Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Purpose of job: 

The Head of People and Facilities is responsible for leading, delivering and supporting the People and Culture strategy of Comic Relief. This will be achieved through innovation, design and delivery of human resource process and activity that empowers Comic Relief staff to deliver the organisation’s vision and mission.

This position provides strategic and operational expertise to the CEO, Executive Directors and senior management while leading and coaching a dynamic HR team. As a key member of the senior team you will lead the organisation in employee relations, performance and talent management, organisational design and development, engagement, reward and recognition, HR Systems, change management and reporting.

The postholder is also responsible for overseeing facilities management and travel management

Key responsibilities:

Strategic HR Leadership

• Partnering with leadership and management to develop effective people solutions that help achieve strategic business objectives and contribute to a positive culture while enabling employees to build their capabilities.

• Providing timely, expert advice to the Executive Team, CEO and The Board of Trustees

• Driving the people aspects of the organisational strategy, delivering strategic workforce planning and cross-organisational initiatives to maximise business performance, efficiency and consistency.

• As a member of the Senior Management Team, Provide Comic Relief with visible and responsive operational leadership  and ensure shared understanding and knowledge between all departments and teams.

• Working in partnership with the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager to drive forward the EDI strategy, particularly with regards to building an inclusive culture and increase the diversity of Comic Relief.

   

Management of the HR function

• Responsible for providing day to day line management, oversight and support to the People Team, providing coaching and guidance to increase capacity and confidence

• Leading all employee relations activity and communications, achieving positive outcomes for the organisation.

• Overseeing the production of monthly and quarterly management information; supporting the HR Business Partner (HRBP) to conduct analysis and create insights to support the organisation in implementing strategies to address themes which support business needs.

• Ensuring Comic Relief’s People policies and practices are inclusive and equitable, creating a safe, welcoming and supportive environment for all staff.

• Management of sensitive or senior-level employee relations cases – acting as escalation point for HRBPs seeking advice on their own complex cases.

Facilities

• Responsible for responding to new working practices and understand the impact on working spaces and the workforce wellbeing.

• Oversight of the management of the office space and working environment (and remote working environments, as much as is possible), including security, maintenance, refurbishments, renovations, space and resource allocation and management of 3rd party contractors.

• Ensuring the delivery of a professional facilities service, to include reception, reactive buildings and grounds maintenance, office supplies and consumables, security and related office services.

• Oversight of all aspects of travel relating to organisational duty of care, risk, safety, security, authenticity, cost effectiveness, and tackling climate change.

People Management

• Proactively undertake business planning, prioritise activities and set clear and realistic objectives based on existing capacity and expertise, in order to manage workloads and maintain high engagement and wellbeing.

• Provide balanced, constructive feedback and undertake effective performance management and appraisal to embed accountability and continuous quality improvement

• Supporting the professional development and growth of staff, completing and reviewing personal development plans, and ensuring compliance with mandatory training

• Maintain regular two way communication and dialogue with staff, ensuring information is cascaded and escalated as needed.

• Adhere to Comic Relief’s Management Standards and ensure adherence to Comic Relief policies and behaviour standards by team members. 

Person specification

Essential criteria

• CIPD qualified / Relevant People Management qualification.

• Proven experience at a senior level of leading and inspiring a successful HR team.

• Experience of developing and embedding people‐focused strategies to deliver commercial and other business objectives.

• Proven capability of operating as a trusted advisor to senior leadership.

• Effective relationship builder with strong stakeholder management skills.

• Demonstrable ability to interrogate and utilise management information to identify trends, produce quantitative and narrative reports, and report against KPIs and deliverables.

• A strategic and innovative thinker who can translate strategy into operational goals and project plans.

• Skilled and adaptable communicator, able to flex style between coach, advisor, manager and challenger.

• Influential with the gravitas to effectively help shape the organisation.

• Resilient, determined to positively overcome barriers.

Desirable criteria

• Experience in an HR role in a charity setting.

• An understanding of facilities management and health and safety legislation.

• Proven ability to build and manage budgets effectively.

• Experience of leading organisations, senior managers and teams through organisational change.

We recognise diversity and inclusion are a source of strength in achieving our mission. We therefore welcome everyone, trusting what makes us different brings creativity, styles and experiences to help us collectively do our best work. That’s regardless of your gender, age, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, and cultural identity. We especially welcome those from under-represented groups in modern grant-making and fundraising. We are on a journey, but if you join our team you will be part of a community that is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where we want you to:

• Be valued for being yourself

• Do your best work, and be supported to break down barriers so you can succeed

• Be heard, respected, and treated as an equal, whatever your level, experience or background

• Be part of a team that is committed to making this happen – with our colleagues, partners, and contributors.

Comic Relief is committed to preventing and protecting all people from harm in their interactions with us. We expect all those that act in our name to uphold our approach to doing no harm.