Assistant Company Secretary (FTC)

Job summary

Job Family Group:

Business Support Group

Job Description:

Our purpose is to deliver energy to the world, today and tomorrow. For over 100 years, bp has focused on discovering, developing, and producing oil and gas in the nations where we operate. We are one of the few companies globally that can provide governments and customers with an integrated energy offering. Delivering our strategy sustainably is fundamental to achieving our ambition to be a net zero company by 2050 or sooner.

Company Secretary's Office

The Company Secretary's Office (CSO) has as its purpose, to partner with the boards and businesses at bp, facilitating effective decision making through dynamic corporate governance, whilst maintaining the good standing of bp legal entities around the world. This is achieved through focusing on the strategic priorities for CSO: excellence in corporate governance; simplification; building trusted partnerships. Corporate governance at BP p.l.c. has a high degree of breadth and complexity. The expectation for the quality of delivery is extremely high. The structure of the department reflects this with three UK members of the CSO leadership team individually having responsibility for Board and Committees, Subsidiary Governance and Corporate Governance. This role will sit within the Corporate Governance sub-team of the Company Secretary’s Office and will report to the Head of Corporate Governance. Based in our corporate headquarters in St James’, Piccadilly, there is an expectation for this role to be present in the office 3 days a week with 2 days worked from home.

This is a fixed term parental leave cover position for 12 months.

Responsibilities:

Company secretarial activities including, but not limited to:

PLC committee support – secretary to a plc board committee

Meeting management

• Responsible for end-to-end support for a main committee of the plc board.
• Management of committee meeting cycle.
• Responsible for drafting certain committee papers during the year.
• Responsible for co-ordinating agenda setting with relevant partners including committee chair.

Responsible for the maintenance of the forward planner and actions list for the committee.

• With support from board & committee team, responsible for co-ordinating papers for committee meetings.
• Responsible for taking and producing minutes of meetings in a timely manner.
• With support from board & committee team, responsible for co-ordinating board off-site visits.

Stakeholders

• Responsible for building relationships with committee members including becoming a trusted advisor to the committee chair.
• Responsible for building relationships with key relevant stakeholders within the bp group.

Governance

• Responsible for co-ordinating annual review of this committee’s terms of reference and ensuring ongoing adherence throughout the year.
• Responsible for ensuring this committee’s consideration of any principal risks delegated to the committee by the board.

Annual general meeting

The bp AGM is one of the most high profile and well attended AGMs in the UK. There are a large number of internal collaborators and external providers to co-ordinate and manage over the course of the year and particularly in the 3 months leading up to the AGM. This role would have responsibility as project manager for the AGM:

• Responsible for day-to-day project management for the AGM, chairing weekly meetings of cross-functional colleagues and managing workflow across all areas of activity.
• Co-ordination across multiple internal and external stakeholders to deliver hybrid format of meeting including site visits and director briefings/rehearsals.
• Responsible for drafting/review and updating of procedural and governance documents.
• Collaboration with Corporate Reporting team on Q&A preparation.
• Responsible for reviewing requisitioned resolutions

Notice of Meeting and Annual report/20-F

• Responsible for drafting the Notice of Meeting and related activities e.g. recording videos
• Responsible for drafting sections of the corporate governance report within the Annual Report and 20-F, as necessary as well as oversight of other team members’ contributions.

Insurance

• Support Head of Corporate Governance plc on D&O insurance renewal including liaison with external brokers and bp’s insurance services team
• Respond to queries and co-ordinate learning/updates for other stakeholders on coverage and policy

Other

• Support for review of corporate governance framework
• Support MAR compliance/insider management
• Support for continuing listing obligations in UK, NYSE and Tokyo
• Support for government consultations and external policy developments.
• Accountable for preparation and submission of regulatory announcements including relating to PDMR share activity
• Accountable for the delivery of CSO authored board and committee papers, from time to time.
• Mentoring and guiding colleagues in technical as well as personal development areas.
• Support on other aspects of the department’s work as and when required.

There may from time to time be the expectation to support activity across other parts of CSO

Key Skills & Capabilities

• Good working knowledge of the UK Corporate Governance regime and corporate legislation
• Knowledge of UK listing regime
• Demonstrable experience in a Company Secretarial role
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to build credible and effective relationships, be seen as a trusted business partner, maintaining respect and pragmatism in dealings with all partners
• Ability to work in a team and in a collaborative environment
• Ability to carry out research independently and provide recommendations
• Experience of working in a fast-paced, complex business
• Good commercial skills
• Track record of change management, particularly in process simplification or introduction of technology in delivery of automation
• Organised and able to adapt to an ever-changing environment
• Strong influencing skills required in an autonomous and decentralised business.

Education / Qualifications

• Chartered Secretary, lawyer, chartered accountant or equivalent professional qualification

Experience

• Experience in a FTSE 100 or large complex FTSE 250 plc Company Secretary environment required
• Previous experience in global energy/or mining sector is desirable but not required

Why join bp:

At bp, we provide an excellent working environment and employee benefits such as an open and inclusive culture, a great work-life balance, tremendous learning and development opportunities to craft your career path, life and health insurance, medical care package and many others.

We support our people to learn and grow in a diverse and exciting environment. We believe that our team is strengthened by diversity. We are committed to crafting an inclusive environment in which everyone is respected and treated fairly.

There are many aspects of our employees’ lives that are significant, so we offer benefits to enable your work to fit with your life. These benefits can include flexible working options, collaboration spaces in a modern office environment, and others benefits.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Apply now!!

Travel Requirement:

Negligible travel should be expected with this role

Relocation Assistance:

This role is not eligible for relocation

Remote Type:

This position is a hybrid of office/remote working

Skills:

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Legal Disclaimer:

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, neurodiversity/neurocognitive functioning, veteran status or disability status. Individuals with an accessibility need may request an adjustment/accommodation related to bp’s recruiting process (e.g., accessing the job application, completing required assessments, participating in telephone screenings or interviews, etc.). If you would like to request an adjustment/accommodation related to the recruitment process, please contact us.

If you are selected for a position and depending upon your role, your employment may be contingent upon adherence to local policy. This may include pre-placement drug screening, medical review of physical fitness for the role, and background checks.