Company Secretarial Assistant

Who are we?

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Howden is looking for a Company Secretarial Assistant to join our Company Secretarial function. In this role, you’ll support the team in delivering high governance standards through accurate record-keeping and assisting with a range of company secretarial duties. You will help manage services to the Group’s boards, shareholders, and business, ensuring compliance with Group policy while contributing to the team’s goals and delivering exceptional service.

The role calls for a confident and upbeat Company Secretarial Assistant with a good understanding of the company secretarial role and company law who is eager to learn and apply their knowledge.

Please note this is a full-time, permanent role based in our Central London office. Following a hybrid work pattern, the expectation is for you to be onsite 3 days per week on average.

Responsibilities:

• Assist in the arranging of board and committee meetings, including pack production via Diligent Boards and the follow-up on action points;

• Attend and minute regulated and non-regulated subsidiary board and committee meetings;

• Maintain divisional statutory books to ensure timely and accurate filings, including tracking and diligent filing of meeting minutes;

• Liaise with and manage overseas entities in regard to their statutory records, filing and regulatory requirements;

• Assist with the update and management of Group corporate structure charts and process maps;

• Assist with the drafting and proof reading of documents (including minutes, annual reports etc.);

• Assist in the implementation and maintenance of an up to date, structured Company Secretariat filing and archiving system;

• Prepare and circulate written resolutions of directors and shareholders;

• Provide assistance with the management of UK and non-UK divisional subsidiaries, including in the UK Companies House filings and applicable corporate governance, and the maintenance of statutory registers using the Diligent Entities system;

• Assist with the integration of the company secretarial systems and records of newly formed and newly acquired subsidiaries;

• Co-ordination of the board approval, signing and filing of UK statutory accounts;

• Assist with liquidations and dissolutions of Group subsidiaries which are inactive and dormant;

• Support the Group’s international businesses with various requests, including KYC requests;

• Manage certain Company Secretariat BAU matters as agreed from time to time, for example the Review Manager process and the Group Structure Chart;

• Assist the Company Secretary, International & Strategic Projects in the delivery and implementation of strategic projects; and

Requirements:

• Previous experience in a company secretarial role, ideally within the insurance or financial services sector.

• Strong written skills, including the ability to draft high-quality regulated entity minutes.

• Proficiency with technology and systems relevant to company secretarial work, such as Diligent Entities and Diligent Boards (or equivalent).

• Knowledge of current UK statutory and regulatory legislation.

• A recognised degree or equivalent qualification, ideally in Finance or Law, and either holding GradCG status or actively studying for the Chartered Governance Qualifying Programme.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs.  Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.