Senior Director, Corporate Services

GALVmed (Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines) is a UK registered charity and public private partnership dedicated to making livestock vaccines, medicines and diagnostics accessible and affordable for millions of small scale livestock producers across developing countries. 

Over one billion people worldwide depend on livestock for their livelihoods, income and food security. GALVmed works to transform the lives of small scale livestock keepers by developing innovative animal health products and supporting sustainable market systems that ensure these products reach those who need them most. 

As the world’s only veterinary Product Development Partnership (PDP), GALVmed brings together expertise from academia, public research institutions and the commercial animal health sector to develop solutions for some of the most significant livestock diseases affecting smallholder farmers. Through product development, market development and policy engagement, GALVmed helps create lasting improvements in animal health, productivity and economic resilience. 

GALVmed is seeking an experienced and strategic Director of Corporate Services to join its Executive Leadership Team and play a pivotal role in supporting the organisation’s mission and long term sustainability. 

Reporting directly to the CEO, the successful candidate will provide executive leadership across Finance, Governance, Risk, Legal, Portfolio Management, IT and Corporate Operations. This is a highly influential position, responsible for ensuring that robust systems, controls and governance frameworks are in place to support organisational growth, impact and operational excellence. 

As a key member of the GALVmed Leadership Team, you will contribute to organisation wide strategy, support executive decision making, and foster a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement. You will work closely with the Board of Trustees, funders, auditors, regulators and senior internal stakeholders to ensure GALVmed continues to operate effectively, compliantly and sustainably.

Strategic Leadership 

• Partner with the CEO and GALVmed Leadership Team to shape and deliver organisational strategy. 

• Provide leadership across Corporate Services functions, ensuring operational effectiveness and alignment with organisational goals. 

• Build and develop a high performing multidisciplinary team, promoting excellence and continuous improvement. 

• Support GALVmed’s overall performance, impact, culture and long-term sustainability as a member of the Executive Team. 

• Drive cross functional collaboration across programmes and corporate functions. 

Finance & Audit 

• Provide strategic financial leadership and insight to support executive decision making. 

• Maintain overall accountability for GALVmed’s financial management, reporting and planning. 

• Ensure compliance with all funder requirements and reporting obligations. 

• Develop strong relationships with funders, trustees, auditors and external stakeholders. 

• Partner with programme leaders to ensure effective allocation of resources and financial sustainability. 

• Deliver high quality management information and financial analysis to support strategic priorities. 

• Oversee the preparation of statutory accounts and ensure successful external audits. 

Governance, Risk & Legal 

• Act as Company Secretary and support effective Board governance. 

• Advise Trustees and senior leaders on governance best practice and regulatory compliance. 

• Ensure compliance with all relevant legal, charitable and statutory requirements in the UK and internationally. 

• Lead the development and implementation of GALVmed’s enterprise risk management framework. 

• Ensure risk management is embedded across organisational planning and decision making processes. 

Organisational Performance & Portfolio Management 

• Lead the development of organisation wide portfolio management frameworks. 

• Improve prioritisation, governance and resource allocation across programmes and projects. 

• Support performance measurement and organisational effectiveness initiatives. 

IT & Digital Enablement 

• Provide oversight of GALVmed’s IT infrastructure and business systems. 

• Ensure appropriate data governance, cybersecurity and digital capabilities are in place. 

• Drive technology enabled improvements that support business efficiency and organisational performance. 

Office & Facilities Management 

• Ensure facilities and operational infrastructure are maintained to a high standard. 

• Ensure compliance with all statutory obligations relating to office and facilities management. 

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency through standardisation and centralisation of services. 

Essential Qualifications & Experience 

• CCAB qualified accountant. 

• Minimum of 10 years’ senior management experience in complex organisational environments. 

• Significant experience leading multidisciplinary corporate services functions, including finance, governance and operations. 

• Proven experience contributing to organisational strategy and executive-level decision-making. 

• Experience working closely with Boards and Trustees, ideally including Company Secretary responsibilities. 

• Strong understanding of both commercial and charitable accounting principles and practices. 

• Experience managing relationships with funders and reporting against grant funding requirements. 

• Demonstrated experience operating within international and multicultural organisations. 

Knowledge & Skills 

• Exceptional strategic thinking and commercial judgement, with the ability to balance long-term planning and operational delivery. 

• Strong leadership skills with experience building and developing high-performing teams. 

• Expertise in governance, risk management and regulatory compliance. 

• Excellent financial management, reporting and analytical capabilities. 

• Outstanding communication, stakeholder engagement and presentation skills. 

• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and maintain credibility with Boards, funders and regulatory bodies. 

• A collaborative and values-driven leadership style aligned with GALVmed’s mission and culture.