Corporate Secretary

The Children's Authority of Trinidad and Tobago is a specialized agency with the responsibility for the care and protection of children, especially those who are at risk or have been victims of abuse or neglect.

The Children's Authority of Trinidad and Tobago is seeking to recruit for a Corporate Secretary, on contract.

The Corporate Secretary will lead the Corporate Secretariat Unit reporting to the Office of the Chairman of the Board of Management.  The incumbent will be responsible and accountable for the effective and efficient maintenance of good corporate governance practices and compliance with statutory requirements.  He/ She will be required to provide sound legal advice to the Board of Management to ensure all statutory mandates are fulfilled.  The incumbent will be responsible for the maintenance of all Board documents and handling of corporate matters and ensures records comply with statutory and regulatory requirements.

Principal Accountabilities/ Key Functions:

• Provide good and accurate legal advice and resources to the Authority’s Board of Management (BoM) for effective discharge of their fiduciary duties to stakeholders under the law
• Ensure records of the Board's actions reflect the proper exercise of their fiduciary duties. 
• Manage project deadlines and works closely with the Board of Management to develop quality standards for consistent and accurate reporting. 
• Create and implement standard operating procedures for the Corporate Secretariat Unit.
• Ensure board effectiveness and good governance by operating as an active partner with members of the board; a trusted advisor ensuring policy and intent are well established.
• Develop and administer the Authority’s Corporate Governance Principles and Guidelines, and provides advice on corporate governance issues to the BoM, Chief Executive Officer, Executive Leadership Team and other senior managers.
• Develop and implement corporate procedural and administrative systems that focus on compliance matters and corporate governance affairs in supporting the successful operations of the Authority.
• Oversee the creation and management of Corporate Records by ensuring an effective and efficient record-keeping system that is accurate, up-to-date and accessible to the relevant persons in accordance to the law and compliance requirements and the Authority’s policies and procedures is implemented.
• Coordinate all meetings of the BoM and Board Sub-Committees; prepares and distributes board/committee preparatory papers, briefing material, meeting agendas, notifications, and so on.
• Create, maintain and amend as needed all Terms of Reference for Board and Board Sub-Committees. 
• Prepare reports on outstanding agenda items and takes all necessary action to ensure that the information is provided in a timely manner for consideration by the Board/Committee members.
• Attend BoM and Sub-Committee meetings, records minutes and prepares final documents for distribution, highlighting board and committee decisions and/or information items, actions and directives.
• Contribute to meeting discussions as required, advises members of the legal, governance, accounting and tax implications of proposed policies, and updates relevant policies, where necessary.
• Collate information, prepares correspondence, and writes reports, ensuring that the decisions made, and the actions to be taken by the Authority are communicated to the relevant stakeholders.
• Organise and maintain an annual timetable and diary of key meetings for the Authority’s BoM and board sub-committees.
• Serve as a focal point for communication with and between the BoM and senior executives, managers and the Authority’s stakeholders.
• Foster an environment of teamwork and unity of purpose between the BoM and senior executives, managers and staff of the Authority.
• Monitor changes in relevant legislation and the regulatory environment and takes appropriate action.
• Oversee and coordinate the organisation, interpretation and auditing of the Authority’s annual financial accounts, signs off on the accounts and submits the annual report to the appropriate body within the deadline date stipulated by the Children’s Authority Act. xvii. Develops and delivers relevant orientation and training to the members of the BoM, senior executives and managers.
• Represent the Authority in an official capacity, as and when required.
• Perform any other related duties assigned by the Chairman of the Board of Management.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree from a recognized university.
• Post graduate qualification in Law, Management, Economics or Finance
• Legal Education Certificate
• Fifteen (15) years’ post qualification (LLB) experience as an Attorney or in a related field
• Ten (10) years’ experience as a Corporate Secretary in a State or State-affiliated enterprise
• Training in Corporate Secretariat work will be considered an asset.
• Supervisory Skills certification will be considered an asset.

The Authority would like to thank all applicants for their interests, however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Deadline: October 2, 2023