People Manager in Guildford

The Brain Tumour Charity is leading the way in research, support, and advocacy for everyone affected by brain tumours. Our mission is to accelerate a cure for brain tumours and improve life for everyone affected by this devastating disease. Our people and volunteers are at the heart of our mission. This role is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced, people-focused manager to shape and deliver both our employee and volunteer experience.

You will lead on the design and delivery of our people processes, recruitment, and engagement initiatives, while also driving forward our volunteer strategy and ensuring a positive, consistent experience for our 400+ volunteers. Working closely with team members across The Charity, you will bring expertise, energy and creativity to support, engage and inspire people to give their best – whether they are employed by the charity or volunteering their time and skills.

Location: While contracted to our office in Fleet, Hampshire, our team supports a blend of office and home working provided you have adequate broadband and IT capability, with 2 days in the office each week. Working hours: 37.5 hours per week. Benchmarked salary: around £48,000 (dependent on level).

This is a truly generalist HR role where we are seeking a CIPD qualified HR professional and purpose-driven manager who will bring energy, empathy, and expertise to our employee and volunteer experience. You’ll be equally confident in advising managers and leaders on people matters as delivering operational processes, from recruitment and onboarding to pay and contracts. You will be able to navigate processes with confidence, ensuring our people feel supported, valued, and equipped to perform at their best.

You will have experience of creating a positive, engaging and inclusive experience for everyone who chooses to give their time and skills to The Charity, both as an employee and a volunteer. Whilst we recognise candidates won’t necessarily have experience of managing a volunteer workforce, a passion for volunteering or volunteering experience is desirable. You’ll be curious, digitally minded and comfortable using insight and feedback to drive improvements. But above all, you’ll be motivated by our vision to find a cure for brain tumours and will be inspired by how incredible people and volunteering practices can play a part in making this happen.

• Managing people operations and advisory support: support managers with employee relations advice and guidance (informal and formal people processes), acting as a trusted expert on all people policy and process matters.
• Oversee the employee lifecycle from recruitment through to leaving The Charity, ensuring inclusive, legally compliant and engaging processes throughout each stage.
• Work with the People and Culture Officer to design recruitment campaigns and talent attraction that contribute to building a diverse talent pipeline.
• Manage onboarding and induction processes to ensure a positive first 100 days at The Charity.
• Oversee the communication and administration of policies, contracts, payroll changes, and compliance checks (Right to Work, DBS, references).
• Partner with People & Culture team members to plan and deliver initiatives relating to wellbeing, performance, reward and recognition, and EDI.
• Maintain accurate records on PeopleHR (our HR database) and Team Tailor (our Applicant Tracking System), ensuring compliance with employment law and GDPR.

• Lead the operational plan with respect to volunteering, ensuring volunteering supports departmental priorities and acting as the central point of contact for volunteering operations.
• Oversee the recruitment, induction and training of volunteers, developing digital and in-person learning resources, and promoting volunteering opportunities internally and externally.
• Support the Head of People and Culture to develop recognition initiatives to ensure volunteers feel valued and connected (e.g., Volunteers Week, Trustees Week).
• Support Volunteer Coordinators across teams with advice, training and problem-solving to ensure a consistently excellent volunteer experience.
• Ensure volunteering activity is safe and aligned with safeguarding, risk and data protection standards through up-to-date policies and procedures.
• Manage the volunteer management system (Volunteero) and use data and feedback to evaluate and improve the volunteer experience.

• Build strong collaborative relationships across The Charity to maximise the contribution of both employees and volunteers.
• Champion our values of being bold, collaborative, innovative, and community first in all people and volunteer initiatives.
• Stay abreast of external best practice in HR and volunteering to ensure approaches are inclusive and effective.
• Provide line management support to People and Culture team members where relevant, ensuring clarity of expectations and activities, and supporting their development and wellbeing.

We encourage you to apply to the role even if you do not meet all of the criteria.

• CIPD Level 5 or equivalent qualification or experience.
• Experience of managing a small team, ideally within a charity or not-for-profit or values-led environment.
• Experience of advising managers and leaders on employee relations issues, and in advising on and/or leading formal investigations and other formal people processes.
• Experience of managing or developing volunteering programmes or experience of working as a volunteer.
• Experience of supporting organisational change and resourcing plans.
• Experience of building relationships and influencing across diverse stakeholder groups, including senior leaders and external partners.
• Experience of reviewing people policies and procedures to seek continuous improvement.
• Experience of managing people-related suppliers, including HRIS suppliers, and suppliers of reward and well-being products and services.

• Strong understanding of HR best practice and employment law, and the ability to translate this into clear and compliant advice in your role as a business partner.
• Understanding of volunteering procedures, risks, and safeguarding considerations, and the ability to translate this into clear and compliant advice.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage and inspire a wide range of audiences.
• Confident using HR and/or volunteer management systems, MS Office, and collaboration tools.
• Analytical and data-driven, with the ability to evaluate and report on impact.
• Organised and adaptable, able to balance strategic priorities with hands-on delivery.
• Empathetic, approachable, and collaborative, with a high level of emotional intelligence.
• Aligned to The Brain Tumour Charity’s values, with a passion for engaging and supporting people to make a difference.

Coordinate and support volunteers within your team, managing volunteer tasks and day-to-day communication, providing training, support and guidance, and fostering strong relationships to ensure a positive volunteer experience.

Please note that the responsibilities listed are not exhaustive and this job description may be subject to change as the role evolves over time. You’ll be joining a collaborative, bold and innovative team of individuals who put our community first and are connected by a passion to make a real difference.

The Brain Tumour Charity is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our organisation. We particularly welcome applications from individuals belonging to minority ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented communities. We strive to create a workplace that celebrates diversity and provides equal opportunities for all candidates and we encourage all individuals to apply even if they don’t meet all the criteria.

We’re unable to offer visa sponsorship for any of our positions; we are seeking candidates who are already authorised to work in the UK without sponsorship and can remain on a permanent basis. Please apply by clicking the join our team button, attaching your CV and a covering letter explaining why you want the role, what you would bring to the team and how your skillset and experience will enable us to make a real impact for those affected by brain tumours. We encourage you not to use AI to write your cover letter as we want to get to know you, the real you.

We are keen to ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive, so if you’d find it beneficial to submit your application in a different format, please email us at (contact address).

Advert close date: 18 February 2026

First interview date and location: 24 February 2026 over Teams

Second interview date and location: 2 March 2026 at our office in Fleet

The post holder will also:

• Contribute to achieving the objectives of The Brain Tumour Charity
• Live and breathe our values by being bold, collaborative and innovative, with a community-first approach to everything you do
• Undertake any additional and ad hoc tasks as required
• Participate in team meetings and other meetings as required
• Monitor and evaluate activities and provide written reports
• Represent The Charity at external events in a professional manner
• Work within an equal opportunities framework
• Adhere to all The Charity’s policies, procedures and working practices
• Ensure all records are held in compliance with GDPR, The Fundraising Regulator Code of Practice and The Brain Tumour Charity policies.

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