HR Manager: Workforce Strategy, Data and Talent in London

Thank you for your interest in joining Anthem. We are a dynamic organisation committed to supporting thousands of children and young people to achieve great things through one of our schools. Anthem is one of the most established school trusts in the country, serving nearly 8,000 students across primary and secondary schools in the East Midlands, London and the Thames Valley. As a multi‑academy trust, Anthem is first and foremost a school improvement organisation, committed to creating ambitious and successful schools where everyone thrives, guided by our values of integrity, collaboration and excellence.

Role purpose

To lead and deliver a strategic, data‑driven approach to workforce planning, recruitment and talent management across Anthem, ensuring the Trust secures and retains the people it needs to deliver its educational priorities. Working in close partnership with the Head of HR, the role will develop and implement a coherent workforce strategy, aligning staffing models, recruitment approaches and talent pipelines with organisational needs, financial sustainability and pupil demand. The postholder will provide expert leadership on workforce planning, organisational change and safer recruitment, ensuring consistent, compliant and high‑quality practice across all schools. The role will also strengthen talent development and retention, using workforce insight to inform decision‑making and drive continuous improvement in workforce capability and resilience across the Trust.

Main responsibilities and duties - role specific

• Workforce Data, Analytics and Insight
  • Lead the development and maintenance of workforce reporting frameworks, dashboards and people metrics across the Trust.
  • Analyse workforce data to identify trends, risks and opportunities relating to recruitment, retention, absence, workforce supply and organisational performance.
  • Ensure workforce planning and talent strategies are informed by accurate, timely and meaningful workforce intelligence.
  • Produce regular people analytics reports to support strategic decision‑making by senior leaders and trustees.
  • Lead the development of predictive workforce planning approaches, using data to support organisational sustainability and future workforce requirements.
  • Maintain oversight of workforce data quality, working with schools and central teams to improve accuracy, consistency and reporting standards.
  • Oversee exit data analysis and workforce trend reporting to inform recruitment, retention and succession planning initiatives.
• Workforce planning and modelling
  • Lead Trust‑wide workforce planning, working with schools to review staffing structures and establishment models.
  • Develop workforce models aligned to pupil numbers, curriculum delivery and financial planning.
  • Take a lead role in organisational change processes, including restructures and TUPE transfers.
  • Direct consultation processes, ensuring a consistent, compliant and values‑led approach.
  • Identify workforce risks and gaps, proposing and implementing solutions.
  • Lead strategic workforce planning discussions with Headteachers and senior leaders.
• Recruitment strategy and delivery
  • Design and deliver a trust wide recruitment and attraction strategy across Anthem.
  • Oversee recruitment campaigns, advertising approaches and candidate pipelines.
  • Develop recruitment workflow processes.
  • Manage recruitment platforms, suppliers and agency relationships, including preferred supplier arrangements.
  • Develop and standardise trust wide recruitment processes and workflows and ensure consistency across schools.
• Talent pipelines and succession
  • Develop and lead the implementation of a trust wide talent strategy and oversee talent pipelines, including early career teachers, trainees, apprenticeships and career changers.
  • Lead succession planning for leadership and hard‑to‑fill roles.
  • Support development of internal progression pathways across teaching and professional services roles.
• Safer recruitment governance
  • Maintain oversight of safer recruitment standards and compliance across Anthem.
  • Ensure recruitment documentation, processes and vetting requirements are consistently applied.
  • Provide assurance on SCR governance and audit readiness.
• Retention strategy
  • Analyse turnover and retention data to identify trends and risks.
  • Lead the development and implementation of retention initiatives.
  • Oversee exit data and use insights to inform workforce planning and organisational decisions.

Main responsibilities and duties - all HR Managers

• HR advisory
  • Provide clear, timely and practical HR advice to Headteachers, senior leaders and managers across Anthem as needed, in complement to our outsourced provision.
  • Direct and guide leaders in managing people matters, ensuring decisions are consistent, well‑evidenced and aligned with employment law and Anthem policies.
  • Take ownership of complex workforce issues, providing clear recommendations and ensuring matters are progressed to resolution.
  • Work directly with schools and central teams to address workforce challenges, applying professional judgement and setting clear direction where required.
  • Build and maintain strong, professional relationships with stakeholders, ensuring confidence in the quality and consistency of HR leadership.
• Employee relations
  • Support with employee relations casework across Anthem, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence management and organisational change, as needed, in complement to our outsourced provision.
  • Act as employer representative in formal processes, ensuring a fair, consistent and legally compliant approach.
  • Work with legal advisors and trade unions where required, ensuring a coordinated and professional approach.
  • Drive improvements in management capability by setting clear expectations and reinforcing good practice in handling people matters.
• Policy, compliance and governance
  • Support the implementation and consistent application of HR policies and procedures across Anthem.
  • Contribute to the development and review of policies, ensuring they are clear, practical and aligned to organisational needs.
• Professional standards
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of employment law, HR practice and sector developments.
  • Operate with integrity, discretion and sound professional judgement at all times.
  • Promote and model Anthem’s vision and values in all interactions.
• Supporting the People Function
  • Work in close partnership with the Head of HR to deliver Anthem’s People Strategy and agreed priorities.
  • Lead on designated areas of the People function, ensuring alignment with the strategic direction set by the Head of HR.
  • Lead or contribute to Trust‑wide HR projects, ensuring consistent implementation across schools.
  • Escalate complex, high‑risk or precedent‑setting matters, providing clear analysis and recommendations to inform decision‑making.
  • Contribute to the development of strategy, policy and organisational approaches through insight from operational delivery.
  • Ensure consistent implementation of agreed approaches across schools, reinforcing standards set at Trust level.

Benefits

As part of Anthem Schools Trust, staff benefit from a supportive working environment and access to a range of employee benefits, including health and wellbeing support, professional development opportunities and financial benefits.

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff, visitors and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, suitable references and other essential checks. Staff involved in recruitment and selection are trained in safer recruitment, and all staff and volunteers undertake child protection training.