendar, to include circulation of invitations to meetings and monitor attendees.
• Manage and maintain distribution lists.
• Assist with the collation and circulation of papers using Diligent Board Books.
• Assist with production and maintenance of the structure chart using Visio.
• Collaborate on a project to conduct a full audit and update of Diligent Entities.
• Assist with voluntary dissolutions, internal entity reorganisations and any other subsidiary governance transactions.
• Support the business area with KYC information requests, in collaboration with an outsourced provider;
• Undertake miscellaneous administrative duties and tasks and remedial work arising from projects.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Exceptional Diligent Entities skills, adept at web filing and complicated transaction recording, superuser preferable.
• Advanced skills in Word, Excel, Outlook. Diligent Board Books and Visio experience is desirable, but training can be given.
• Experience with providing full company secretarial administrative support to Boards and/or Committees (experience in the financial services sector preferred but not essential).
• Excellent inter-personal, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience of a working in fast-paced environment with competing demands from multiple stakeholders.
• Self-motivated, proactive and team-focused approach.
• Highly methodical and organised, with an ability to work under pressure and within tight deadlines, whilst maintaining accuracy and high-quality output.
• An ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent and ICSA qualified;
• A minimum of five years’ experience in a secretariat.

Key Performance Indicators

• Strong relationships within the team and across the business and functions at all levels of seniority.
• Deadlines and timescales met.
• Allocates own time efficiently and handles multiple demands and competing priorities and eliminates inefficiencies.
• Focused and flexible in the nature of work to be undertaken.
• Adherence to Company Secretariat standards and timetable.
• Contributing to the continuous improvement in the quality and efficiency of the delivery of company secretarial services.
• Anticipates and identifies Board Members’, Committee Members’, Executive Committee Members’ and others’ needs/requirements and takes action to meet these and continually searches for ways to improve the service provided by the Company Secretarial function.
• Demonstrates sound business and professional ethics and acts with the utmost tact and diplomacy, maintaining confidentiality as appropriate.

Think you don’t meet every requirement?

We are dedicated to creating a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace where everyone can thrive. If you’re excited about this role, but your experience doesn’t perfectly match what we are looking for, please apply anyway. You might just be the right fit for the job, or other opportunities we may have within the wider Group.

Interview Process:
At Ardonagh Specialty, we have a straightforward interview process to ensure the best fit for both you and the company:

• Submit your application with your CV, emphasising your skills and experience related to the job.
• Our Talent Acquisition team will then arrange a call where they can tell you more about the role and the team. We want to learn about your motivation and goals, what you can bring to Ardonagh Specialty, and answer any immediate questions.
• If successful, you will generally be invited to engage in a 1-hour interview with the Hiring Manager and selected team members, via teams or in person. We will discuss our technologies, key skills, and team dynamics and provide further opportunity to ask any questions. This is your chance to voice your thoughts on the role and we will outline our expectations and ensure this role aligns with your ambitions for the future.
• Depending on the role, you may be invited to attend a second stage interview with further members of the team.

If successful or unsuccessful, we always try and move quickly in presenting an offer or providing feedback.

We truly value the diversity of our teams and as a Group, we are committed to supporting and welcoming individuals from all backgrounds, as we appreciate every perspective is a significant part of our success. Should you require any reasonable adjustment throughout the recruitment process, please do not hesitate to let a member of the Talent team know.

#AS

The Company

Ardonagh Specialty Holdings Ltd incorporates Bishopsgate Insurance Brokers Ltd, Price Forbes & Partners Ltd, Ed Broking, Besso and Piiq. Together, these leading brands offer independent expertise and truly global reach across an unrivalled breadth of markets and client needs.