HR Policy Director in City of London

UK Sport is based in Loughborough, London, and Manchester, with regular remote working. We are the UK’s trusted high-performance experts, powering our greatest athletes, teams, sports, and events to achieve positive success. Investing a combination of National Lottery and Government funds, we support our Olympic and Paralympic sports to realise their world-leading potential and help bring major sporting events to the UK. Our purpose is to lead high-performance sport to enable extraordinary moments that enrich lives.

We are on a mission to create the greatest decade of extraordinary sporting moments; reaching, inspiring, and uniting the nation. That mission is underpinned by three ambitions for UK high-performance sport: to keep winning and win well, to grow a thriving sporting system, and to harness those to inspire positive change. Working with the sports and events we fund, DCMS, and our partner organisations across the UK high-performance system, we are building on 25 years of ever-growing success to write the UK’s next chapter for Olympic and Paralympic sport.

As HR Manager, you will play a pivotal role in shaping a positive, inclusive, and high-performing employee experience across UK Sport. Acting as a trusted partner to staff and People Managers, you will provide expert advice, constructive challenge, and practical support across the full employee lifecycle, empowering managers to discharge their people management responsibilities effectively.

The HR Manager (People and Development) leads UK Sport's people-facing HR activity and has responsibility for:

• Employee relations
• Recruitment
• Onboarding and offboarding
• Learning and development
• Employee engagement
• Internal communications
• Wellbeing and welfare initiatives
• Succession planning
• Talent development
• EDI activity

Working closely with Recruitment Advisory Services and Learning and Development colleagues, the postholder ensures people initiatives are aligned with organisational priorities, workforce needs, and UK Sport's commitment to inclusion. Through confident leadership, thoughtful coaching, and strong operational oversight, the role helps strengthen management capability, support organisational effectiveness, and enable people to do their best work.

The HR Manager also leads and develops the HR and Employee Engagement Officer, providing direction, coaching, and oversight to ensure high-quality HR and employee engagement services are delivered consistently across UK Sport. You’ll work closely with colleagues across UK Sport at all levels, as well as external partners and stakeholders, building trusted relationships that support effective decision-making across the organisation.

This role supports our hybrid working approach, with regular office attendance required in line with team and organisational expectations. You’re a confident and trusted HR professional who builds strong relationships and provides clear, practical advice to managers and colleagues. You’re comfortable supporting complex people matters, balancing empathy with sound judgement, discretion, and a focus on organisational needs.

You enjoy working across the employee lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding to engagement, wellbeing, development, and retention, helping to create a positive and inclusive employee experience. You’re proactive, collaborative, and committed to continuous improvement, with the ability to lead others, influence stakeholders, and help people do their best work.

Experience delivering operational HR advice and support, including complex people matters:

• Ability to support, advise, and influence managers and stakeholders effectively
• Experience working with recruitment and learning and development specialists
• Excellent organisational, prioritisation, and time management skills
• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills

It’s a bonus if you also have:

• Experience supporting employee wellbeing, welfare, or organisational health initiatives
• Experience delivering or supporting employee engagement activity
• Commitment to continuous professional development
• Interest in supporting team learning, improvement, and growth

UK Sport also offers a competitive benefit package that includes:

• Flexible Pension scheme
• Employer pension contribution of 10%
• 6 weeks Annual Leave
• A flexible approach to working in a way that suits you
• Interest-free season ticket loans
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity/Parental Leave
• Healthy Lifestyle allowance of up to £600 per year
• Cycle to Work Scheme

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace culture where difference is embraced, and exceptional talents can flourish. We strongly encourage applicants from all backgrounds and walks of life, and we’re interested to hear from people that may require flexible working patterns or may want to work less than a full-time contract.

As we strive to ensure our workforce is more reflective of UK society, we particularly welcome applications from people with ethnically diverse backgrounds or with a disability or long-term health condition as these groups are currently underrepresented at UK Sport.

If you have a disability, please contact us to discuss any adjustments you may need at interview or in the role, if successful. At UK Sport, we are determined to lead by example, striving to be a role model organisation in all we do in equality, diversity, and inclusion, from leadership to delivery.