Head of HR

Head of HR

Pay Scale: £52,169 – £57,660 pro rata

Contract: Full-time, temporary appointment for 3 months with potential to extend

Start Date: Immediate

Location: Wakefield

Education Sector | 3-Month Temporary HR Leadership Appointment

Career Teachers is seeking an experienced and strategic Head of HR to provide high-quality HR leadership on a 3-month temporary basis across a group of schools. This is a senior interim-style role, ideal for a confident HR professional who can quickly add value by combining strong employment law knowledge with practical, people-focused advice and effective operational delivery.

About the role:

You will lead the HR function during this temporary appointment, support the delivery and review of the people strategy, advise senior leaders and board-level stakeholders, and ensure employment policies, procedures and systems are compliant, consistent and effective. The role will suit someone who can step in quickly, work strategically and remain close to day-to-day HR operations, employee relations and organisational change.

About You:

You will be an experienced senior HR professional with the confidence to influence, advise and support leaders across a multi-site education environment. You will bring sound judgement, strong communication skills and the ability to manage sensitive matters professionally and confidentially.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, develop, monitor and review the HR strategy across a group of schools.
• Provide expert advice to the CEO, headteachers, senior leaders and board-level colleagues on employment matters
• Ensure compliance with employment law, relevant legislation and HR best practice
• Develop, implement and review HR policies, procedures, systems and documentation
• Oversee employee data, HR reporting and management information to support strategic decision-making
• Advise on recruitment, induction, performance management, development and succession planning
• Manage complex and sensitive employee relations cases, including liaison with unions and external advisers where required
• Lead organisational development and change initiatives that support the wider strategic plan
• Manage, motivate and develop HR team members to deliver a professional and responsive service
• Lead initiatives that support employee engagement, well being, equality, diversity and inclusion

Essential requirements:

• CIPD Level 7 qualification or equivalent professional HR qualification
• Substantial senior or strategic HR experience, ideally in a unionised environment
• Strong knowledge of employment law, HR compliance and best practice
• Experience developing HR strategy, policies, procedures and people-related systems
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce professional reports and advise on sensitive issues
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Confident leadership and people management skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities, work independently and deliver to agreed timescales
• Commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, confidentiality and professional integrity
• Ability to travel between school sites as required

Desirable experience:

• Experience working in HR within the education sector
• Experience supporting organisational change across multiple sites
• Experience reporting HR matters to a board or senior governance group

Our benefits:

• A Refer a Friend Scheme giving you a bonus of up to £250
• Exclusive vacancies within local Schools and Multi Academy Trusts 
• Competitive weekly pay
• Assignments paid to a scale after 12 weeks (AWR)
• Online time sheets
• Your own dedicated consultant
• Guaranteed pay schemes
• Genuine refer a friend scheme
• Affinity Extra – Thousands of discounts on multiple high street shops including coffee and cinemas, plus other benefits and a Health & Well-being portal.

*These benefits are applicable to those who are working with Career Teachers. You will gain access to the Affinity Extra this portal once you start working with us.

All roles will require an enhanced criminal record disclosure (DBS), although we can help with this process a new application is required if your current DBS is not on the update service, and reference checks.

If the above role is just what you’re looking for, then please send across your CV by clicking the apply button. If not, check out our website for a range of opportunities that might excite you!

Career Teachers are committed to providing equal opportunities for all candidates and welcomes applications regardless of sex, race, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, religion and belief pregnancy and maternity or disability as well as adhering to strict Safeguarding procedures.

This vacancy is based in the United Kingdom. Career Teachers operate in the UK and can only process applications from candidates who are currently UK residents and eligible to work in the UK. Whilst we will endeavour to contact you following your response, due to the high volume of applications we regret that this cannot always be possible. If you have not had notification from us within 30 days please take your application as not being successful this time but we will keep your details on file for future opportunities.