Executive Director of People & Culture in Rotherham

An opportunity to shape the people strategy of a major Further Education Group.

RNN Group is looking for an ambitious and experienced Executive Director of People & Culture to lead its people agenda across a diverse, multi-campus organisation employing approximately 800-1,000 staff and operating with a £51m annual turnover .

Reporting directly to the Principal & CEO , this is a genuinely strategic executive role with the opportunity to influence organisational culture, workforce strategy and long-term performance across four campus hubs.

This is more than an HR leadership role.

You will take ownership of a broad People & Culture portfolio spanning HR, Payroll, Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, Health & Wellbeing and organisational culture , working closely with the CEO, Executive Leadership Team and Board.

You will be expected to bring a clear strategic vision while remaining close enough to the operation to make things happen.

Your priorities will include:

• Developing and delivering a Group-wide People Strategy aligned to RNN's wider strategic and financial objectives.
• Advising the CEO, ELT and Board on workforce strategy, organisational design, reward, employee relations and workforce risk.
• Leading and developing a high-performing People & Culture function , moving HR towards a proactive, commercially aware strategic partner.
• Strengthening recruitment and retention , particularly across hard-to-fill vocational and technical areas including Engineering, Construction and Digital.
• Building employee engagement and organisational culture , creating an environment where staff can perform, develop and thrive.
• Leading complex employee and industrial relations , working constructively with recognised trade unions.
• Modernising HR technology and workforce analytics , using data to improve decision-making and the employee experience.
• Overseeing payroll, reward and pensions , ensuring strong governance, compliance and effective financial management.
• Championing Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging , health, wellbeing and leadership development across the Group.

What we’re looking for

You’ll be an established senior HR leader with experience operating at Director or Head of HR level within Further Education, Higher Education, the public sector or another complex, multi-site organisation.

You’ll bring:

• Strong strategic HR and organisational leadership experience.
• Experience working directly with CEOs, Executive Teams and Boards .
• A proven track record of delivering cultural and organisational change .
• Strong experience of employee relations and trade union engagement .
• An understanding of payroll, reward and statutory pension arrangements, ideally within an FE/public sector environment.
• Experience of HRIS transformation and workforce analytics .
• The credibility, emotional intelligence and influencing skills to operate effectively at executive level.
• A genuine commitment to creating an inclusive, high-performing culture where people are at the centre of organisational success.

Why RNN Group?

This is an opportunity to join an organisation with a clear ambition to lead innovation and skills in its communities and to play a central role in shaping how its people strategy supports educational and organisational success.

You’ll have the scope, visibility and executive-level influence to make a tangible difference across a workforce of up to 1,000 people and four campus hubs.

Holiday: 35 days + bank holidays

Qualifications:

• Level 2 Literacy and Numeracy (or equivalent, e.g. GCSE Grade C/4 or above).
• Formal qualification or proven expertise in employment law or executive change management.
• Chartered CIPD Fellow (Level 7) or equivalent postgraduate qualification in HR, Business Management or Leadership

If you're an experienced people leader looking for a role where you can shape strategy, influence culture and make a genuine organisational impact , we'd be keen to hear from you.

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