HR and Governance Manager

Orbis UK is delighted to offer the role of HR and Governance Manager, a new position for the charity, as the organisation seeks to grow and build on past successes to reach its target of achieving £10m income in the next 5 years.

This role is critical to supporting a highly performing group of staff and trustees as we seek to transform lives through the prevention and treatment of blindness. This role will sit within the Business Support Team, which is responsible for the day to day running of the organisation and will be crucial in creating a revised HR strategy and ensuring that the organisation’s compliance with key statutory and regulatory requirements are maintained at all times. 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, our beneficiaries.  

In addition, the successful postholder will work with the Board of Trustees to provide Executive Assistant level support to enable the Board to meet its obligations and to ensure that they can conduct the business of the charity in the most efficient and effective manner. You will be privy to sensitive and confidential information, attending meetings in order to take summary minutes and provide clerking services, including the issuing of papers, monitoring Companies House and Charity Commission requirements and acting as counsel to the Senior Management Team and the Board, where appropriate.

You will line manage and work with the Business Support Administrator, also a new post, that will provide support to you and the wider staff team. The recruitment of both these posts simultaneously provides a unique opportunity to a new postholder to shape this role and set out the strategy for this directorate and take ownership of demonstrable change within the organisation.

We are looking for someone who has a Level 5 CIPD or equivalent qualification with demonstrable experience in supporting and developing a HR strategy and/or working at an EA level working with senior executives across different sectors. Knowledge of the NGO sector is desirable, but 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.

The main responsibilities of this role include:

- To line manage and work with the Business Support Administrator and to provide a responsive problem solving and supportive HR service to managers across the organisation.

- To support and advise the Senior Leadership Team 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’s values.

- To support the Director of Finance and Operations (DFO) to provide high-quality, responsive and effective support to the Orbis Board and its sub-committees.

- To deliver a HR strategy and solutions in high performing teams, and balance compliance with taking a progressive attitude towards embracing the opportunities and challenges of embedding values-led principles within an organisation.

Benefits of working for Orbis UK

Before completion of probation:

• Competitive Salary benchmarked annually
• Minimum 25 days holiday pro-rated increasing with length of service
• Life Assurance Policy (4 x salary)
• Employee Assistance Programme
• E-learning Courses
• Social Activities
• Flextime
• Free Sight test

After completion of probation:

• Matched employer pension contribution up to a maximum of 10% of basic salary
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Contribution to cost of new prescription glasses      
• Possibility of an overseas project visit after 3 years’ service

 Application and interviews

Closing Date: 28th April 2026

First Interviews: 1st or 5th May 2026

Second Interviews: 11th or 12th May 2026

Start Date: ASAP

All applicants must have the legal right to live and work in the UK. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to reply to all applications, so if you haven’t heard from us by 30th April 2026, your application has not been successful.

Safeguarding

Orbis UK is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and criminal records checks. Orbis UK is also a member of the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme