Head of HR

**Job Scope** The Royal Society is a self\-governing Fellowship of distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine. The Society's fundamental purpose is to recognise, promote and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity. The Society has played a part in some of the most fundamental, significant and life\-changing discoveries in scientific history and Royal Society scientists continue to make outstanding contributions to science across the wide breadth of research areas. The Head of HR is a newly created role to join an established HR function of 8 staff within the Society and will report into the HR Director. As the organisation has grown significantly, the Head of HR will now help to drive forward a high performing culture and support the Society's plans to remain an inclusive and exciting workplace. The Head of HR will be responsible for the effective delivery of operational activities, oversee the provision of business partnering and expert advisory services and a full generalist HR brief. Supporting the HR Director, the post holder will be responsible for the provision of strategic, innovative and flexible HR solutions. They will oversee a variety of HR projects and promote and implement EDI initiatives to ensure that the Society is and continues to strive to be, an inclusive workplace, in all domains. They will model and develop strong leadership and management practices within the HR function and across the Society and help manage the delivery of HR operations. They will ensure relevant and appropriate expert advice on complex legal matters, understanding current employment trends and support the Society in being ready for future legislative changes. The post holder will have oversight of the recruitment cycle and may have ownership for senior roles on an ad hoc with support from the HR Director. They will ensure the recruitment cycle and search processes offer value for money as well as ensuring the Society retains high quality staff. Within the operational HR team, the postholder will support the payroll and benefits function, and review suppliers and relationships where necessary. They will work closely with the HR Payroll and Data Manager and the HRD on budget management and planning activities. The post holder will also lead the team to deliver a cycle of work to support corporate activities such as the Performance Lifecycle, Engagement and Wellbeing initiatives. **Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.** **Reports to** : HR Director **Line manages** : 2x Senior HR Business Partners **Pay band** : Band G **Salary** : £75,000 \- £85,000 per annum **Contract type** : Permanent **Hours: 35 hours per week** **Location:** Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG plus the option for some hybrid remote working **Closing date for applications: Friday, 20 March 2026, 23:59 hours** **Interviews will be held: First round: 26 March 2026 and Second round: 31 March 2026** **Key Responsibilities And Tasks** The Head of HR will manage the operational activities of the existing front\-facing HR teams. They will work with senior colleagues across the organisation on employee and organisational issues, as well as managing their own HR projects as directed by the HRD. They will work collaboratively with all other roles within the current structure, adding their support to reward and benefit policies and our learning and development programme when needed. **Key duties:** **Operational HR Team** * Continue to strengthen an effective HR team through clear objectives and an understanding of the cycle of work generated within the team. * Lead and support the Senior HR Business Partners to manage their portfolios and business units effectively. * Ensure the HR team continue their professional development through appropriate learning and networking opportunities. * Continuously review the activities of the HR team to ensure services are effective and efficient and make decisions to take action to improve services where necessary. * Help develop and support team KPI's using HR data and metrics to support the Society's decision making. Work with the rest of the team in building on regular workforce reports to support managers and be open to new ways of utilising data throughout the organisation. * Oversee complex employee relations issues when necessary, supporting the Senior HRBPs in dealing with issues such as grievance, absence and disciplinary matters and taking a leading role where appropriate and working alongside the HRD when necessary. * Develop and implement a recruitment strategy including a review of assessment and selection, training, use of probationary periods, aligning with recent and upcoming legislation. * Support the recruitment of any SMT level staff, working with the HRD and the CEO to support recruitment campaigns and arrangements. * Oversee the effective delivery of payroll services and support the reward, pay and benefits policies using external and sector related benchmarking when necessary. * Champion a performance culture alongside the Learning and Development Manager and support productivity and employee development making recommendations for improvements where necessary. * Ensure there is a focus on EDI considerations in all aspects of the services provided by the HR team by working collaboratively with the internal D\&I team. * Support the HRD and the HR team on engagement activities, helping to relaunch the staff committee and other such projects. * Be responsible for parts of the HR budget as directed by the HRD. **Legal** * Ensure legal compliance and best practice is met in all HR activities including policies, employment changes and GDPR and throughout everyday activities. * Work closely with the HRD on changes concerning the Employment Bill and any other legislation changes. Ensure the team and the wider organisation are engaged and prepared when such changes arise. * Support the Senior HR Business Partners and HR Officers in regularly updating and reviewing HR policies, procedures and guidelines; and organising HR briefings for managers and internal communications to implement them. **Project Management** * Lead on special projects as advised by the HRD. * Suggest HR interventions to ensure effectiveness and to address any organisational challenges. * To assist the HRD in preparing papers for relevant committee meetings, and to attend and present at meetings if or where required. * To carry out any other ad\-hoc duties as and when required commensurate with the role. **Development** * Work with the Learning and Development Manager to ensure two way understanding of where training and upskilling can support the business and advising where learning initiatives are needed for change. * Ensure the continual development and growth of the HR teams attending seminars, training and supporting their continuous development. **Corporate and Strategy** * Deputise for the HRD on occasion and where deemed appropriate. * Consider where the HR team could make use of IT systems, automated efficiencies or AI processes and streamline cyclical activities. * Play an active role in developing an inclusive, collaborative and supportive culture for the organisation. * Ensure all HR activities operate within the Society's' Values. * Play an active role in any working groups, committees and the cross organisational Heads and Directors group. * Support the HRD in drafting the HR strategy and translating this into clear objectives and measurable targets for the team. **Key Knowledge And Skills** * A qualification in human resources management or business management is desirable and/or CIPD qualified with evidence of continuous professional development. * Held previous position of seniority, Able to problem solve and demonstrate planning skills. * Experience of acting as a role model is essential and leading teams. * Experience and understanding of HR as a whole and associated legal requirements. * Experience in developing and implementing policies and procedures. * Experience of coaching and supporting colleagues to ensure best practice. * Demonstrable commercial acumen \- partners with the business to deliver effective people strategies and has a good overall understanding of budgets and budget management * Solid employment law knowledge and proven experience of applying updated legislation to a variety of workplace situations. * Experience of managing challenging and complex ER issues and experience in coaching and leading managers to deal with those issues effectively * Experienced change and transformation manager. **Key Skills And Aptitude Required** * Excellent communication skills \- written and spoken \- with internal and external stakeholders. * Able to establish credibility and build effective relationships. * Ability to develop team members and empower staff. * Ability to form effective collaborative relationships with staff at all levels in an organisation. Compassionate, understanding and empathetic. * Strong commitment to self\-development and the development of others * Strong organisational and prioritisation and time management skills. * Ability to lead and manage organisational change and transformation processes. * Highly organised and methodical with strong attention to detail. * Adaptable, flexible and resourceful in the face of the changing nature of HR work. * Be a motivating and enthusiastic team leader. **Competencies** At Band G you will hold a role as a Head of (Function) or equivalent Senior Management position. Pay Band G roles are described in the following dimensions: **Decision\-making \-** You head up a specific team, making decisions that translate Royal Society strategy into operational plans and outcomes. Your objectives and results of the role are largely agreed, but you are fully accountable for deciding how to achieve these outcomes and results and will be expected to balance short and long\-term risks and benefits. You will be part of the corporate internal decision\-making processes and your views will lend themselves to future plans and strategies. **Thinking challenges \-** You strategically plan how to deliver your objectives and plans, achieving organisational outcomes. You drive and implement change across key strategic goals and projects, which are likely to involve cross\-organisational solutions. You are aware of conflicting demands across the range of Society activities, and take a leadership role in where your function fits in. You are an expert voice on your individual workstream both internally and externally. **Communications \-** You make, maintain and nurture a range of internal and external relationships with the aim of any of the following: * Ensuring effective internal working and collaboration * Marketing or representing aspects of Royal Society work * Influencing external developments * Ensuring the organisation is kept informed on your functions work and progress. **Developing people \-** You are directly responsible for managing a range of staff, project teams, third parties and others who contribute to the work of Royal Society. You have a corporate responsibility as a Head of department to embody the values of a good manager and leader and will take a role in not only the line management and development of your own team but the nurturing and mentoring of others teams or those you work closely with. **Managing Resources \-** You have formal budget accountability and may have income accountability; you influence the broader management of Royal Society resources and priorities the use of resources to support delivery of cross\-functional goals. You are the lead for the structure of your own department, and planning the roles and duties you will need to meet your objectives, and planning the resource and support you will need from other departments. **Applying knowledge \& expertise \-** You possess broad management and professional expertise that enables you to manage an important area of work and look beyond the horizons of your own specialism. You will be the lead on this specialism in an ambassadorial role for the Society. The competency levels for a pay Band G role are described below. **Self\-management** * Effectively enthuses and motivates those in the team. * Proactively sets goals and targets for own work and others. * Embraces new opportunities, responds to new risks and takes on new responsibilities. Plans the strategy for own department in the short, medium, and long term. * Encourages others to seize opportunities and is able to evaluate these effectively. * Demonstrates the Royal Society Values at all times, and encourages others to do so. * Identifies difficult situations and takes a lead to solve any issues. * Recognises stress in others and takes steps to reduce it. * Controls pressurised situations. * Is a confident leader, able to showcase work, projects, results and progress. * Is able to plan their work and that of their department for the optimum results for the Society. * Is a strong project manager, and keeps work, and projects to time and budget. * Understands and protects the Society's brand and legacy. **Working With Others** * Actively seeks ideas and feedback from within the team and regularly seeks feedback from across the organisation. * Is able to resolve conflicts within and between teams and ensures processes in place to avoid repetition in future. * Embeds feedback processes within the team constructively. * Has an existing network that is useful for the Society and actively ensures new relationships are built and maintained. * Able to present complex issues simply and is solution focused. * Uses discretion, tact and empathy when negotiating with and/or seeking to influence others. * Demonstrates compassion in delivering hard messages, is experienced in having difficult conversations and can put appropriate support in place when necessary * Leads and facilitates group discussions, clarifies issues and keeps conversations focused, productive and constructive. * Acts as a role model internally and externally, continuously demonstrating excellence and regard for the value of building shared vision and direction. * Remains calm and assured in front of challenging audiences, is a confident networker, presenter and chair. * Looks for opportunities to assemble a diverse group to discuss respective views. * Keeps people at the table by articulating an outcome or goal that engages and encourages active participation. * Shares resources across organisational boundaries to meet Society needs. * Uses negotiation skills and adaptability to encourage recognition of joint concerns, collaboration, and to influence the success of outcomes. * Understands and acts upon the corporate role of being a Head of department. * Supports SMT on workstreams, and works alongside other Heads and Directors comfortably. **Resource management** * Determines strategy and deployment of resources, balancing cost and benefit, risk and potential for maximum impact across significant business areas. * Manages complex cross\-cutting projects to time, budget and specification, overseas project management in own function, and plays part in their teams membership of other cross cutting projects. * Ensures others accept responsibility towards results or quality. * Sets the quality standards for own business areas in accordance with strategy and contributes to the formulation of quality standards across the Society. * Sets and monitors priorities for self and others. * Identifies and manages risk effectively for own projects and any potential risks across the Society. * Demonstrates a solid understanding of the culture and plays an active part in ensuring a positive culture throughout all workstreams. * Directs the creation of forums and discussion opportunities to generate innovative and breakthrough ideas, exposing others to experts and ideas to stimulate new thinking. * Translates vision/knowledge to others to enable shared understanding and rapid execution. * Has patience and allows time for appropriate planning and engagement to take place in projects and day\-to\-day deliverables. * Is responsible for continual assessment of roles within own team, adapting staffing to fit a changing environment, plans for succession based on turnover and futureproofs a solid team structure. **Critical thinking** * Uses questioning, analytical and probing skills to 'dig deeper'. * Knows when enough information has been obtained and adapts presentation of information to the needs of the audience. * Strives for value for money for the Society in all aspects of work, procurement, expenditure, use of resources and project planning. * Makes sound decisions in a complex or ambiguous environment and manage challenges confidently. * Directs the creation of forums and discussion opportunities to generate innovative and breakthrough ideas, stimulates new thinking. * Sees issues and mitigates as necessary the implications of a proposal. * Regularly presents and informs on key results, KPI's and outputs, explains assumptions and reasons and future plans. * Is a confident problem solver, and a go\-to resource for team and others within individual area of expertise. **Adaptability** * Actively seeks the input and opinions of others, often outside his/her section, or takes external paid for advice and accommodates and incorporates this thinking into any output. * Actively seeks new challenges and projects; leads discussions surrounding new ideas, approaches, and projects. * Anticipates need for innovation and seeks new ideas, approaches, and solutions. Is abreast of new changes in own area, and how the Society may plan to adapt in the future. * Demonstrates courage by deciding and acting in the face of uncertainty. * Works in a balanced way, by being adaptable and flexible to ensure needs of competing stakeholders are fairly and equitably met. Ensures well planned workloads for team and adapts accordingly. * Acts with foresight to anticipate and analyse many different scenarios. * Acknowledges ambiguity and works with team to identify understand and manage polarities and other complex situations. * Can adapt to uncertain and unpredictable climates, and challenging corporate circumstances and plays a part in steering their own function through this. **Managing people and relationships** * Sets expectations of others and ensures they deliver, managing, motivating and inspiring team. * Demonstrates a positive attitude towards work, celebrating success and instilling confidence, which encourages the same from others. * Encourages others to share ideas and participate in the discussion and decisions of the team. * Assesses needs of clients/stakeholders/staff and makes plans to meet these needs. * Is able to delegate fully and giving latitude to others to do tasks in own way, including opportunity to make and learn from mistakes. Is able to mentor staff to grow and develop and be able to help them reflect and learn from actions. * Acts as a talent builder by challenging people with questions and assignments that will grow their capabilities. * Coaches and mentors' others, providing career guidance and perspective. * Establishes personal relationships with others, building an understanding of broader needs, issues, and aspirations beyond those solely applicable to the Society products or services. * Uses knowledge to use appropriate management strategies, a broad range of techniques and understanding of own management style to lead, adapt, motivate and build a successful department.