Board Secretary Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a board secretary. You can use our job description template in this article to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a board secretary.
Who is a Board Secretary?
A board secretary is in charge of recording the minutes and other materials from board meetings. He makes sure that all board members may quickly access these documents and that they are correct.
The administrative responsibilities associated with the board meeting itself may also fall under the purview of board secretaries. This might entail planning conference calls or making travel plans for board members who must attend in-person meetings. Setting the agenda, composing and obtaining approval of the meeting minutes, and participating in pre-meeting planning are all important duties performed by board secretaries.
An advanced board secretary’s job might entail advising the board on matters related to corporate governance. This obligation resulted from the necessity for boards, top management, and other stakeholders to place more emphasis on corporate governance. The board secretary also plays a significant role in the implementation and support of the governance structure as a member of the executive management team.
Board secretaries may contribute significantly to the promotion of diversity by fostering an atmosphere where all opinions are valued and heard. Additionally, they can assist in making sure the board follows the right procedures while making decisions.
The demand for cybersecurity experts will increase as firms become more dependent on technology. Due to their frequent oversight of the company’s IT infrastructure and management of sensitive data, board secretaries are in a unique position to benefit from this. Board secretaries may aid their organizations in preventing cyberattacks and safeguarding sensitive data by becoming cybersecurity experts. Additionally, they can collaborate with other board members to create rules and practices that encourage cybersecurity throughout the company.
In recent years, boards have given considerably more attention to risk management as they have learned the value of reducing possible hazards to the business. The position of the board secretary, who frequently oversees the management of the company’s risk portfolio, is being significantly impacted by this. As a result, board secretaries must be knowledgeable about the most recent risk management strategies and know how to use them in the organizational context.
Board Secretary Job Description
Below are the board secretary job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of the board secretary include the following:
- Assist the board by preparing agendas, distributing documents, keeping minutes, ensuring that the right processes are followed, and recording votes during meetings.
- Assist the board of directors and the senior management team as key consultants.
- Collaborate with the management to guarantee adherence to the government’s standards for open meetings and other matters.
- Coordinate with auditors, lawyers, and other experts to ensure legal and ethical requirements are met.
- Create board meeting minutes that accurately represent the board’s appropriate performance of its fiduciary obligations.
- Examine and amend meeting materials and agendas to make sure they adhere to specified guidelines.
- Keep thorough meeting records, including minutes and action items.
- Make that the corporate governance structure for the business is appropriately created, put into place, and maintained.
- Process dues renewals, new member applications, and other administrative processes for members
- Work with employees to prepare meetings and make them fruitful, including securing speakers or other event presenters.
- Prepare and deliver reports to the board that summarize board meeting sessions.
Qualifications
- A high school certificate, GED, or its equivalent
- An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business, communications, or a similar discipline
- Have relevant experience
- Possess relevant certifications
Essential Skills
Here are the skills you require to excel in your career as a board secretary:
- Accounting Reporting
- Board Performance
- Communication
- Compliance
- Corporate Governance
- Detail-orientation
- Decision-making
- Flexibility
- Investor Relations
- Leadership Training
- Minutes Recording
- Organizational
- Policy Creation
- Problem-solving
- Risk Management
- Strategic Planning
Accounting Reporting
The ability to establish and preserve financial records for a business is referred to as accounting reporting. You can be in charge of taking minutes at meetings that outline financial transactions as the board secretary. This necessitates understanding the correct recording of financial accounts and how to analyze and comprehend them.
Board Performance
The success of a company depends on a board secretary’s effectiveness on a board. As a secretary, you may ensure meetings go smoothly and effectively by using your organizational abilities and attention to detail. Additionally, you could be required to take notes during meetings, which calls for exceptional listening skills and the capacity to transcribe data.
Communication
The ability to transfer clear and intelligible information is referred to as communication. You can be the one to be contacting members of your organization by phone or email as the board secretary. Effective communication is also necessary to ensure that everyone in a meeting understands what is being addressed. This might involve transmitting crucial information amongst members and taking notes for other members speaking.
Compliance
A board secretary must adhere to the policies and procedures of the company. They should be aware of what is expected of them, such as keeping confidentiality while handling sensitive material and meeting deadlines for specific duties. A board secretary may keep things organized at work and ensure they are performing their responsibilities properly by being compliant.
Corporate Governance
A firm is governed by a system of laws and rules known as corporate governance. A board secretary with good corporate governance abilities may ensure that the company complies with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. They are also skilled at interpreting these rules and using them in certain circumstances.
Detail-orientation
A skill that board secretaries can use to carry out their tasks is the ability to pay attention to detail. As the board secretary, you can be the one to be documenting and keep track of relevant information regarding the organization’s operations. This includes taking thorough notes throughout meetings, capturing meeting minutes, and keeping files of correspondence between organization members. Your data can be accurate and simple to locate if you pay attention to the details.
Decision-making
A board secretary frequently has to make choices on the organization’s behalf. Making executive decisions in the absence of a leader might also fall under this category, as can determining which requests for financing or other resources are the most deserved. You can make wise decisions that are advantageous to your business and its customers if you have strong decision-making abilities.
Flexibility
Being flexible is having the ability to change course when necessary. As a board secretary, you can expect to work with numerous people in various settings. Additionally, you must be able to change your timetable as needed. For instance, you should be ready to alter your plans if an emergency forces you to attend a meeting or conference.
Investor Relations
A board secretary must possess great investor relations skills because they frequently interact with shareholders and investors. You can be in charge of informing investors about business developments, financial data, and other information that could impact the price of a company’s shares.
You must also understand the proper methods for conveying private or delicate information.
Leadership Training
Strong leadership abilities are essential for board secretaries since they frequently serve as leaders for their organizations. You could be in charge of setting the agenda and presiding over meetings, which calls for you to be a skilled communicator and planner. When working with other workers, board secretaries also set an example, so it’s crucial to demonstrate how to conduct themselves respectfully and responsibly.
Minutes Recording
Minutes are a written record of a meeting, and you can be the board secretary in charge of composing them. This calls for accuracy in discussion summaries and close attention to detail. Having clear meeting minutes can help ensure that everyone on the board knows what transpired and the rationale behind the decisions.
Organizational
Being well-organized is a talent that will make you a successful board secretary. You might need to maintain track of significant paperwork and historical data as a member of a company’s leadership. You can locate this information more quickly when you are organized. Additionally, it enables you to save documents in a form that protects them against deterioration or loss.
Policy Creation
You can be in charge of establishing and upholding the organization’s policies as the board secretary. Ensuring your business complies with all requirements requires reviewing the most recent rules and regulations. It also entails writing and revising policy papers, which requires meticulousness and a grasp of intricate legal jargon.
Problem-solving
Having the ability to recognize and address problems is problem-solving. As a board secretary, you can be the one to settle disputes amongst board members or deal with issues that arise during meetings. For instance, you can utilize your problem-solving skills to help someone discover the information they want if they miss a crucial email on a meeting subject. You may also apply problem-solving skills when arranging meetings with other businesses or people.
Risk Management
The capacity to recognize and evaluate possible hazards in a business is known as risk management. When examining financial accounts, budgets, and other papers that might include information regarding possible hazards, board secretaries frequently apply risk management techniques. For instance, if a corporation has more assets than liabilities, the board secretary can inquire as to what actions the company would take in the event of a decline in sales or a rise in costs.
Strategic Planning
Strategic planning is the ability to develop and carry out plans that support an organization in achieving its objectives. As the board secretary, you can be in charge of setting the agenda for meetings, which calls for strategic planning abilities. This ability is useful for recording meeting notes since you should outline the steps the board members intend to take to achieve the organization’s objectives.
How to Become a Board Secretary
Below are the steps to take to become a board secretary:
Step One: Get Relevant Education
The standard educational requirement for entry-level board secretaries is a high school diploma, GED, or its equivalent. Some companies may require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business, communications, or a similar discipline.
For people without a degree, courses in computer software, such as word processing and spreadsheet applications, are beneficial.
Step Two: Go through Training and Experience
Many firms will provide new board secretaries with on-the-job training. The applicant will benefit from this training by learning the precise policies and specifications of the company. The training can involve taking an online course or spending some time on the job shadowing an existing board secretary or supervisor.
Step Three: Obtain Relevant Certifications
Board secretaries should find various relevant certification programs to help them develop their skills and raise their earning potential.
Where to Work as a Board Secretary
Board secretaries can work in several places, including businesses, governmental institutions, legal offices, and charitable institutions. Normally, they are employed full-time during regular business hours, but occasionally, they may need to work on the weekends or in the evenings to attend board meetings or finish certain tasks. Board secretaries often have excellent writing, organizing, and communication skills and strong attention to detail. They must be able to manage several jobs at once with accuracy and precision while multitasking.
Board Secretary Salary Scale
The average yearly salary for a board secretary is $44,367, or around $21.33 per hour in the United States. This amounts to $853 per week or $3,697 per month. The yearly salary range may be from $22,500 to $55,500.
In the UK, a board secretary makes an average income of £35,000 yearly, or £17.95 an hour. Most experienced professionals earn up to £54,898 yearly, while entry-level roles start at £30,000.
In Canada, a board secretary can expect to earn a yearly average income of CA$79,360.
A board secretary makes an average salary of €40,884 per year and €20 per hour in Germany. On average, a board secretary can expect to make between €30,255 and €48,448 per year.
The average board secretary’s salary in Australia is AU$97,221. The salary range typically lies between AU$70,748 and AU$135,459.
In Ireland, the salary range of a board secretary typically lies between €35,577 and €58,150 yearly. The average board secretary’s salary is €44,779 per year.
In Nigeria, the average monthly salary for a board secretary is around ₦150,000. The salary may range from ₦76,500 to ₦231,000.
Salary ranges can vary significantly based on various crucial aspects, including education, credentials, skills, and the length of time working in a given field.
