Interim Director of HR
đź“Ť West and South London locations
💷 c£700 per day – Inside IR35
🏢 Hybrid working – 3–4 days onsite
⏳ 2–3 months with opportunity to go permanent
⚡Are you an HR operator who gets things done?
Not afraid to make tough calls, sharpen processes, and drive performance?
Ready to lead a hands-on transformation in a world-class scientific and academic environment?
🚀We're looking for a pragmatic, operationally strong Interim HR Director to step in during a critical transition period.
🎯 The Mission
The organisation is building a more agile, service-oriented HR function to support ambitious research goals and people-first values.
You’ll bring structure, focus, and leadership to a team navigating change – streamlining operations, embedding consistency, and improving responsiveness.
This is a role for someone who thrives on practical delivery and leads confidently through change.
It's an opportunity to make a real impact, both in the short term and potentially as part of the long-term leadership team.
✅What You’ll Be Doing
• Drive operational performance – clear backlogs, implement consistent policies, improve SLAs
• Lead a team across two locations
• Support major projects – ERP migration, pension provider change
• Tackle ER and union matters – pay negotiations, complex employee relations issues
• Oversee high-volume recruitment activity
• Be hands-on – 3–4 days onsite to build relationships and visibility
• Evaluate capabilities, energise culture, and deliver continuous improvement
🧠What You Bring
• A strong track record in HR operations, ideally in scientific, academic, or charitable sectors
• Experience with unions, pensions, and shared service models
• Hands-on leadership – someone who fixes, not just delegates
• Comfort working in smaller organisations (~1,200 staff)
• Proven ability to enhance policy, service delivery, and engagement
• Familiarity with HR systems like Oracle Fusion
• Confidence to lead through complexity and change
đź“© Interested?
We’d love to hear from you, especially if you can show:
• How you’ve improved HR service, process, and culture
• Where you’ve driven operational excellence in mission-driven environments
• Your role in union relations, pensions, or systems projects
• How you’ve addressed challenging staffing or culture issues