Employee relations advisor jobs in london, greater london
IIED Director of People
Hybrid (within the UK) with regular travel to the London or Edinburgh office
About Us
The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) is a not-for-profit policy research and influence organisation, and a globally recognised force for social and environmental justice. Our mission is to build a fairer, more sustainable world, using evidence, action and influence in partnership with others. We work with an unparalleled global network to reshape policies, funding mechanisms and governance at all levels. For more than 50 years, IIED has acted alongside marginalised communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America to bring lived experience, expertise and evidence from those regions to global attention. Our people are central to this purpose, and we currently have almost 200 people across more than 16 countries, with office bases in London and Edinburgh.
As IIED navigates challenges common across the sector, the Director of People will play a pivotal role in delivering and embedding our new organisational model as well as a programme of work designed to enhance efficiency and achieve essential savings.
Shaping and leading an ambitious, people focused agenda that champions justice, equity, anti-racism, inclusion, and wellbeing, you will deliver meaningful impact across our globally connected organisation.
This is a full time (35 hours per week), permanent role, with flexibility to support work life balance. It’s an unmissable opportunity for a senior people-centred leader with a strong track record in inclusive, values–led strategy to join our mission driven organisation.
The Role
As a key member of IIED’s Strategy and Leadership Council (SLC), the Director of People will play a critical role in driving organisational transformation, embedding our values and supporting a collaborative, high performing culture across our globally distributed team. Working in partnership with leaders and teams across the Institute, the role will lead a team of dedicated Human Resources and Organisational Development professionals supporting the organisation to make progress against our ambitious strategy - Manifesto for a Thriving World.
This senior leadership position combines strategic vision with HR operational excellence. You will lead the development of people-centred strategies, workforce planning and change management initiatives that drive organisational performance and promote inclusion and wellbeing.
Other responsibilities include
-Providing strategic leadership across all areas of people and culture, aligned with IIED’s values and Manifesto
-Being a trusted advisor on all people matters
-Delivering KPIs related to people, culture, equity and wellbeing using evidence and analytics to drive continuous improvement
-Ensuring legal compliance and excellence across all People operations, including recruitment, employee relations, and reward management
-Working in partnership with the union on strategic organisational change and development
About You
To be considered as our Director of People, you will need:
-Demonstrable senior level HR leadership experience with outstanding leadership, coaching and relationship building capabilities
-A strong track record of delivering inclusive and values-led HR practices
-Proven experience leading and embedding wellbeing and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
-Experience supporting and embedding cultural and behavioural change within complex, ideally international, organisations
-In depth knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practices, ideally combined with knowledge of international legislative frameworks
-Successful experience of translating strategy into practice, led by people-centred design and grounded in the experience of diverse stakeholders
-A sound understanding of HR Information Systems and the use of people data/analytics
The Benefits
-Salary of £78,715-£91,102 per annum
-25 days' annual leave per year plus bank holidays and additional leave over Christmas
-7.5% employer pension contributions
-Flexible hybrid working options
-Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption pay
-Cycle-to-work scheme
-Employee protection scheme (life, critical illness, income protection)
Please note you are likely to be working from home most of the time. As such, you will need a suitable place to work and a reliable, fast internet connection.
Interview Process – Key Dates
Applicants are advised that the selection process for this role is expected to follow the timeline below:
-Initial discussion with the Executive Director: 21 July 2025
-First formal interviews: between 23 and 30 July 2025
-Informal meeting with the People Team: 31 July 2025
-Final stage interviews: 7 August 2025
(All interviews will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. Please let us know if you are unavailable for any of these dates)
Closing date for applications 13th July 2025.
This role is subject to a Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, in line with our safeguarding and safer recruitment commitments. A criminal record will not automatically bar you from employment; any disclosed information will be considered fairly and confidentially, in accordance with our recruitment procedures and the nature of the role.
IIED is a Global organisation that serves the Global Majority. We are committed to equity of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in IIED’s workforce including members of minority groups and those with lived experience of the work we do. Even if you don't satisfy all the criteria, we still encourage you to apply, as we will offer training and development to upskill the right candidate for the role.
If you're ready to lead meaningful people-focused change in a dynamic, complex environment and take the next step in your career as our Director of People, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now!
Registered Charity 
101 - 500
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
An exciting opportunity to be involved in the development of a growing adult literacy charity as it expands across Central England
One in 20 adults in the UK has never learnt to read at all. This can have a serious impact on their confidence and wellbeing, limiting access to training, employment, and everyday opportunities that many take for granted. Being unable to read as an adult can be isolating and dangerous, reinforces social inequality, restricts economic growth, and worsens intergenerational disadvantage - but it is never too late to learn.
Read Easy helps adults transform their lives by learning to read. It does this by supporting its growing network of locally run, volunteer-led affiliated groups that offer free, confidential, one-to-one reading coaching—both in person and online to adults - aged from 18-88.
With its free, flexible, confidential approach, Read Easy encourages people who are too embarrassed to join a class to come forward for one-to-one support. Each new reader is provided with their own personal Reading Coach, so that they can learn in private and at their own pace. Learning to read transforms their lives in many other ways as well, including enabling them to support their children’s and grandchildren’s reading, and so transfers the benefits to the next generation.
There are currently 80 affiliated Read Easy groups across England, together involving more than a thousand volunteers. Read Easy UK is the registered charity and umbrella organisation which supports this network of affiliated volunteer groups and provides the structure, training and support to enable volunteers to establish groups in new areas.
As our Central Regional Adviser, your role would be to provide strategic leadership, guidance, and oversight to ensure that all volunteer groups consistently deliver high-quality services aligned with Read Easy UK’s strategy.
You will support local volunteer leaders to strengthen group performance, and foster collaboration across affiliated groups, so that that they deliver coaching to Readers with consistent quality, and a positive and worthwhile experience is had by all.
You will also find volunteers to ‘pioneer’ three new groups in the counties where there is no Read Easy presence in the East and West Midlands and East of England and provide them and our 29 existing groups and pioneers in the region, with high-quality support. Your quality support will ensure that they provide the same for their volunteers and new Readers. From meeting (mostly online) with Team Leaders to provide one to one support, and hosting online and annual in-person volunteer forums, to delivering presentations and occaisonal training for small groups of volunteers, this is a dynamic and rewarding role.
This is a home-based post requiring flexibility, some early evening working and occaisional travel to visit groups. The role is available on either a full or part time basis (min 32 hours p/w, 85% of 37.5 hours p/w FTE).
The successful candidate will be expected to:
- Live within one of the following areas: West Midlands (Defined as the 7 metropolitan boroughs of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton), Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire or Rutland;
- have been employed to work with volunteers for at least two years;
- have strong people management and interpersonal skills; excellent communication skills; and the confidence to run meetings and deliver presentations.
Salary & Benefits
- Annual Salary £25,075 (85% FTE) -£29,500 (100% FTE)
- 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and Christmas closing and 2 days volunteering leave – pro-rata for part time roles
- Company sick pay to financially support you when you are unwell (above statutory upon completion of probationary period)
- Support when extending your family – company parental and adoption pay (above statutory after 12 months service)
- Access to RewardHub – which gives retail discounts and has a ‘Wellbeing Centre’ with tools, tips, recipes, workout videos and guides which will help you to reach your own wellbeing goals
- Training and Development opportunities and resources – we are developing personal plans in this area to enhance employee experience and opportunity
- A collaborative, creative and inspiring working environment full of committed and passionate employees and inspirational volunteers
We strive to ensure our recruitment practices are fair, open, easy to access and as inclusive as possible. We aim to recruit a team which broadly reflect the local communities which we serve; to work with and learn from each other to continually improve the service we deliver to our Readers. Our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Group is actively promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion, ensuring a culture where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We welcome you to apply and be your authentic self.
When applying for a job with us, if an applicant has a disability covered by the definition outlined within the Equality Act 2010 and can show that they meet the ‘essential criteria’ described in the person specification for the role being applied for, they are guaranteed an interview for the job for which they are applying through our Disability Confident scheme.
If you need any support with your application, please contact us,
The closing date for this post is 10:00 Tuesday 15th July 2025. Should you be shortlisted, the first round of interviews will take place online on Wednesday 23rd July, with in-person interviews, being held in Gloucestershire or West Midlands, on Tuesday 29th July 2025.
The successful candidate will be invited to meet the team on 31st July in Birmingham, should they be able to do so.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
WORKING WITH US
The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.
We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.
As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.
Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.
To discover more about our culture, ethos and what it is like to work here, visit the page.
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ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY
We are seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking Capital Project Manager to play a pivotal role in the transformation and development of our school estate. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dedicated estates team and drive the delivery of our ambitious three-year strategic priorities, ensuring exceptional service and outcomes for our schools.
Reporting to the Head of Estates and Projects, you will lead the planning, procurement, and execution of capital developments across our estate. Your portfolio will include the delivery of new school buildings, sustainability initiatives, and projects that enhance operational efficiency and environmental performance.
This role offers the chance to make a tangible difference: creating inspiring, future-ready learning environments that support the success of students and staff alike.
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MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Your responsibilities will include
- Project management of the priority, delivery, and budgets of the School Condition Allocation (SCA) projects from inception to end of defects.
- Project management and supporting the management of the condition and maintenance of the school estate, including the asset management processes
- Project management of the capital elements of academy conversion projects
- Planning, implementation, procurement, and delivery of a high-quality service in relation to all estate and projects work
- Managing and monitoring external technical advisors, and third party suppliers and consultants employed directly by Harris Federation
- Managing H&health and safety through the lifecycle of all projects
- Managing the consultations, admissions, branding, marketing, FF&E and uniform of all new schools
- Providing professional services to the individual schools and ensuring the Federation complies with relevant property legislation, regulations and guidance
- Assisting with the development of policies and procedures concerning the Harris Federation estate
- Assisting with the framework for all estates related statutory elements, including oversight of the implementation and reporting of audits
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We would welcome your application if you have:
- Qualifications to degree level, or equivalent experience in a project management environment
- Evidence of continued professional development
- Project management experience within Education, Not for Profit or Public Sector industries/organisations
- Experience of coordinating projects in complex and challenging environments
- Demonstrable successful delivery of project outputs to required time, quality and cost
- The ability to interpret and present complex information to inform robust recommendations for evidence-based practice and decision-making
- Proven and well-developed interpersonal skills, including excellent written and spoken communication
- Good administrative, finance and organisational skills
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 applications including strong Excel skills
For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.
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APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION
If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation.
Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date.
When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application.
A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.
OUR VISION & VALUES
Our vision, from the start, has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts, and to free-up our teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of all their pupils. Our young people and communities are at the heart of everything we do. Our core mission has always been to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. Our ambition is one where every child in London, no matter their background, has equal access to high quality education, giving them the same opportunities and potential to succeed.
We know there are many challenges facing our young people and the communities we serve, and that’s why we need determined people like you to help us tackle those inequalities. Whilst each of our academies has their own unique cultures and values; as a whole Federation, we have four core values which are central to successfully achieving our vision: Excellence, Collaboration, Support, and Innovation. We are proud of our values because they guide us in how we work allowing us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young people, communities, and colleagues.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Safeguarding Notice
The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.
Equal Opportunities
The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.
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WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
Harris has a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.
You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including:
- Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression
- Annual performance and loyalty bonus
- Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution
- 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts
- Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare
- Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
- Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
- Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts
- 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees
- Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans
For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.
Thank you!
BACKGROUND
Ashiana is a ‘by and for’ women's led BME VAWG service with 30 years’ experience in delivering a holistic range of specialist services to South Asian, Turkish and Middle Eastern women affected by VAWG.
OUR SERVICES
Ashiana runs three refuges with a total of 29 bedspaces; specifically for women aged 16-35 fleeing forced marriage. This multi award winning project is the only service of its kind in the UK and is highly innovative in terms of addressing an area of significant need not met in other refuge provision. Within these refuges we designate a number of bedspaces for women with no recourse to public funds. We offer an advice and support service to women and girls who are experiencing VAWG, enabling them to make informed decisions and exit violent relationships. We provide a legal service supporting women with no recourse to public funds to help resolve their immigration status.
Counselling is offered for women and girls affected by VAWG. The counselling service works from an integrative stance, with the focus of providing a holistic service whereby we also work alongside other services and provide specialist domestic violence group work. The emphasis of therapeutic work with our clients is from a trauma informed model.
We also deliver an education programme for young people in secondary schools in East London aimed at preventing domestic violence and enabling young people experiencing domestic violence to access appropriate services. The prevention service includes delivering a whole school approach in schools to young people as well as group work to women and girls across North East London boroughs as well as community engagement activities and delivery. We deliver a range of awareness raising workshops for young people in the community and training on domestic violence for professionals in the voluntary and statutory sector.
PRIMARY TASK
The post is instrumental in overseeing the delivery of a comprehensive package of services and care for women in our refuges. To provide a safe environment and a service that is appropriate to the needs of young BME women particularly those from South Asian, Turkish and Middle Eastern communities and to support ex-clients following resettlement.
The post holder will have a caseload of clients and be responsible for providing advice, advocacy, casework and support to women and girls, advocating on behalf of these women and making others aware of their particular needs. The post-holder is required to demonstrate sensitivity and an awareness of the culture and needs of minoritised communities in all aspects of their duties and responsibilities.
Please see the attached the full job description
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.