HR and Governance Manager
Orbis UK
12-month Fixed-Term Contract
Circa £42,000 per annum (day rates will also be considered)
Hybrid working with an expectation of around 2 days per week in the office (typically Tuesdays and Thursdays, although flexibility is available)
Full-time (flexible working will also be considered), starting ASAP
Charity People is delighted to be partnering with Orbis UK to recruit for their HR and Governance Manager.
This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced HR professional to join Orbis UK on a 12-month fixed-term contract, helping the organisation strengthen and embed excellent people practices while delivering key HR priorities.
This role is critical to supporting a highly performing group of staff and trustees as they seek to transform lives through the prevention and treatment of blindness. The role sits within the Business Support Team, which is responsible for the day to day running of the organisation and will be crucial in co-creating a revised HR strategy and ensuring that the organisation's compliance with key statutory and regulatory requirements are maintained, working with the Senior Management Team (SMT). The successful postholder will work collaboratively with the Director of Finance and Operations to meet these objectives, but also will have a central role in identifying opportunities for growth within the HR and Governance function to ensure that good practice, wellbeing and compliance work hand in hand with one another and is embedded within the ethos of the organisation for the benefit of its staff and, ultimately, the communities Orbis supports.
The Opportunity
Over the next twelve months, success in this role will mean:
- Completing and progressing key HR priorities across the organisation
- Reviewing, updating and embedding the HR handbook
- Supporting and advising the SMT to develop and deliver a strong HR strategy embedding best practice while continuing to build a positive, inclusive and high performing culture strongly aligned with Orbis' values.
- Support the Director of Finance and Operations to provide high-quality, responsive and effective support to the Orbis Board and its sub-committees.
- Supporting the continued development of an effective in-house HR function
- Provide a responsive problem solving and supportive HR service to colleagues across the organisation.
- Overseeing governance administration where required
- Line manage and work with the Business Support Administrator
- Working in close partnership with the Director of Finance and Operations to deliver both strategic and operational HR priorities
About You
We're looking for someone who can hit the ground running from day one. You'll be a knowledgeable and hands-on HR professional who combines strategic thinking with the ability to deliver operationally. You'll be comfortable managing multiple priorities and bringing structure, pace and confidence to a busy environment.
You'll have:
- Significant experience supporting and developing a HR strategy
- Good knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice
- Experience leading organisational people projects and delivering tangible outcomes
- Experience supporting organisational culture and employee engagement initiatives
- Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building skills
- A pragmatic, solutions-focused approach
- Experience managing or mentoring team members
Desirable
- Undertaking (or qualified) CIPD Level 5 qualification (or equivalent experience)
- Experience at an Executive Assistant level for governance matters
- Knowledge of the NGO sector. We are open to applications from across disciplines and expertise if you can demonstrate your aptitude for the role with a hunger to learn, or for someone who is keen to translate their HR experience into this broad and interesting role.
Interview Process
Interviews will be informal, conversational and focused on understanding your HR experience and approach. Interviews are expected to last approximately 30-45 minutes and, where possible, will be conducted in person.
Please note: We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis and encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible. Due to the urgent nature of this appointment, we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is identified.
Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.
This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for ensuring Battersea’s estate, infrastructure and facilities services are safe, compliant, resilient and fit for purpose, enabling the charity to deliver its mission. As Head of Estates and Facilities, you will lead operations across multiple sites, oversee asset management, maintenance, security, statutory compliance, capital projects and facilities services, while driving the delivery of our estates strategy and long-term property plans.
As an experienced facilities management leader, you will provide visible, site-based leadership, working closely with Centre Managers and senior stakeholders to ensure our estate is operationally effective, financially sustainable and capable of supporting both current needs and future ambitions. You will lead high-performing teams, manage significant operational and capital budgets, oversee refurbishment and infrastructure projects, and ensure the highest standards of safety, compliance, service quality and value for money across all estates and facilities functions.
What we can offer you:
In return for your commitment to our cause and to recognise the value of our employees, Battersea offers a range of benefits to support the wellbeing of our employees. These include:
- 28 days of annual leave (plus 8 days paid public holidays) per year.
- Discounted gym memberships and cycle to work schemes.
- Employee Assistance Programme and access to Wellbeing Resources.
- Generous pension contributions - up to 10% employer contribution.
- Free healthcare cash plan, where you can claim for a range of treatment including dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropody and acupuncture every year.
- Annual interest-free season ticket loans.
We are also committed to providing learning and development to our employees. During your time with us, we provide support for your professional and career development, including access to digital and in-person training programmes, leadership and management training, mentoring and much more.
Diversity and inclusion:
We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for all staff, volunteers and trustees and those hoping to join us. We operate an anonymised shortlisting process and actively seek to ensure our process is fair and equitable for all.
We understand the value of diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences to help us deliver even more for our dogs and cats, and we welcome applicants from all sections of the community.
As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we will ask about any adjustments you may need at application and/or interview stage, and if you are offered a role with us, we’ll talk to you about any workplace adjustments you may need to help you perform at your best. Greyscale copies of the recruitment pack are also available on request.
More about us:
At Battersea, we aim to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. We give each one lots of love, expert care and get to know their characters and quirks so we can find them a new home that’s just right for them. Join us and help us be here for every dog and cat, wherever they are, for as long as they need us.
Acceptable use of AI:
At Battersea, we value expertise. We recognise each candidate that applies to us will have a range of expertise they can offer us, so we want to hear about this in your own words. We understand the support that generative artificial intelligence (AI) software can offer but it can also lead to numerous applications presenting as generic and impersonal. This makes it difficult to gain understanding of your unique experience.
To best showcase yourself, we encourage you to write your responses without the assistance of AI. If you require the use of AI software to aid in completing your application, we ask you use the generative responses as a prompt for writing your answers and avoid copying and pasting. You must also ensure the information presented in your application accurately reflects your experience.
Closing date: 19th August 2026
All applications must be submitted before the closing date advertised. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.
Interview date(s): First Round Interviews (Online) and Second Round Interviews (In Person) - Dates to be confirmed.
For more information about the role, please download our Recruitment pack.
Battersea is here for every dog and cat, and has been since 1860. We believe that every dog and cat deserves the best.



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