Interim Head of HR
Posted 1 day ago by Panoramic Associates
Negotiable
Undetermined
Undetermined
West Midlands, England, United Kingdom
Summary: This role is for an Interim Head of HR within a Multi Academy Trust, focusing on strategic HR leadership and operational credibility. The position involves leading the HR function, providing expert guidance on employee relations, and implementing a Trust-wide people plan. The successful candidate will work closely with executive leaders and academy teams to enhance workforce strategy and governance. Strong senior HR leadership experience and knowledge of UK employment law are essential for this role.
Key Responsibilities:
- Owning and delivering a Trust-wide people plan (workforce planning, retention, capability, and culture)
- Providing expert guidance on complex employee relations matters (performance, absence, grievance/disciplinary, restructures, etc.)
- Leading recruitment and onboarding approach across the Trust, ensuring robust process and compliance
- Strengthening performance management and leadership development activity across academies and central services
- Reviewing and improving HR policies, ensuring alignment with current employment law and education-sector expectations
- Using people data/MI to spot themes, reduce risk, and inform decision-making at senior level
- Supporting change activity (structures, consultation, ways of working) with clear stakeholder engagement
- Ensuring safe, compliant HR practice and high standards of confidentiality and record-keeping
Key Skills:
- Strong senior HR leadership experience within a Multi Academy Trust or similarly complex, multi-site organisation
- Deep knowledge of UK employment law and confident handling sensitive, high-impact casework
- Evidence of delivering practical HR strategy (not just maintaining processes)
- Excellent influencing skills with credibility at executive and board/stakeholder level
- Ability to lead and develop an HR team and drive consistent standards across multiple locations
- Relevant senior HR qualification (or equivalent demonstrable experience)
- Organisational development, change, or cultural improvement programme exposure
- HR systems/process improvement experience and comfort with reporting/analytics
- Experience working in a regulated, compliance-led environment
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: West Midlands
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: undetermined
IR35 Status: undetermined
Seniority Level: Senior
Industry: HR
EDUCATION EXPERIENCE NEEDED
The Trust
We're supporting a Multi Academy Trust with a broad, multi-site footprint and a strong focus on building a consistent, values-led culture. The Trust is investing in its people agenda to strengthen leadership capability, improve workforce planning, and ensure best-practice HR delivery across its academies and central teams.
The role
This is a senior, strategic HR leadership position with real operational credibility required. You'll lead the HR function, acting as a trusted partner to executive leaders and academy leadership team balancing day-to-day casework oversight with longer-term workforce strategy, organisational development, and policy governance.
What you'll be responsible for
- Owning and delivering a Trust-wide people plan (workforce planning, retention, capability, and culture)
- Providing expert guidance on complex employee relations matters (performance, absence, grievance/disciplinary, restructures, etc.)
- Leading recruitment and onboarding approach across the Trust, ensuring robust process and compliance
- Strengthening performance management and leadership development activity across academies and central services
- Reviewing and improving HR policies, ensuring alignment with current employment law and education-sector expectations
- Using people data/MI to spot themes, reduce risk, and inform decision-making at senior level
- Supporting change activity (structures, consultation, ways of working) with clear stakeholder engagement
- Ensuring safe, compliant HR practice and high standards of confidentiality and record-keeping
What we're looking for (essential)
- Strong senior HR leadership experience within a Multi Academy Trust or similarly complex, multi-site organisation
- Deep knowledge of UK employment law and confident handling sensitive, high-impact casework
- Evidence of delivering practical HR strategy (not just maintaining processes)
- Excellent influencing skills with credibility at executive and board/stakeholder level
- Ability to lead and develop an HR team and drive consistent standards across multiple locations
- Relevant senior HR qualification (or equivalent demonstrable experience)
Useful / advantageous
- Organisational development, change, or cultural improvement programme exposure
- HR systems/process improvement experience and comfort with reporting/analytics
- Experience working in a regulated, compliance-led environment