Director of People

Job Title - Director of People
Job Type - Permanent
Job Hours - Part-time and term-time only/term-time only plus options
Estimated 0.6FTE but flexible for the right person
Pay Grade/scale - OUTL 47-53 £55,155 - £65,025 (pro-rata)
Location - Flexible - home working/hybrid/school-based
Responsible to - CEO
At Astrum Multi Academy Trust, our people are what make us truly special and outstanding to our families and children; we want to:


Provide the very best care, flexibility and support for our colleagues recognising they go the extra mile Grow the careers of our colleagues at all levels and be nationally recognised for our excellent professional development offer Be inclusive in our approach, listen to our colleagues and give them a strong voice in the decisions we make Be recognised as a fantastic place to work and attract diverse people committed to our values and ethos

We are fully committed to the professional development of our people and are seeking an exceptional Leader of People to join our Executive Team and take ownership of developing and driving the Trust's new People Strategy.
As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, they will be instrumental in securing our vision of a talented, diverse and fulfilled workforce that serve our unique population of pupils.
The Director of People will have a direct influence and positive impact on the people in the organisation.
They will review and shape an innovative trust HR operating model which is suited to meeting our needs during a time of organisational growth and change.
They will lead a small team of HR professionals to provide effective delivery of the Human Resources function across the trust academies, provisions, services and central team and collaborate with trust and academy leaders to recruit and develop the highest quality of staff.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
VISION AND STRATEGY
In close collaboration with the Executive Leadership Team and Academy Leaders;

Provide visionary leadership in the development and implementation of the People Strategy, aligning it with our trust's overall objectives Shape, develop and oversee a trust-wide recruitment, retention, development and well-being strategy, fostering a culture of excellence Drive strategic people initiatives that support the trust's vision and values Lead on developing a strategic approach to workforce planning and talent management Engage in policy development and strategic planning to adapt to changing employment law and educational landscapes To lead on the HR aspects of potential Academy conversions, new free schools and new provisions/services Provide strategic direction to HR practices within the trust that attract, retain and develop a high performing workforce Establish and maintain outstanding professional relationships, ensure effective communication across the schools in the Trust and other stakeholders.
At all times champion the values of the Trust and be an ambassador and advocate of its mission.

RECRUITMENT AND TALENT MANAGEMENT

Devise and Implement a pioneering recruitment and retention strategy for the trust, ensuring that the highest quality of staff are working with our pupils to deliver exceptional teaching, learning and support Develop a strong employer brand to attract driven individuals into our organisation and adopt modern and safe recruitment practices Be responsible for ensuring compliance with Safer Recruitment practices Work to embed and promote creative and unique employee benefits packages Champion a diverse workplace that is reflective of the communities that we serve and implement strategies to ensure diversity and a culture of respect Ensure all job descriptions are accurate and reflective of the roles that staff fulfil consistently across the Trust, keeping a database of all job descriptions and person specifications and co-ordinate the process of review Develop and maximise the capabilities of staff through implementation of an exemplary professional development framework, including a consistent and comprehensive trust induction programme Develop succession and workforce planning processes Seek out high quality leadership development opportunities for both teaching and non-teaching staff Lead initiatives to promote staff wellbeing, including proactive stress and absence management Create a nurturing and supportive environment for all staff Seek to continually review and implement health and wellbeing opportunities for staff Support the trust communications plan and contribute to the development and delivery of the trust's Marketing and Communications Strategy

TRUST HR PROVISION
The Director of People is responsible for;

providing and managing a comprehensive HR service across the Trust and its schools and deliver high - quality professional advice and guidance to trust and academy leaders and managers line managing a small team of HR professionals, providing appraisals, professional support, guidance and mentoring and ensuring that appropriate CPD is provided to enable them to effectively carry out their role assuming overall responsibility for staff contracts and associated pay roll, pensions, etc.
leading on employee relations (including complex casework), overseeing the overall management of the employment relationship,through deployment of HR resources within the Team, leading and developing HR team members, deploying them effectively to ensureboth they and the HR function deliver an efficient, effective and professionalHR service to trust and schools (including overseeing investigations and complex employee relations issues including, redundancy and grievance) ensuring timely, responsive and solution-focused HR services to trust and academy leaders and managers, ensuring the trust adheres to best practice and operates within the law, and co-ordinate appropriate external legal or professional advice where required ensuring the trust has the data, policies and practices in place to provide an excellent level of service to all its schools.
Overseeing the HR related data management system(s) and ensure their implementation supports organisational efficiency ensure the maintenance of confidentiality for all staff records overseeing the timely access to relevant and accessible staffing related information options to support strategic decision making for the Trust Board and Executive Team provide accurate and timely information for statutory reporting, including gender pay gap, Trade Union facilities time, etc.
leading on the development and alignment of HR Trust policies and working in partnership with the executive leadership team to ensure that the agreed HR policies and processes are implemented well ensuring regulatory compliance for HR practice, keeping up to date with current HR and employment law requirements.
Building the HR capacity of leaders and managers across the trust by developing their knowledge and skills related to staff management and employment law legislation In partnership with the Executive Team, further develop communication channels and staff feedback opportunities, taking the lead on the annual staff well-being survey Oversee the maintenance of positive employee relations, including working proactively with trust union representatives Foster a culture of fairness, equity and inclusion

RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL STAFF

Promote the vision, and contribute to the overall aims and values of the school and trus.