Head of People (Oxford Street Development Corporation)

LeedsGraphicDesigners.co.uk; Little London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A Mayoral Development Corporation is seeking a Head of People to lead their HR strategy, ensuring effective talent management and organizational development. This role involves creating a high-performance culture and managing HR services in collaboration with TfL. The ideal candidate will have substantial HR experience in complex organizations and demonstrate strategic leadership in similar roles. Benefits include hybrid working, competitive salary, and a range of employee advantages.

Benefits

30 days annual leave

Interest-free season ticket loan

Attractive pension scheme

Qualifications

• Significant experience in strategic HR roles in complex organizations.
• Experience across various HR functions including recruitment and development.
• Ability to work autonomously in a dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement the OSDC People Strategy.
• Oversee HR service with TfL ensuring quality outcomes.
• Lead senior and executive recruitment.

Skills

Strategic leadership

HR expertise

Talent management

Communication

Organizational development

Education

Chartered Institute of Personnel Development membership or equivalent

Job description

Oxford Street Development Corporation

This role will sit in the future Oxford Street Development Corporation (OSDC). OSDC is expected to be established by 1 January 2026 as a new Mayoral Development Corporation—part of the GLA Family—to drive the transformation of Oxford Street.

You can learn more about OSDC here: Oxford Street Transformation | London City Hall

About the Role

The Head of People will provide strategic leadership for all aspects of the OSDCs people agenda, ensuring the organisation attracts, develops, and retains exceptional talent. This role will shape and deliver the OSDCs People Strategy, embedding a high-performance, inclusive culture that makes OSDC a destination employer.

You will build influential relationships across the GLA family and with key public and private sector stakeholders to ensure best practice informs our policies and approaches. As the senior lead for people matters, you will maximise workforce capability and agility to enable delivery of corporate objectives.

A critical part of the role is overseeing the shared HR service arrangement with TfL, ensuring it delivers consistently high-quality outcomes for OSDC. You will also be accountable for embedding strategic business partnering across the organisation, ensuring HR adds measurable value to organisational priorities.

What your day will look like

Your day‑to‑day will include the following responsibilities

People Strategy

• Provide strategic leadership in designing and delivering the OSDC People Strategy, ensuring clear alignment with organisational objectives and embedding best practice across all people policies and plans.
• Partner with the Corporate Management Team and managers to deliver expert, forward‑thinking HR advice, coaching, and solutions that shape OSDCs culture and enable high performance.
• Lead the development and management of reward and benefits frameworks, working collaboratively with the wider GLA Group to ensure competitiveness and consistency.
• Develop and drive the workforce element of OSDCs Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy, overseeing action plans that foster an inclusive culture and improve representation at all levels.
• Build strong relationships with GLA Group HR teams (e.g., GLA and OPDC) to ensure policy alignment, collaboration, and sharing of best practice.

People Management

• Establish and embed the new People Function, ensuring its operating model delivers long‑term success and resilience.
• Oversee implementation and governance of the shared HR service with TfL, maintaining clear communication and accountability to ensure high‑quality, responsive service delivery.
• Lead senior and executive recruitment, ensuring innovative, timely, and user‑focused approaches, including effective use of external partners where required.
• Manage OSDC board appointments, ensuring compliance with Mayoral protocols and legislative requirements.
• Provide leadership on complex employee relations matters, ensuring adherence to policy and promoting a culture of strong people management. Draw on GLA People function support where appropriate.
• Represent OSDC on HR matters with senior HR leaders across the GLA Group and external bodies, ensuring OSDC benefits from collaboration and shared expertise.

People Development

• Lead the design and delivery of Learning & Development and talent management strategies, embedding a coaching culture and supporting organisational capability.
• Sponsor and project manage key HR initiatives and organisational development programmes, ensuring effective implementation, consultation, and staff engagement.

Health and Safety

• Act as Senior Sponsor for Health and Safety, providing strategic direction and support to the Health and Safety Lead.

General

• Manage allocated staff and budgets in line with OSDC policies and ethical standards, ensuring procurement and contract management deliver best value.
• Champion flexible, collaborative working across teams and organisations, contributing to cross‑functional projects and task groups.
• Ensure HR systems and data are accurate, secure, and used effectively to support decision‑making.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development or ability to demonstrate equivalent level of professional competence through learning and experience.
• Substantial experience gained in senior strategic human resources roles in a complex and high‑profile organisation.
• Experience across a broad range of HR functions, including organisational and learning development, recruitment, and generalist HR.
• Ability to work autonomously and resiliently in a dynamic and changing work environment.
• Comfortable with taking on a variety of tasks from strategic to administrative over the course of any one day.

The Following Competencies Will Also Be Essential

Building and Managing Relationships

is developing rapport and working effectively with a diverse range of people, sharing knowledge and skills to deliver shared goals.

Level 3 indicators of effective performance

• Actively engages partners and encourages others to build relationships that support OSDCs objectives.
• Understands and recognises the contributions that staff at all levels make to delivering priorities.
• Proactively manages partner relationships, preventing or resolving any conflict.
• Adapts style to work effectively with partners, building consensus, trust and respect.

Managing and Developing Performance

is setting high standards for oneself and others, guiding, motivating and developing them, to achieve high performance and meet the OSDCs objectives and statutory obligations.

Level 3 indicators of effective performance

• Motivates and inspires others to perform to their best, recognising and valuing their work and encouraging them to learn and reflect.
• Sets clear direction and expectations and enables others to interpret competing priorities.
• Agrees and monitors challenging, achievable performance objectives in line with OSDC priorities.
• Manages performance issues effectively to avoid adverse impact on team morale and performance.
• Promotes a positive team culture that respects diversity and deals with barriers to inclusion.

Problem Solving

is analysing and interpreting situations from a variety of viewpoints and finding creative, workable and timely solutions.

Level 3 indicators of effective performance

• Clarifies ambiguous problems, questioning assumptions to reach a fuller understanding.
• Actively challenges the status quo to find new ways of doing things, looking for good practice.
• Seeks and incorporates diverse perspectives to help produce workable strategies to address complex issues.
• Initiates consultation on opportunities to improve work processes.
• Supports the organisation to implement innovative suggestions.

Organisational Awareness

is understanding and being sensitive to organisational dynamics, culture and politics across and beyond the OSDC and shaping our approach accordingly. Level 3 indicators of effective performance

• Uses understanding of differences between the OSDC and its partners to improve working relationships.
• Helps others understand the OSDC and the complex environment in which it operates.
• Translates changing political agendas into tangible actions.
• Considers the diverse needs of Londoners in formulating OSDC objectives.
• Helps others understand how the media and external perceptions of OSDC influence work.

The GLA Competency Framework Guidelines further detailing each competency and the different level indicators can be found here: GLA Competency Framework

How to apply

If you would like to apply for the role you will need to submit the following:

• Up to date CV
• Personal statement with a maximum of 1500 words. Please ensure you address how you demonstrate the essential criteria outlined above in the advert.

Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement have a maximum file size of 1.5MB each and upload your Personal Statement to the CV and Cover Letters section of the form, ensuring you address the technical requirements and competencies in your Personal Statement.

Word or PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images. Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement are saved with the job reference number as part of the naming convention (E.g., CV applicant name - 012345).

As part of GLAs continuing commitment to be an inclusive and equal opportunity employer we will be removing personal identifiable information from CVs and Personal Statements that could cause discrimination.

We may close this advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Questions about the role

If you wish to talk to someone about the role, the hiring manager Molly Strauss, Head of Oxford Street Transformation at the GLA, would be happy to speak to you. Please contact them at molly.strauss[at]london.gov.uk.

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, contact theglaopdcrecruitment[at]tfl.gov.uk who support the GLA with recruitment.

Assessment process

Once you have submitted an application, your details will be reviewed by a panel.

If shortlisted, you’ll be invited to an interview.

The interview date is week commencing 8 December 2025.

Is this role eligible for sponsorship?

This role DOES NOT meet the criteria for sponsorship for external candidates. It may meet the criteria for sponsorship for some internal candidates, in limited circumstances. Please contact the hiring manager if you wish to discuss this further.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

London’s diversity is its biggest asset, and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London’s diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We would welcome applications from candidates who are seeking part time work as this role is open to job share.

Please note we are a Disability Confident Employer so for candidates who wish to be considered under the scheme and meet the essential criteria, they will automatically be invited to interview. Please note, should you require any adjustments through the process, we will accommodate as much as possible. Please contact the recruitment team for further information if required.

Benefits

Staff are hybrid working up to 3 days a week in our offices and remotely depending on their role. As part of this, you will need to split your time between home working and coming into the office.

In addition to a good salary package, you will be paid every four weeks, providing frequent salary payments. We also offer an attractive range of benefits including 30 days annual leave, interest free season ticket loan, interest free bicycle loan and a career average pension scheme.

Additional Information

Please note, all candidates will need to confirm that the information provided in this application form is true and correct. Should a candidate deliberately give false information, including the use of AI software, they understand that this would disqualify them from consideration.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record (DBS) check but some roles may require additional security screening.

More Support

If you have a disability which makes submitting an online application form difficult, please contact resourcingteam[at]london.gov.uk.

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