Hire a Company Secretary: When You Need One and How to Recruit

Hiring a Company Secretary begins before the search for candidates.

The same title can describe very different positions: a senior adviser working closely with the Chair and board, the leader of a substantial company secretarial function, or a hands-on professional responsible for boards, entities, records and filings.

If the requirement is not properly defined, an organisation can run an effective recruitment process and still make the wrong appointment.

This guide is for employers considering a permanent, interim or senior company secretarial hire. It explains when an appointment may be needed, which level to recruit, how to define the brief and what to assess during the recruitment process.

Need to Hire a Company Secretary?

Ingen Partners helps listed, FCA-regulated and growing organisations recruit Company Secretaries and governance professionals across permanent, interim and senior appointments.

We can help you test the level of the role, understand the relevant candidate market and decide how best to approach the search.

Hiring a Company Secretary at a Glance

Question	What the employer needs to decide
Why is the appointment needed?	Board support, governance advice, statutory and entity work, senior cover, team leadership or a specific period of change.
Is it legally required?	Public companies must have a Company Secretary. Private companies usually do not, although their articles may require one.
What level should you recruit?	Company Secretary, Group Company Secretary, Deputy, Assistant, Governance Manager or operational support.
Permanent or interim?	Consider whether the requirement is enduring, urgent, time limited or still developing.
What experience is essential?	Board exposure, organisational complexity, regulatory or listed-company experience, sector knowledge and leadership requirements.
Is the package realistic?	Salary and benefits must reflect the scope, seniority, location and candidate market.
How will candidates be reached?	Advertising may be sufficient for some roles. Senior, specialist or confidential appointments may require targeted search.
What happens after recruitment?	The formal appointment and Companies House requirements are separate from finding the right person.

Recruiting, Appointing and Outsourcing Are Different Decisions

The phrase “hire a Company Secretary” can refer to three separate decisions.

Recruiting an employee

The organisation hires a permanent or fixed-term employee to take responsibility for some or all of its company secretarial and governance work.

Engaging an interim professional

An interim Company Secretary provides experienced support for a vacancy, absence, transaction, governance project or period of organisational change.

Using an external provider

A company may outsource defined work such as entity administration, filings or a specialist project. This can suit organisations that do not yet need a full-time internal appointment.

The formal appointment of a Company Secretary as a company officer is a separate legal and governance process. An organisation should therefore decide both what work it needs someone to perform and whether that individual will formally hold office as Company Secretary.

When Should an Organisation Hire a Company Secretary?

There is no single point at which every organisation should recruit.

Public companies are legally required to have a Company Secretary. Private companies frequently make the appointment because their governance arrangements have become too important or complex to manage informally.

It may be time to hire when:

• Board and committee activity has increased
• The organisation has acquired or created additional subsidiaries
• Directors need more consistent governance advice
• Records, filings or board actions are becoming difficult to manage reliably
• Governance responsibilities are divided between legal, finance and administration without clear ownership
• The business is preparing for investment, a transaction, an IPO or another significant change
• The Chair, General Counsel or board needs more experienced support
• The existing Company Secretary has become a bottleneck
• There is insufficient cover for absence, resignation or succession
• Senior employees are spending too much time on repeatable administrative work
• Regulatory or stakeholder scrutiny has increased
• Governance projects are repeatedly being displaced by recurring work

One isolated problem does not always justify another permanent employee. The organisation should first identify whether its main issue is capacity, capability, continuity or the structure of the function.

What Problem Does the Appointment Need to Solve?

Different problems require different hires.

Capacity

The team possesses the necessary experience but cannot reliably complete the volume of work.

This might justify operational support, an additional Assistant Company Secretary or interim help during a demanding period.

Capability

There are enough people, but the team lacks experience in an important area such as listed-company governance, regulated entities, transactions, board advice or leadership.

A more experienced permanent or interim appointment may be needed.

Continuity

Too much knowledge, authority or stakeholder confidence sits with one person.

A Deputy Company Secretary, experienced Assistant or interim professional may provide stronger cover and succession.

Structure

Responsibilities are unclear, work is allocated at the wrong level or the existing reporting lines do not give governance sufficient access or authority.

Recruitment may form part of the answer, but the structure should be clarified before another person is added to it. If you need temporary cover, our Interim Company Secretary guide explains when to hire and how to brief the assignment.

What Does a Company Secretary Do?

The scope of a Company Secretary’s role depends on the size, structure and regulatory environment of the organisation.

Responsibilities may include:

• Advising the Chair, directors and senior leadership on governance
• Supporting boards and committees
• Planning meetings and coordinating papers
• Maintaining company records and overseeing statutory filings
• Recording decisions, minutes and actions
• Supporting annual reporting and shareholder meetings
• Overseeing subsidiaries and legal entities
• Monitoring governance requirements and developments
• Leading the company secretarial or governance team
• Supporting transactions, restructurings and other corporate activity
• Coordinating board effectiveness reviews and director induction

Our guide to Company Secretary duties considers the practical responsibilities in greater detail.

The role should not automatically be treated as administrative. In a listed, regulated or complex organisation, the Company Secretary may be a senior adviser whose judgement and relationships are as important as their technical knowledge.

What Level of Company Secretary Should You Hire?

Begin with the work rather than the previous employee’s title.

Governance titles are not used consistently. Two candidates with the title Assistant Company Secretary may have very different levels of autonomy, board exposure and technical experience.

Company Secretary

A Company Secretary may hold overall responsibility for board support, company secretarial work and the wider governance function.

In a smaller organisation, the role may be broad and hands-on. In a larger business, the Company Secretary is more likely to concentrate on board advice, leadership, complex governance matters and senior stakeholder relationships.

This level is appropriate when an organisation needs its first senior governance lead or overall leadership of an existing function.

Group Company Secretary

A Group Company Secretary normally operates across a parent company, its subsidiaries and the wider group governance framework.

This is generally a senior appointment involving close contact with the board, responsibility across a complex organisation and leadership of the company secretarial team.

Deputy Company Secretary

A Deputy Company Secretary provides credible senior cover for the Company Secretary.

The Deputy may manage members of the team, own technically demanding work, lead parts of the board and committee calendar and deputise during absence. The role can also strengthen succession planning.

The appointment only works if the delegated authority is genuine. Giving somebody the title without meaningful ownership can simply create another layer in the same bottleneck.

Assistant Company Secretary

An Assistant Company Secretary may manage boards, committees, entities, annual-reporting responsibilities or defined governance projects.

This level can be suitable where an established senior structure already exists but recurring work needs an experienced and relatively autonomous owner.

Governance Manager

A Governance Manager may be appropriate where the role concentrates on governance frameworks, committees, policy, stakeholder coordination or delivery across a wider organisation.

The title is used differently between sectors. Employers should describe the actual responsibilities, authority and expected outcomes.

Operational or junior support

A Governance Officer, Company Secretarial Assistant, trainee or administrator may help with filings, records, entity-management systems, document execution and meeting administration.

This can release experienced employees from repeatable work, provided that suitable supervision and escalation routes are already available.

A junior appointment should not be used as a lower-cost substitute for missing senior judgement or leadership.

Permanent, Interim, Fixed-Term or Outsourced?

The employment model should reflect the nature and likely duration of the requirement.

Route	Usually appropriate when
Permanent appointment	The organisation has an enduring requirement for governance advice, board support, delivery, leadership or succession.
Interim appointment	There is an unexpected vacancy, absence, urgent workload, transaction or need to stabilise the function.
Fixed-term appointment	The requirement relates to a defined project, planned absence or period of transition with a reasonably clear end date.
Outsourced support	The work is limited, specialist or largely administrative and does not yet justify a permanent internal position.

An interim appointment can also provide useful breathing space when the organisation knows its current structure is not working but has not decided what the long-term model should be.

Ingen Partners supports both permanent and interim company secretarial recruitment.

What Should Be Agreed Before the Role Goes to Market?

A clear brief makes the opportunity easier to explain, assess and ultimately fill.

Before approaching candidates, agree the following.

The reason for the appointment

Explain why the role has been created or become vacant.

A growth appointment, succession hire, replacement, first governance appointment and urgent recovery requirement will each attract different questions from candidates.

The outcomes expected

Define what should be different after the successful person has been in the organisation for six or twelve months.

Possible outcomes include:

• More reliable delivery of the board calendar
• Clear ownership of subsidiaries
• Better advice and support for directors
• Stronger cover for the Company Secretary
• Improved delegation across the team
• Completion of a governance project
• More effective governance systems and records
• Establishment or development of the function

Outcomes are more useful than a long list of general responsibilities.

The operating environment

Candidates need to understand the context in which they will work.

Relevant information can include:

• Number and type of entities
• Jurisdictions
• Boards and committees
• Meeting frequency
• Listed or regulated status
• Annual-reporting and AGM responsibilities
• Current or anticipated transactions
• Team size and structure
• Current systems
• Known backlogs or immediate priorities

The reporting line and authority

Clarify who the individual will report to, their access to the Chair and board, which decisions they can make and what they will own directly.

A senior title will not compensate for insufficient access or authority.

Essential and desirable experience

Separate experience that must be present on arrival from knowledge that can be developed.

Listed-company, financial-services or sector experience should only be mandatory when the actual work requires it. An unnecessarily restrictive specification can exclude capable candidates without improving the appointment.

The salary and wider package

Agree the salary range, benefits, location, working arrangements and any flexibility before beginning the search.

This should be tested against the seniority of the role and the relevant candidate market.

The recruitment process

Decide who needs to meet the candidates, which stages are necessary and how decisions will be made.

Senior Company Secretary appointments may involve the Chair, General Counsel, Chief Executive and other board or executive stakeholders. Their availability should be planned before the process begins.

Download the Company Secretariat Resourcing Planner

Before deciding which role to recruit, use the Company Secretariat Resourcing Planner to assess the requirement across four areas:

• Capacity
• Capability
• Continuity
• Team structure

The fillable planner helps employers record the current workload, identify areas of risk, define the outcomes required from an appointment and decide which level and employment route may be appropriate.

Download the Company Secretariat Resourcing Planner here.

What Should Employers Look for in a Company Secretary?

The strongest candidate is not necessarily the person whose current title most closely matches the vacancy.

Employers should consider evidence of:

• Supporting boards and committees of relevant complexity
• Advising Chairs, directors and senior stakeholders
• Sound governance and company law knowledge
• Good judgement and discretion
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Managing sensitive or difficult situations
• Working effectively across legal, finance, risk and other functions
• Delivering accurate work under pressure
• Improving governance processes rather than merely maintaining them
• Leading and developing a team where required
• Relevant listed-company or regulatory experience
• Commercial awareness
• Professional qualifications where required or relevant

Our guide to Company Secretary skills examines these areas in more detail.

Qualifications can demonstrate technical knowledge. They do not replace relevant experience, judgement or the ability to earn the confidence of a board.

How Should You Interview a Company Secretary?

Interviews should test what the candidate has actually done and how they exercise judgement.

Useful areas to explore include:

• A governance issue on which they had to advise a board or senior stakeholder
• A difficult board or committee cycle and how they improved it
• A situation involving competing deadlines or incomplete information
• How they have challenged a senior stakeholder constructively
• Their approach to balancing governance requirements with commercial priorities
• How they decide which matters need to be escalated
• A governance process or system they have improved
• How they have delegated work and developed less experienced colleagues
• What they would prioritise during their first three months

For senior appointments, practical scenarios can reveal more than general questions about responsibilities and qualifications.

The scenarios should reflect the real work. A candidate expected to advise the Chair, lead a team and oversee a complex group should not be assessed primarily on routine filing questions.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Company Secretary?

Remuneration depends on the seniority, scope and context of the appointment.

Factors include:

• Size and complexity of the organisation
• Listed or regulated status
• Level of board exposure
• Number and type of entities
• Team leadership
• Sector
• Location
• Working arrangements
• Professional qualifications
• Scarcity of the required experience
• Whether the position is permanent or interim

A role focused principally on administration will command a different package from a Group Company Secretary appointment involving board advice, regulatory exposure and leadership of a substantial function.

The proposed package should be tested before the role goes to market. Requiring extensive senior or specialist experience while offering a package below the relevant market level can restrict the shortlist and lead to withdrawals later in the process.

Our Company Secretary Salary Guide provides further context.

How to Hire a Company Secretary

1. Diagnose the requirement

Start with the problem the appointment needs to solve.

Determine whether the organisation needs capacity, specialist experience, leadership, senior cover or a different team structure.

2. Choose the appropriate level

Decide how much authority, autonomy and board exposure the individual will need.

Do not rely on the previous title without reviewing the work.

3. Define the role

Prepare a brief covering responsibilities, outcomes, reporting line, team structure, organisational context and essential experience.

A clear Company Secretary job description helps candidates understand the opportunity and keeps the recruitment process focused.

4. Test the package

Confirm that the remuneration and working arrangements are realistic for the level and experience required.

Address any conflict between the specification and the available budget before approaching candidates.

5. Select the search approach

Advertising may produce a suitable pool for some appointments.

A senior, confidential or highly specific search may also require direct approaches to people who are not actively applying for roles.

The method should reflect the seniority, urgency and size of the relevant candidate market.

6. Assess relevant evidence

Evaluate candidates against the work they will perform rather than concentrating on title or length of service.

Use examples and practical scenarios to explore board experience, judgement, stakeholder management, delivery and leadership.

7. Manage the final stages carefully

Discuss remuneration, notice periods, references, qualifications and any potential restrictions before concluding the process.

Candidates for senior appointments may need to meet several stakeholders. A clear and well-managed final stage allows both sides to assess the likely working relationships.

What Happens When You Speak to Ingen Partners?

Our recruitment process begins with the requirement rather than a list of available candidates.

We understand the role

We discuss why the appointment has arisen, what the organisation needs the successful person to achieve and how the role fits into the wider team.

This can help test the proposed level, title, package and search approach before the brief goes to market.

We agree how to reach the market

The approach may include existing relationships, referrals, targeted research and direct approaches, depending on the role.

We assess relevant experience

Candidates are considered against the actual requirement, including organisational context, board exposure, technical experience, leadership and likely fit with the team.

We support the interview process

We help manage interviews, feedback and communication so that questions or concerns can be addressed as the process develops.

We support the appointment through to completion

References, remuneration, notice periods and offer management are dealt with before the successful candidate joins.

Speak to Ingen Partners about a Company Secretary search

Do You Legally Need a Company Secretary?

A public company must have a Company Secretary.

Its directors must take reasonable steps to ensure the person appointed has the necessary knowledge and experience and meets the statutory qualification or experience requirements.

A private company does not generally need to appoint a Company Secretary unless its articles of association require one. The absence of a secretary does not remove the company’s legal, filing or record-keeping obligations, which remain the responsibility of its directors.

A private company may nevertheless benefit from the role as its board, group structure and governance responsibilities develop.

The GOV.UK guidance on company secretaries explains the basic requirements for private and public companies.

How Do You Formally Appoint a Company Secretary?

Recruiting the individual and formally appointing them are separate stages.

Once the organisation has selected the right person, it should:

1. Check its articles of association and internal appointment requirements.
2. For a public company, confirm that the proposed secretary satisfies the applicable statutory requirements.
3. Obtain the necessary internal approval.
4. Confirm the individual’s consent to act.
5. Update the company’s relevant governance records.
6. Notify Companies House of the appointment.

Companies House must be told about the appointment of a Company Secretary within 14 days. The notification can normally be made online or using the relevant form.

The current filing routes are explained in the official Companies House guidance.

The exact internal approval process will depend on the company and its articles. Organisations should obtain appropriate advice where their position is unclear.

Common Mistakes When Hiring a Company Secretary

Reusing the previous job description without review

A departing employee’s job description may reflect a role that changed gradually or a structure that was already causing problems.

A vacancy is an opportunity to reconsider the requirement.

Choosing the title before defining the work

Titles vary considerably between organisations and sectors.

The level should be based on responsibility, complexity, authority and board exposure.

Treating the role as purely administrative

This can deter senior candidates and understate the governance advice, judgement and stakeholder management required.

Hiring too junior for a senior gap

Junior support can release experienced capacity. It cannot provide missing board judgement, leadership or senior cover.

Hiring too senior for the work

An experienced professional may quickly become frustrated if the role provides little genuine ownership or board exposure.

Making every preference essential

An unnecessarily narrow specification can remove strong candidates from consideration.

Employers should distinguish genuine requirements from experience that would merely be helpful.

Testing the salary too late

A mismatch between the specification and package can waste time and result in candidates withdrawing.

Allowing the process to drift

Specialist candidates may be involved in other recruitment processes. Unexplained delays and repeated changes to the brief can undermine confidence in the opportunity.

Excluding important stakeholders until the end

If the Company Secretary will work closely with the Chair, board or General Counsel, those relationships should be considered during the process rather than after the preferred candidate has been selected.

When Should You Use a Specialist Company Secretary Recruiter?

Specialist recruitment support can be useful when:

• The appointment is senior or confidential
• The role requires listed-company or regulated-sector experience
• The relevant candidate market is narrow
• Suitable candidates may not be actively applying
• Previous advertising has not produced an appropriate shortlist
• An interim appointment is needed
• The organisation needs help defining the level or scope
• The package needs to be tested against the market
• Several stakeholders need support through a complex appointment

Ingen Partners specialises in Company Secretarial and Governance Recruitment for listed, FCA-regulated and growing organisations.

Employers assessing their options can also read our guide to choosing a Company Secretary recruitment agency.

Hire a Company Secretary Frequently Asked Questions