HR Director, Board of Trustees - Volunteer in Swindon

We are a community-led non-profit transforming the former Village Tavern into a vibrant inclusive hub. As HR Board Director, you’ll provide strategic oversight of people, culture, and governance - ensuring we attract, support, and retain the right team to deliver our 2026 vision.

The HR Board Director will play a vital role in ensuring The Hub @ Toothill CIC builds the right foundations to deliver its ambitious 2026 vision. Our success depends not only on financial sustainability, but on people — the staff, volunteers, and leaders who bring the mission to life. This role will help ensure we attract, support, and retain individuals who are aligned with our values of inclusion, participation, and community empowerment.

By providing strategic oversight of recruitment, workforce planning, and volunteer development, the HR Director will strengthen our ability to build a skilled, motivated, and diverse team that reflects the community we serve. In the early stages, as we operate with a lean staffing model supported by volunteers, the HR Director’s guidance will be particularly important. They will help the Board and CEO think carefully about workforce structure, role design, and capacity planning to ensure we are realistic, compliant, and sustainable.

The HR Director will also play a key role in shaping organisational culture. We want to model a culture of shared leadership, psychological safety, and active listening. Through policies, people strategies, and constructive challenge at Board level, this role will help embed fairness, transparency, and accountability into how we operate.

Importantly, the HR Director will support succession planning and leadership development as the organisation grows. By helping us think long term about talent pipelines, volunteer progression, and Board development, they will contribute to the Hub’s resilience and continuity for years to come.

The impact of this role extends far beyond internal processes. A well-supported and motivated team delivers better services, creates safer and more welcoming spaces, and builds stronger relationships with the community. By ensuring our people are valued and well-led, the HR Board Director will directly contribute to reducing isolation, increasing participation, and strengthening community pride in Toothill.

Ultimately, this role helps turn vision into reality — ensuring that the Hub is not only financially viable, but people-powered, values-led, and built to thrive for generations.

What are we looking for?

• Relevant Experience
  • Significant experience in HR, people management or organisational development
  • Experience of developing or advising on HR policies, procedures and workforce planning
  • Experience supporting staff and volunteer wellbeing, engagement or development
  • Experience of working in not-for-profit, voluntary, or community organisations (desirable)
  • Experience contributing to governance or strategic decision making
• Skills
  • Strong understanding of employment law, safeguarding frameworks and volunteer management
  • Ability to provide strategic advice and challenge at Board level
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to interpret complex people issues and present clear guidance
  • Analytical thinking and problem solving
• Attributes
  • Commitment to The Hub’s mission, values and community-led approach
  • Integrity, impartiality and sound judgment
  • Collaborative, inclusive and approachable
  • Positive representation of the organisation externally and internally
  • Willingness to commit time and energy to the Board role, including attending meetings and learning as required
• Additional
  • CIPD qualification or equivalent professional experience is highly desirable.
  • Highly motivated by the opportunity to create lasting social impact and support the revitalisation of local neighborhoods in Swindon.

What will you be doing?

The Hub @ Toothill CIC is a community-led, non-profit organisation established as the legacy of the Toothill Big Local partnership and the £1 million lottery grant awarded to its residents. Our purpose is to place the community at the heart of everything we do by transforming the former Village Tavern into a vibrant, inclusive family hub. By reclaiming this central landmark, we are creating a safe and accessible space where residents of all ages can connect through social gatherings, arts, culture, and wellbeing support.

Our mission is to work with the community, not just for it, co-creating services and opportunities that strengthen local resilience and pride. Guided by a "Ladder of Community Participation," we prioritise shared leadership and active listening to ensure our strategy reflects what matters most to Toothill. As we move toward our defined roadmap for 2026, we are seeking Board members with integrity and ambition to oversee this once-in-a-generation revitalisation project, ensuring that all surplus income continues to be reinvested into the neighbourhood for generations to come.

The HR Board Director plays a critical role in ensuring that The Hub attracts, supports, and retains the right people to deliver this mission. You will provide strategic oversight on all people matters, shape the organisation’s culture, and guide the Board in making informed decisions that protect and develop both staff and volunteers as we move toward our 2026 roadmap.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Guidance Provide high-level strategic guidance on all people matters, ensuring the Hub’s culture and practices reflect its core values of inclusivity, transparency, and community leadership.
• Legal & Compliance Oversight Ensure the organisation remains fully compliant with employment law, equality legislation, and health and safety requirements.
• Safeguarding Leadership Take lead responsibility for the Board’s oversight of safeguarding. You will ensure that safeguarding remains a standing priority on the Board agenda and that the organisation’s duty of care to youth and vulnerable adults is fully met and legally compliant.
• Policy Development Advise the Board on the creation and implementation of HR policies and procedures, including recruitment, induction, grievance, and disciplinary protocols.
• Workforce & Succession Planning Support long-term workforce planning and succession for both staff and volunteers to ensure the Hub maintains the right capacity and skills to be sustainable.
• Volunteer Journey Management Oversee the management of the volunteer lifecycle, from recruitment to retention, to support our community-led ethos and expand our pool of local talent.
• Wellbeing & Burnout Prevention Promote the wellbeing and engagement of staff and volunteers, proactively advising the Board on strategies to prevent burnout and maintain a positive environment.
• Strategic Decision-Making Contribute as a full voting member of the Board, using HR expertise to inform organisational strategy and ensure people considerations are embedded in all priorities.
• Critical Friendship Act as a critical friend to the Board, providing honest challenge and advice regarding organisational capacity, risk, and cultural health.