People Manager

Benefits: NOW! Pension scheme, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), 36 days’ holiday, with additional leave for length of service, life assurance, eye test vouchers, and training and development opportunities.

Hours: 36 hours per week, with flexible working options available.

Our client is a values-led charity supporting people experiencing mental health challenges. The organisation delivers a range of community-based services designed to promote wellbeing, independence, recovery and inclusion. Services include crisis support, advocacy, peer support, carers support, social activities, counselling, wellbeing programmes and partnership-led support across the local community.

They are now looking for a People Manager to play a key role in fostering a positive, collaborative culture for both staff and volunteers. This is a standalone role that will set and drive the people agenda, strengthening organisational effectiveness through trusted relationship management, a coaching approach with managers, and high-quality people operations.

You will be confident managing day-to-day HR responsibilities while also shaping broader strategic priorities. You will build strong, trusting relationships across the organisation, support managers through coaching and partnership, champion staff engagement, including forums and surveys, and help identify and deliver learning and development opportunities.

Whilst this role is largely a generalist HR/People role, your main duties will focus on:

• Leading and driving the people agenda as a standalone People Manager, ensuring priorities are identified, planned and delivered to support organisational effectiveness.
• Building strong, trusted relationships with staff, volunteers and managers, providing responsive, person-centred support and advice.
• Providing coaching and partnership to managers, supporting confident people management and effective decision-making.
• Managing day-to-day HR operations, including HR system administration and people data, ensuring high-quality service, accurate records and consistent processes.
• Providing clear, pragmatic guidance on UK employment law and employee relations, including taking the lead on complex cases and liaising with legal professionals and third parties where required.
• Promoting and supporting staff engagement activities, including working with and supporting the staff forum and coordinating staff surveys and follow-up actions.
• Working with managers to identify learning and development needs, source training and funding options, and help embed a learning culture across the organisation.
• Supporting recruitment by guiding hiring managers through fair, values-based processes, ensuring adherence to policies and procedures.
• Overseeing performance management processes that reflect the organisation’s values and culture and support high performance across teams.
• Ensuring policies and procedures are kept up to date and communicated effectively so that managers and staff understand expectations and changes.

Applications are encouraged from candidates with lived experience.

About You: CIPD Level 5 qualification, or working towards, with previous experience in an HR Advisor role. Solid understanding and knowledge of UK employment law is essential. Previous employee relations experience would be advantageous. Self-motivated and able to drive organisational change. Strong and proactive communicator with the ability to adapt your style and build rapport with colleagues and key stakeholders. Ability to produce high-quality correspondence and documentation with excellent attention to detail. First-rate IT skills, including Microsoft Office. Working knowledge of HRIS systems is preferable. Staffology is currently used. Excellent organisational skills, strong attention to detail and the ability to meet deadlines.

Location: Croydon, Surrey, with some hybrid working opportunities in line with the needs of the charity.