Job Description
Head of People
Social Care & Education Provider
Full-Time - Hybrid, with some travel to services (West Yorkshire).
Salary - £70k + Bonus Scheme
We are seeking an exceptional Head of People to join a well-established provider of Social Care and Education services.
This is a pivotal senior leadership opportunity for an experienced HR professional ready to shape people strategy, influence organisational culture, and drive meaningful impact across a complex, multi-site, values-led environment supporting young people with diverse needs.
The Opportunity
Reporting to the Director of People, you will lead the delivery of a high-quality, strategic HR Business Partnering function across the organisation.
You will play a central role in building a positive, transparent and inclusive culture - ensuring the people strategy supports the delivery of safe, high-quality care and education services.
This is a highly visible role requiring strong leadership, sound judgement, and the ability to balance strategic thinking with operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic & Operational Leadership
* Lead and evolve the HR Business Partnering model across the organisation
* Develop and deliver people plans aligned to strategic priorities
* Oversee the ER function to ensure consistent, high-quality advice
Employee Relations
* Provide expert guidance on complex and high-risk ER matters
* Ensure policies and practices remain legally compliant and best practice aligned
* Foster a culture where employees feel safe and supported to raise concerns
Engagement & Culture
* Develop and deliver the employee engagement strategy
* Embed a culture of transparency, safety, accountability and continuous improvement
* Use engagement feedback and workforce data to drive measurable action
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
* Champion inclusive practices across recruitment, development and leadership
* Monitor and report on ED&I progress
* Embed equity and belonging across all areas of the organisation
Leadership & Capability
* Support leadership pipeline development
* Drive manager capability and upskilling initiatives
* Provide coaching and development support to senior leaders
Data, Reward & Benefits
* Lead HR reporting and dashboard development
* Support the delivery of a competitive, fair and transparent reward strategy
* Ensure benefits provision reflects workforce needs and organisational values
Essential Requirements
* CIPD Level 7 qualification
* Proven senior HR leadership experience, ideally within care, education, social care, or a similarly complex, regulated, multi-site environment
* Strong employee relations expertise, including management of complex ER cases and developing manager capability
* A demonstrable track record in delivering Employee Engagement and ED&I strategies
* In-depth knowledge of UK employment law and experience ensuring compliance across a diverse workforce
* Strong data and MI capability, with experience using HR metrics and dashboards to inform strategic decision-making
* Experience shaping and embedding organisational culture aligned to core values
* Excellent communication and influencing skills at senior leadership level
Desirable Experience
* Leading cultural transformation and change initiatives
* Designing and delivering leadership development and manager upskilling programmes
This is an opportunity to join a purpose-driven organisation where your leadership will directly influence culture, performance and outcomes for children and young people.
Apply below.