Join Our Legal Team as Company Secretary
We’re seeking a dynamic and experienced professional to step into a pivotal role within our legal department. Reporting directly to the General Counsel and collaborating within a close-knit team of eight, you will serve as the Company Secretary for the UK division of a leading multinational group. In this high-impact position, you will lead and manage the Company Secretariat function, ensuring robust governance and compliance across a diverse portfolio of approximately 90 entities—including limited companies, limited partnerships, and unit trusts. We’re looking for a qualified Chartered Secretary (CGI or equivalent) with a proven track record in corporate governance, entity management, and cross-border regulatory compliance. Your expertise will be instrumental in shaping and maintaining the integrity of our UK operations.
What you will be doing…
Corporate Governance and Company Secretarial
Lead the day-to-day operations of the Company Secretariat, ensuring robust governance across all UK entities.
Act as a key advisor to senior management on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and legal entity management.
Oversee capital structuring activities, including income distribution, equity injections, and sub-debt funding.
Drive corporate simplification initiatives, including rationalisation and liquidation programmes, in collaboration with external liquidators.
Lead the preparation and delivery of board packs, resolutions, and annual report sign-off processes and attend and minute formal board meetings of joint venture entities.
Ensure timely statutory filings, including modern slavery filings, and maintenance of statutory registers, Diligent Entities records, and document management systems.
Manage share capital increases, share issuances, and amendments to Articles of Association.
Provide guidance on corporate initiatives and structural changes, and support the finance team with group reporting and contribute to broader corporate initiatives.
Lead ad hoc strategic projects to enhance entity compliance, streamline processes, and ensure alignment with the Companies Act 2006 and other relevant legislation.
Data management of company secretarial data in line with data protection requirements and GDPR compliance, and to be the data champion co-sec function.
Monitor the co-sec email address and respond to any inquiries in the required timeframes, including legal notices and modern slavery requests.
Regulatory & Compliance
Keep up to date with upcoming changes to regulatory changes, monitoring and providing information to the General Counsel.
Provide strategic input into regulatory change management and compliance frameworks.
Review and update anti-money laundering policy & risk assessment in line with changes to AML regulations and business activities, and to provide training on changes.
Support the business on AML compliance, both from a counterparty perspective and operational business activities.
Act as UK Local Compliance Contact, supporting the business on ‘Know your Partner’ processes, including reviewing screening results and coordinating with the Group Compliance Manager on internal approvals.
Support Group Internal Audit on Audit of know your partner process and implementation of any actions.
Manage UK electronic signature policy to ensure compliance and provide training and guidance on the policy.
Assist with the management of Certinal, the electronic signature platform, in the UK, to ensure safe storage of legal documents.
Stakeholder Engagement
Build and maintain strong relationships with internal teams (legal, tax, finance, treasury, leasing, speciality leasing, Westfield Rise, and procurement) and external partners (joint ventures, company secretarial providers in Jersey, and UK-regulated operators).
Support the team on IT and data management.
Support Group Insurance Director on D&O insurance renewals.
What skills, experience, and knowledge will you need to be successful?
CGI qualified or equivalent. Extensive experience in a Company Secretarial department (10 years’ experience)
Corporate law background
IT Literate
Who are we?
At Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), we develop and operate a portfolio of sustainable, premium, mixed-use real estate assets across Europe and the United States. Driven by our purpose to Reinvent Being Together, we are committed to accelerating urban regeneration and rethinking how we live together in cities. Today, 2,000 dedicated individuals are working together to reshape the future of real estate and shopping centres by creating innovative, engaging spaces that truly redefine community connections.
Our flagship destinations are more than just places; they're the heartbeat of the community. We empower our employees to make a real impact through volunteering, DE&I programs, and leading ESG efforts. URW is at the forefront of experiential entertainment, constantly pushing boundaries to craft unforgettable in-person and digital experiences. By surprising and delighting our customers, we create magical moments and reinvent togetherness in every interaction.
Within our Northern Europe Region - spanning the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and the UK - we own and manage eight exceptional assets. These include Westfield London, Westfield Stratford City, Westfield Mall of the Netherlands and Stadshart Amstelveen.
Why work for us:
We put people development and learning at the heart of what we do. We'll help you master your role, build your technical skills, and take advantage of top-notch management and leadership programs. From face-to-face workshops to our global online learning resources, we encourage you to make learning a part of your daily routine.
We offer a fantastic pension plan, bonus scheme, and plenty of other incentives. We also prioritise your health and wellbeing, training employees as mental health ambassadors to support and educate our team. Plus, you can sign up for medical and dental insurance, gym discounts, health check-ups, and more.
Want to know more about what it's like working at URW? Visit our site: https://www.urw.com/join-us/life-at-urw.
What Matters to Us:
At URW, our purpose is to Reinvent Being Together, reimagining how people and communities connect, socialise, and experience dynamic moments in unique and meaningful ways.
We are proud to promote equal opportunities and embrace diversity in profiles, experiences, and skills. At URW, we believe that diversity is the cornerstone of our success, and we are dedicated to fostering an environment that respects, values, celebrates, and leverages individual differences to their fullest potential.
We evaluate each application with fairness and without discrimination based on disability, age, gender, origin, religion, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristics. Our commitment is to provide equal access to our services for everyone. If you require any adjustments for your interview, please let us know in advance, so we can support you accordingly.
As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and trustworthy working environment, we conduct comprehensive security checks on all employees prior to their start date. These checks may include identity verification, employment history, and criminal record screening, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
Join us and be part of a team that's making a real difference in your local communities!