Head of People

The Head of People is an exciting new role for Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) as the organisation embeds after a period of change with the arrival of a new Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer. The role holder will be a senior leader at RDA, with responsibility for leading on the development and delivery of the HR Strategy to ensure that RDA provides an environment in which our employees can thrive and are motivated and driven to deliver our mission and values.

The role holder will be hands on and pragmatic in their approach whilst overseeing the delivery of a comprehensive end-to-end HR service supported by a part time HR Coordinator.

Role Purpose

Specific Responsibilities

HR Strategy

• Develop, lead and implement a People Strategy based on the organisations vision and mission.


• Lead on the continued monitoring and review of the HR People Strategy.


• Support the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) with organisational change plans developed towards the achievement of the HR People Strategy and advise on organisational design and change processes.


Employee Engagement


• Drive initiatives to enhance employee wellbeing, engagement, satisfaction and retention.


• Monitor and review employee engagement and wellbeing and the success of any initiatives put in place.


• Collaborate with Department Heads to understand and address their unique people needs and challenges.


Resourcing


• Ensure that recruitment and selection procedures meet operational need, legislative and good practice requirements, represent value for money and are effectively monitored and managed for equal opportunities.


• Develop and maintain a workforce development and succession plan to ensure that the organisation has the right people with the right skills in place and that recruitment and development activity is planned accordingly.


Pay and Reward


• Responsible for the continued development of the pay and benefits strategy to ensure that RDA remains a competitive employer in the marketplace.


• Ensure fairness and equity in promotions and salary changes across the organisation.


Performance Management


• Oversee the performance management process, ensuring performance is assessed consistently and that training and development needs are addressed.


• Provide support to line managers to address performance concerns within their teams.


• Ensure development plans are in line with the organisations strategic aims and objectives.


Learning and Development


• Responsible for the development and delivery of a comprehensive package of employee learning and development; from induction to CPD, mandatory training and people management skills to ensure that all levels of staff have the appropriate skills to deliver the best possible outcomes for the charity within their roles.


• Provide coaching, mentoring and guidance to management teams to develop their line management capability


Equity Diversity and Belonging


• Lead in the development of broadening our delivery of employee Equality, Diversity and Belonging initiatives to foster a culture of belonging and respect.


Governance and Compliance


• Work closely with the Director of Finance and Resources to ensure all payroll actions are undertaken accurately on a monthly basis.


• Develop a programme of HR Policy Review to ensure that all HR policies are up to date with employment legislation and demonstrate best practice within the Charity sector.


• Provide expert support and advice to the SLT and managers on all aspects of HR policy and practice and employment law, including grievance and disciplinary procedures and employee wellbeing.


• Ensure that any people related risks to the organisation are known, discussed and mitigated.


• Ensure that adequate HR systems are in place to record employee data including annual leave, sickness and employee records and that processes are streamlined and automated as far as possible.


• Ensure that all HR records are up to date and accurate and that record keeping is compliant with GDPR regulations.


HR Metrics


• Develop, analyse and report on regular HR reporting data to the SLT, making recommendations for areas to action and or/develop.


Line Management responsibilities

To effectively manage and lead the department by:


• leading by example and demonstrating the Charity's vision and values


• ensuring regular communication with the team and individuals in relation to the department's key objectives and delivery against those objectives


• ensuring that all direct reports have up-to-date and regularly reviewed job descriptions and person specifications


• ensuring each team member has clarity around their performance objectives and deliverables and that these are monitored and updated regularly in line with the department's strategic aims


• managing employee relation issues such as poor performance, sickness absence etc. in a supportive, consistent and timely manner in line with RDA policies and procedures


Budget Management responsibilities

To effectively manage departmental budget by:


• ensuring delivery of strategic aims and objectives within the constraints of budgets set and availability of funding


• highlighting and managing any budget exceptions in a timely manner with a view to ensuring a balanced budget


• appropriately monitoring and managing spend on external consultancies supporting RDA in relation to the department's deliverables


General


• To undertake such other duties as the line manager shall from time to time determine.


• To be flexible in working from other offices in the UK as required for the effective delivery of the role.


• To demonstrate the values and cultural aspirations of RDA in all work that is undertaken.


• To ensure due consideration is always given to our charitable aims and objectives and that this is demonstrated in all activities undertaken.


• To attend and service the National Championships, providing support leading up to the event as requested, as well as supporting the event itself.
  
  Degree in Human Resources, a related field or comparable experience.


• Experience of operating at a senior HR level and ability to influence senior managers.


• Experience of working with Board members and Trustees.


• Demonstrable experience in developing and driving a People strategy.


• Able to demonstrate the added value of HR to an organisation, through previous achievements.


• Ability to work with multiple stakeholders in a complex environment.


• Proven track record in the delivery of an end-to-end HR service.


• General understanding of payroll and employee benefits.


• General understanding of managing an HR Information Systems.


• Excellent communicator, with an ability to build strong relationships.


• Very strong, written communication skills, with a keen eye for detail.


• Strong team player.


• Excellent planning and organisational skills, with an ability to work to deadlines, remain calm under pressure and prioritise work in accordance with the organisational needs.


• A proactive approach to investigating and solving problems.


• Excellent IT skills in PowerPoint, Word and Excel.


Desirable Criteria


• Experience of working in the third/charity sector.