Head of Recruitment and Workforce Planning

DAVID LEWIS CENTRE; Alderley Edge; Hybrid; GBP 51,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working opportunities

Generous annual leave entitlement

Pension scheme

Ongoing professional development

Access to supportive leadership team

Job summary

David Lewis Centre in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, is recruiting a Head of Recruitment and Workforce Planning to shape our workforce strategy and lead recruitment across the charity.

You will report to the Director of People & Culture, providing strategic leadership for recruitment, workforce planning and workforce intelligence, while building strong partnerships with colleges, Job Centres and community organisations to attract the talent we need to support our services today and in the future.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in recruitment, talent acquisition or workforce planning.
• Proven track record of high-volume, hard-to-fill recruitment campaigns.
• Strong knowledge of safer recruitment, DBS, right-to-work and employment legislation.
• Experience using workforce data, analytics and KPIs to inform decisions.
• The ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive organisational change.
• Experience leading, developing and motivating high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead recruitment, workforce planning, talent attraction and workforce intelligence across the organisation.
• Collaborate with Education, Residential, Clinical Services and Corporate Functions to meet current and future needs.
• Develop organisation-wide workforce plans aligned with strategic priorities.
• Build sustainable talent pipelines for critical and hard-to-fill roles.
• Deliver innovative attraction campaigns and strengthen employer brand.
• Lead workforce reporting and recruitment performance monitoring.
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding and employment legislation.
• Manage agency and supplier relationships to maximise value for money.
• Support apprenticeships, succession planning and internal career pathways.
• Be an active member of the Senior Management Team and contribute to strategy and continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

People management

Data analytics

Change management

Communication skills

Education

CIPD qualification

Job description

Head of Recruitment and Workforce Planning.

Location: Warford, Alderley Edge, Cheshire (with hybrid working opportunities).
Salary: £57,000 per annum.
Hours: 37.5 hours per week | Full Time | Permanent.

Lead the Future of Recruitment at David Lewis:

Are you an experienced recruitment, talent acquisition or workforce planning leader looking for your next challenge?

Do you want the opportunity to shape workforce strategy across a growing and ambitious charity, while making a genuine difference to the lives of the people we support every day?

At David Lewis, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We provide specialist education, residential care, supported living, day opportunities and therapeutic services for people with autism, learning disabilities, epilepsy and complex needs. As our services continue to evolve and grow, we are looking for an exceptional Head of Recruitment and Workforce Planning to help us attract, develop and retain the talented people who make our work possible.

This is a rare opportunity to join our Senior Management Team and take ownership of both our recruitment function and wider workforce planning agenda. You will play a key role in ensuring we have the right people, with the right skills, in the right places, both now and in the future.

Why This Opportunity?:

This role has been created following the departure of our current Head of Recruitment and Workforce Planning, who is relocating. The postholder has played a significant role in developing our recruitment and workforce planning approach and will remain with David Lewis during the recruitment process to provide a comprehensive handover and ensure a smooth transition for the successful candidate.

This means you will be joining a well-established function with strong foundations, benefiting from expert support as you take the role forward and shape its next chapter.

The Role:

Reporting to the Director of People & Culture, you will provide strategic leadership for recruitment, workforce planning, talent attraction and workforce intelligence across the organisation.

Working closely with senior leaders across Education, Residential Services, Clinical Services and Corporate Functions, you will help ensure our workforce is ready to meet both current and future needs.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading all recruitment and talent acquisition activity across David Lewis.
• Developing organisation-wide workforce plans aligned with strategic priorities.
• Building sustainable talent pipelines for critical and hard-to-fill roles.
• Delivering innovative attraction campaigns and strengthening our employer brand.
• Developing partnerships with colleges, universities, Job Centres and community organisations.
• Leading workforce reporting, analytics and recruitment performance monitoring.
• Ensuring compliance with safer recruitment, safeguarding and employment legislation.
• Managing agency and supplier relationships to maximise value for money.
• Supporting apprenticeships, succession planning and internal career pathways.
• Acting as a proactive member of the Senior Management Team and contributing to organisational strategy and continuous improvement.

About You:

You may currently be a Head of Recruitment, Talent Acquisition Manager, Recruitment Manager, Workforce Planning Lead, Talent Partner or a senior recruitment professional ready to take the next step into a broader leadership role.

You will bring:

Essential:

• Significant leadership experience in recruitment, talent acquisition or workforce planning within a regulated industry.
• A proven track record of delivering high-volume and hard-to-fill recruitment campaigns.
• Strong knowledge of safer recruitment, DBS, right-to-work and employment legislation.
• Experience using workforce data, analytics and KPIs to inform decision-making.
• The ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive organisational change.
• Experience leading, developing and motivating high-performing teams.

Desirable:

• Experience within health, social care, education, charity or similar regulated sectors.
• Knowledge of CQC and/or Ofsted-regulated environments.
• CIPD qualification or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience of apprenticeships, workforce development and succession planning.

Why Join David Lewis?:

This is much more than a recruitment role.

It is an opportunity to shape the future workforce of a respected and values-driven organisation whilst helping ensure that the people we support receive outstanding care, education and opportunities.

In return, we offer:

• Salary of £57,000 per annum.
• Hybrid working opportunities.
• Generous annual leave entitlement.
• Pension scheme.
• Ongoing professional development.
• Access to a supportive and forward-thinking leadership team.
• The chance to make a lasting impact within a growing and ambitious third-sector organisation.

Closing Date: Friday 9th October 2026 at 12:00 noon.

Interview Dates: Week commencing Monday 12th October 2026.

David Lewis is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. All appointments are subject to appropriate safer recruitment checks, including references and an Enhanced DBS check. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.