Policy And Governance Manager

BOOTS; City Of London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail pharmacy chain is seeking an HR Policy Governance Lead. This permanent role is based in Nottingham and involves overseeing HR policies, ensuring compliance with UK employment law, and leading policy communication initiatives. Ideal candidates will have strong stakeholder management skills and a CIPD Level 5 or higher. The position offers competitive benefits including a retirement savings plan and discretionary bonuses.

Benefits

Boots Retirement Savings Plan

Discretionary annual bonus

Generous employee discounts

Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave pay

Flexible benefits scheme

24/7 counselling support

Qualifications

• Proven experience in HR policy development or compliance roles.
• Strong knowledge of GDPR and HR regulatory requirements.
• Experience in a regulated environment is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain a suite of HR policies that are compliant and aligned.
• Lead policy communication initiatives for the business.
• Monitor HR practices to ensure adherence to policy.

Skills

HR policy development

UK employment law knowledge

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Analytical approach

Education

CIPD Level 5 or above

CIPD Level 7 or equivalent

Job description

Overview

Contract: Permanent
Location: Nottingham
Recruitment Partner: Anastasia Walker

This is an exciting new permanent role based in our Nottingham Support Office. This role is part of the HR Operations team in the People function and will report directly into the VP, HR Operations. The role will lead the development, maintenance, and governance of our HR policies and compliance frameworks. This role will ensure our HR policies are clear, engaging, legally compliant, and aligned with best practice. The role is also accountable for governance of the wider HR function and specifically HR governance activities.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain a comprehensive, easy-to-navigate suite of HR policies that are up-to-date, legally compliant, and aligned with company values.
• Regularly review and refresh policies to ensure clarity, accessibility, and relevance to all colleagues.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts and stakeholders to ensure policies reflect operational needs and legal requirements.
• Lead policy communication and training initiatives to drive awareness and understanding across the business.
• Oversee governance of all HR activities, ensuring compliance with internal controls, legal obligations, and regulatory standards.
• Act as the HR lead for compliance areas.
• Monitor and audit HR practices to ensure adherence to policy and identify areas for improvement.
• Maintain a governance calendar and reporting framework to track compliance activities and risks.
• Partner with Legal, Risk, and Audit teams to ensure HR is aligned with broader corporate governance frameworks.
• Lead on HR's response to internal and external audits, ensuring timely and accurate information is provided.
• Develop and maintain a risk register for HR, identifying key risks and mitigation strategies.

What you'll need to have

• CIPD Level 5 or above (or equivalent HR qualification).
• Proven experience in HR policy development, governance, or compliance roles.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law, GDPR, and HR regulatory requirements.
• Excellent written communication skills with the ability to simplify complex information.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• High attention to detail and a structured, analytical approach.
• Experience working in a regulated or complex organisational environment is desirable.

It would be great if you also have

• CIPD Level 7 or equivalent postgraduate qualification.
• GDPR/Data Protection knowledge and experience
• Project management qualification (e.g., PRINCE2, Agile) for managing policy and compliance initiatives.
• Commercially aware, able to prioritise and plan with the ability to make sound judgments about issues that may have an adverse effect on the business from an ER/ risk perspective
• Demonstrable ability to work collaboratively across the Boots and WBA business
• Experience of unionised, retail and healthcare environments

Our benefits

• Boots Retirement Savings Plan
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Generous employee discounts
• Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave pay and gift card for anyone expecting or adopting a child
• Flexible benefits scheme including option to buy additional holiday, discounted gym membership, life assurance, activity passes and much more.
• Access to free, 24/7 counselling and support through TELUS Health, our Employee Assistance Programme.

We have a great range of benefits in addition to the above that offer flexibility to suit you - find out more at boots.jobs/rewards. Exclusions may apply, eligible roles only. Please note, any salary estimates given on third-party sites are not provided or endorsed by Boots and may not be accurate.

Why Boots

At Boots, we foster a working environment where consideration and inclusivity help everyone to be themselves and reach their full potential. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, passionate about embracing the diversity of our colleagues and providing a positive and inclusive working environment for all. As the heart of everything we do at Boots, with you, we change for the better.

What’s next

Where a role is advertised as full-time, we are open to discussing part-time and job share options during the application process. If you require additional support as part of the application and interview process, we are happy to provide reasonable adjustments to help you to be at your best.

Boots is a Ban the Box employer and will consider the suitability of applicants with criminal convictions on a case-by-case basis.