At The Rise Partnership Trust, our vision of "Love, Learn, Laugh" is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating exceptional learning environments where children thrive and staff are supported, valued, and empowered to achieve their best.

We are seeking an experienced, strategic, and people-focused Head of Human Resources to lead and further develop our HR function across the Trust. This is an exciting opportunity for an accomplished HR professional to play a key role in shaping our workforce strategy, supporting organisational growth, and ensuring our schools remain outstanding places to work and learn.

About the Role

As Head of HR, you will provide expert professional advice and leadership across all aspects of human resources, workforce planning, employee relations, recruitment, payroll, wellbeing, and compliance. Working closely with the Executive Team and school leaders, you will ensure that HR services are effective, efficient, legally compliant, and aligned with the Trust's strategic objectives.

You will lead a dedicated HR team, oversee payroll processes, support organisational development initiatives, and champion a positive culture that attracts, develops, and retains talented staff.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic HR Leadership

• Provide expert HR advice to Trust leaders, Head teachers and Trustees.
• Lead on HR strategy, workforce planning, succession planning, and organisational change.
• Produce workforce reports covering recruitment, absence, wellbeing, and employee relations.

Recruitment and Retention

• Oversee recruitment across the Trust, ensuring compliance with safer recruitment requirements.
• Develop effective recruitment, retention, on boarding, induction, and probation processes.

Employee Relations and Compliance

• Lead on complex employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, and absence cases.
• Ensure HR policies, procedures, and records are compliant, up to date, and aligned with best practice.

Payroll and HR Operations

• Manage payroll processes and relationships with payroll providers.
• Drive continuous improvement of HR systems, processes, and services.
• Support workforce budgeting and planning with Finance colleagues.

Staff Wellbeing and Culture

• Lead staff wellbeing initiatives and monitor workforce trends.
• Promote a positive, inclusive, and high-performing culture across the Trust.

About You

We are looking for someone who:

• Has substantial HR leadership experience, ideally within education, public sector, or multi-site organisations.
• Possesses excellent knowledge of employment law, HR best practice, and safer recruitment requirements.
• Has experience managing complex employee relations cases and organisational change programmes.
• Demonstrates strong, positive leadership, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• Is highly organised, analytical, and able to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Is committed to staff wellbeing, continuous improvement, and delivering outstanding service.
• Shares our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Why Join Us?

At The Rise Partnership Trust, you will join a collaborative and ambitious organisation where people matter. We invest in our staff, value professional development, and are committed to creating workplaces where colleagues feel supported, respected, and inspired.

This is an opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of staff and pupils across our Trust while contributing to our shared vision of Love, Learn, Laugh.

Safeguarding Statement

The Rise Partnership Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check and all relevant pre-employment checks in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance.

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

 For further information on the role please view the Job Description and Person Specification.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance issued by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

It is an offence to apply for the role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children. All shortlisted applicants will be required to complete self-disclosure form and return prior to interview.

We treat all of our employees equally and without compromise since, as a Trust, we are passionate about diversity and understand that, regardless of any protected characteristics, each of us brings something special to the role. Throughout our hiring and employment procedures, we are dedicated to upholding equality and fairness and refraining from discrimination on any basis.