Head of People – Newfriars College

Upto £75k plus c20% LGPS

Stoke-on-Trent

Newfriars College is seeking a Head of People. The successful applicant will be a visionary, yet hands on, leader of people who is energised by a blank canvass and will partner directly with the leadership team to cultivate an environment where every faculty and staff member can grow. contribute and feel deeply connected to the college’s transformative education mission. From talent acquisition and development to fostering inclusivity, wellbeing and performance your influence will be immediate, meaningful and lasting.

The post-holder will act as the organisational expert on people matters, building capability and leading change to directly support the achievement of Newfriars College’s long-term strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic People Leadership & Business Partnering:

• Develop and execute a multi-year People Strategy that is fully integrated with the college’s development and transformation plans, for approval by the Finance & Operations Director and CEO
• Act as the strategic people partner to the Finance & Operations Director and Senior Leadership Team (SLT), providing expert insight and guidance on all people-related aspects of operational and strategic plans.
• Lead the review and redesign of organisational structures to enhance agility, efficiency, and support future growth, presenting business cases and recommendations to the Operations Directorate.
• Champion cultural transformation initiatives that embed the college’s values and foster a high-performance, inclusive environment.

2. Transformation, Change Management & Systems:

• Lead the end-to-end review, redesign, and implementation of new HR policies, processes, and systems, managing the project plan and stakeholder engagement under the direction of the Finance & Operations Director.
• Develop and execute robust change management plans to ensure the successful adoption of new people initiatives and systems across the college.
• Identify and mitigate people-related risks associated with the college’s period of rapid change.

3. Talent, Resourcing & Succession Planning:

• Design and implement a strategic talent acquisition and retention model, including employer branding and proactive pipelines for hard-to-fill and SEND specialist roles.
• Develop and implement a robust succession planning framework for critical roles across the college, ensuring business continuity.
• Oversee the evolution of the onboarding experience to accelerate integration and performance for all new staff.

4. Employee Relations & Performance Culture:

• Provide expert counsel to the SLT on complex employee relations cases, ensuring legal compliance and minimising organisational risk.
• Lead the evolution of the performance management framework to drive a culture of continuous feedback, development, and high performance.
• Oversee the development and delivery of advanced training for line managers in performance management, employee relations, and leading teams.

5. Reward, Analytics & Reporting:

• In consultation with the Finance & Operations Director, lead the review of the total reward strategy to ensure competitiveness and support the attraction and retention of top talent.
• Develop a sophisticated HR analytics capability, providing the Operations Directorate and Trust Board with insightful data on workforce trends to inform strategic decision-making.
• Take ultimate responsibility for the accurate and timely preparation of the monthly payroll for processing by the college’s third-party provider.
• Oversee the preparation and submission of all statutory workforce reporting.

6. Policies, Compliance & Governance:

• Ensure all HR policies, procedures, and practices are legally compliant, reflect best practice, and support the college’s strategic direction.
• Act as the designated organisational expert on employment law, GDPR, and safeguarding compliance within the HR context.
• Maintain overall governance and accountability for the Single Central Register and all other regulatory compliance standards.

Person Specification:

Education & Qualifications:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• Chartered Member of the CIPD (MCIPD) or equivalent postgraduate qualification is essential.

Experience & Knowledge:

• Essential: Proven experience in a senior strategic HR leadership role (e.g., Head of People, HR Senior Business Partner), with direct accountability for delivering a people strategy.
• Essential: A demonstrable track record of successfully designing and implementing new HR policies, processes, and systems.
• Essential: Significant experience in leading large-scale change projects and managing complex employee relations cases.
• Essential: Strong financial acumen, with experience in managing departmental budgets and contributing to business cases.
• Essential: Expert knowledge of employment law and best practice.
• Essential: Familiarity with safeguarding, child protection, and safer recruitment protocols in an educational setting.
• Desirable: Prior experience within the education sector and knowledge of SEND.

Skills & Abilities:

• A strategic thinker with the ability to translate operational and business needs into effective people solutions.
• Exceptional influencing and stakeholder management skills, with the credibility to challenge, engage, and build strong relationships with the SLT, managers, and trade unions.
• Resilient and able to lead and sustain change in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data to drive decisions and demonstrate ROI to the Operations Directorate.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.

If you are driven by the challenge of building something significant, shaping strategy from the outset and leaving a permanent imprint on a vibrant academic community, we invite you to step into this moment.

Contact Neil Massie, our recruitment partner by applying through this channel. If suitable, you will be invited to submit a formal application.

Applications welcome from all sectors.