| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Legal and Compliance |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Chief Financial Officer |
| Direct reports | Company Secretary Trainee |
| Experience | 3 to 8 years in a secretarial role |
Company Secretary job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Company Secretary
Department: Legal and Compliance
Reports to: Chief Financial Officer
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Company Secretary is the statutory officer who keeps a company compliant with the Companies Act and sound in its governance. They run board and committee meetings, file returns with the Registrar of Companies, and advise the board on their duties. The role reports to the Chief Financial Officer or Managing Director and works with the board. A good company secretary keeps every statutory filing on time, runs clean board processes with proper minutes, keeps the company out of secretarial default, advises directors well, and keeps records that pass a secretarial audit.
Key responsibilities
- Convene board and committee meetings, prepare agendas and record accurate minutes.
- File statutory returns and forms with the Registrar of Companies within the due dates.
- Advise the board and directors on their duties and on corporate governance.
- Maintain statutory registers, records and the company seal in proper order.
- Ensure compliance with the Companies Act and, for listed companies, listing obligations.
- Support corporate actions such as share allotments, changes and resolutions.
- Coordinate the annual general meeting and shareholder communications through the year.
- Track secretarial compliance and prepare for the secretarial audit.
- Liaise with regulators, auditors and shareholders on secretarial matters.
- Keep the board informed of changes in company law that affect them.
Requirements
- Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India
- Knowledge of the Companies Act and rules
- An LLB is an advantage
- 3 to 8 years in a secretarial role
KRAs and KPIs for a Company Secretary
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Statutory filings | Registrar filings completed within the due dates with zero defaults |
| Board process | Board and committee meetings held and minuted as required |
| Secretarial audit | Secretarial audit completed with no adverse observation |
| Register upkeep | Statutory registers kept current and accurate at all times |
| Governance advice | Board advised on duties and changes in law on time |
| Listing compliance | Listing obligations met within the required timelines where applicable |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: MCA and ROC portals, Secretarial software, MS Office, Board meeting tools, Statutory register software.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Head of Secretarial, Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel
Interview questions for a Company Secretary
- How do you make sure every Registrar filing is made on time?
- How do you prepare and run a board meeting and its minutes?
- How do you advise a board that wants to act against governance norms?
- How do you keep statutory registers accurate and audit ready?
- How do you keep up with changes in company law that affect the board?
- How do you prepare for a secretarial audit?
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What does a Company Secretary do?
A Company Secretary is the statutory officer who keeps a company compliant with the Companies Act and sound in governance. They run board and committee meetings, file returns with the Registrar of Companies, maintain statutory registers and advise the board on their duties. They keep the company out of secretarial default.
Is a Company Secretary a legal or a compliance role?
A Company Secretary sits between both. The role is a statutory governance and compliance function under the Companies Act, covering filings, board process and registers, but it also involves legal advice on company law and directors duties. Many company secretaries also hold an LLB and work closely with legal teams.
How do you become a Company Secretary in India?
You qualify as a member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India by clearing its examinations and completing the required training. Most company secretaries then build experience in board process, statutory filings and governance, and an LLB adds to the legal side of the role.