Director of People

Harris Federation; Croydon; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Harris Federation as the Director of People, where you'll lead strategic HR initiatives to foster a culture of innovation and excellence. This pivotal role involves shaping people strategies across the employee lifecycle, ensuring Harris remains an employer of choice in the education sector.

Benefits

Annual performance and loyalty bonus

Pension scheme with generous employer contribution

26 days' annual leave plus bank holidays

Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme

Wide range of shopping and leisure discounts

Lifestyle friendly working arrangements

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience in senior HR leadership roles.
• Strong understanding of UK employment law.
• Experience in managing TUPE and union engagement.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement people strategies aligned with organizational goals.
• Lead change initiatives and maintain organizational culture.
• Create strong employee value propositions and reward strategies.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership development

Organizational change

Employee relations

Job description

Take on a pivotal leadership role as Director of People, where you'll be at the forefront of shaping strategic priorities and cultivating a culture defined by innovation, collaboration and excellence. In this influential position, you'll be part of the executive team to craft and execute transformative people strategies that span the entire employee lifecycle; from talent acquisition and development to recognition, performance and employee engagement.

Our mission is simple: to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. We see Harris Federation as a system disrupter – whose purpose is to make life fairer for children in and around London. Our focus is to take on the most challenging schools and turn them into exceptional places of learning where everyone – staff and students – thrives.

This is a rare opportunity to leave a lasting imprint on a high-performing, purpose-driven organisation. Join a passionate, forward thinking people team committed to positioning Harris Federation as an employer of choice within the education sector. We're seeking a visionary leader to champion this exciting transformation and help drive our collective success.

WORKING WITH US

The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.

We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.

Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.

MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

The Director of People is part of the executive team at Harris Federation, leading the organisation to deliver the strategic priorities and foster an environment of innovation, collaboration and excellence.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Developing and leading the implementation of the people strategies and supporting policies, frameworks, and processes, consistent with the firm's strategic priorities and values.
• Lead organisational design and change initiatives, ensuring people are at the centre, and act as custodian of the organisation's cultural evolution
• Create and maintain a strong employee value proposition, including reward strategies, recognition and holistic wellbeing initiatives, ensuring Harris Federation becomes an employer of choice
• Engender a continuous improvement ethos within the HR team, encouraging innovative thinking and a future-focused mentality

A full list of responsibilities can be found in the Job Pack.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Demonstrable experience in senior HR leadership roles, overseeing people strategy and leading a team of HR professionals
• Proven ability to think strategically to create strategies combined with a strong understanding of how to align strategy to operational excellence and commercial reality
• Extensive experience in shaping and leading organisational change initiatives, including experience in managing TUPE and union engagement
• Demonstrable success in designing and implementing leadership development and talent programmes
• Strong understanding of UK employment law, with experience of navigating complex employee relations situations

For a full person specification please download the Job Pack.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

Harris has a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including:

• Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression
• Annual performance and loyalty bonus
• Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution
• 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts
• Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
• Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts
• 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees
• Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans

For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.