Head of People
Reports to: Chief People Officer
Line Management: Payroll and HR Systems Officer, Training and Education Manager
1 day from home and 4 days in the office, your choice or location: Surrey - either Hampton Court, Wisley or nr Sevenoaks in Kent.
Salary: £50,000 - £55,000
Our client is a dynamic charity dedicated to improving lives through sport. Operating multiple venues across the UK, they are passionate about opening up sport to all, regardless of background or ability. Their innovative programmes bring the benefits of sport to individuals and communities who may never have considered it before.
With a substantial annual turnover and over 500 employees across permanent and casual roles, they are committed to creating an inclusive, dynamic, and supportive working environment that enables their people to thrive and their mission to succeed.
The Role
Our client is seeking an experienced and strategic Head of People to lead their People function in delivering best-in-class HR and organisational development practices across their charity.
Reporting to the Chief People Officer, you will play a key role in shaping and driving their people strategy, ensuring their employees are engaged, supported, and developed in line with their charitable aims. You'll lead a small but capable team, with direct responsibility for people strategy delivery, people operations, employee relations, payroll, training, and internal learning and development programmes.
This is a hands-on and influential role for someone with strong generalist HR experience and a passion for building people-focused cultures in diverse, purpose-driven organisations.
Key Responsibilities
People Strategy & Leadership
- Partner with the Chief People Officer to develop and implement a people strategy aligned with organisational goals and values
- Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and managers across the charity
- Lead, coach, and develop the Payroll and HR Officer and the Training and Education Manager
Employee Relations & Compliance
- Lead on complex employee relations cases, ensuring best practice and legal compliance
- Maintain a positive employee relations environment by supporting managers to resolve issues constructively and fairly
- Ensure HR policies, procedures, employee handbooks and contracts are up to date and reflect current legislation and organisational culture
Organisational Development & Culture
- Design and deliver internal management and leadership development programmes
- Support organisational change initiatives, team restructures, and succession planning
- Champion our client's values and drive initiatives that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and well-being
HR Operations & Systems
- Oversee efficient and accurate payroll delivery in partnership with the Payroll and HR Officer
- Monitor key HR metrics and use data to inform decision-making
- Lead on workforce planning and support resourcing strategies across venues and central teams
Learning & Development
- Develop a budgeted and strategic plan for organisational development and learning
- Work with the Training and Education Manager to ensure our client's learning offer meets the needs of staff at all levels
- Build a continuous learning culture, embedding development pathways for venue-based and head office roles alike
Person Specification
Essential Requirements
- Proven experience in a senior HR or People role, ideally within a multi-site or service-based organisation
- Strong track record of managing complex employee relations issues and supporting managers through difficult conversations
- Experience designing and delivering management or leadership development programmes
- Ability to think strategically and execute operationally
- Excellent knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practices
- Skilled communicator with the ability to influence and build trust at all levels
Desirable Requirements
- Experience in a charity, not-for-profit or values-driven organisation
- CIPD Level 7 qualified or equivalent
- Passion for inclusion, community engagement, or sport-for-good initiatives
What Our Client Offers
- A values-led, friendly and inclusive working culture
- Competitive pension scheme
- Staff discounts and benefits
- Opportunities to genuinely make a difference through sport and community outreach
- The chance to be part of an organisation that uses sport to improve lives
Ready to make a difference? Our client would love to hear from you.