People Hub Team Leader (People Operations)

TKAT (The Kemnal Academies Trust); Crawley; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

TKAT (The Kemnal Academies Trust) is seeking a People Hub Team Leader (People Operations) to spearhead the operational rollout of the Secondary Hub Service model across all Kemnal secondary schools. You will lead a dedicated team, streamline recruitment, onboarding, and reporting processes, and embed a proactive shared services framework with a strong, values-driven culture.

You will champion HRIS/ATS capabilities, ensure safer recruitment standards, and mentor School Business Managers while

Qualifications

• Leads a HR shared services team with a values-led, supportive culture.
• Expert advice on employee lifecycle and education frameworks (STPCD, Burgundy Book, Green Book / NJC).
• Champions system capability using HRIS and ATS modules to automate workflows and improve candidate experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide positive leadership to a team of People Specialists and foster a high-performing culture.
• Lead rollout of the Secondary Hub Service model across Kemnal secondary schools.
• Drive adoption, streamline processes, and embed a proactive, school-focused service across recruitment, onboarding, and reporting.

Skills

People leadership

HRIS (iTrent)

Recruitment & onboarding

Employee lifecycle

Data reporting

Tools

iTrent

Job description

People Hub Team Leader (People Operations)

At Kemnal, we are drawn to serving the young people who need us most, guided by a clear moral purpose. We are looking for a dedicatedPeople Hub Team Leaderwho brings energy, heart, and purpose to the People Team, someone ready to lead, innovate, and empower our schools every single day.

AsPeople Hub Team Leader, you will play a key role in shaping our operational shared services. A primary focus will be the operational rollout and embedding of our Secondary Hub Service model across all Kemnal secondary schools. With the blueprint already designed, you will lead on driving adoption, streamlining processes, and embedding a proactive, responsive, and school-focused service across recruitment, employee lifecycle administration, and reporting.

Whether you bring established HR shared services leadership or are a skilled HR supervisor ready to step up, your talent will be valued here. You'll lead an exciting operational challenge: taking an established blueprint and successfully onboarding our secondary schools into the People Hub service model.

Together, lets show our young people what a truly inclusive employer looks like- inspiring every child to shine, fulfill their ambitions, and seize all the opportunities this world has to offer.

The ideal People Hub Team Leader will be someone who:

• Provides positive, values-led leadership to a dedicated team of People Specialists, nurturing talent and fostering a supportive, high-performing culture.
• Serves as an expert practitioner, providing authoritative advice on the employee lifecycle and national education frameworks (STPCD, Burgundy Book, Green Book / NJC terms).
• Is a champion of system capability, using HRIS (iTrent) and ATS modules to automate workflows, improve candidate experience, and deliver meaningful workforce intelligence.
• Holds operational accountability for safer recruitment standards, ensuring accuracy and timely delivery of pre-employment checks and Single Central Record (SCR) lines in line with KCSIE.
• Coaches and mentors School Business Managers using a peer-to-peer approach to foster shared learning across the Trust.
• Is driven by a clear moral purpose, bringing a positive, solution-focused outlook and the integrity to navigate complex operational