Who are Ambition Institute?

A great teacher changes the future every day. Especially for children who have had a tough start in life, a teacher can be the critical factor in their success.

At Ambition Institute, we help schools tackling educational disadvantage to keep getting better and help their teachers and school leaders to become more expert over time.

That’s how we’ll make sure every child gets a great education and the best possible start in life.

• We train teachers and leaders at all levels to get better at the things that make the biggest difference: what you teach, how you teach it, and how you create the conditions for schools to thrive.

• We share what works. Everyone can benefit from evidence of how great teaching and leadership can improve schools and change lives, so we connect people to the latest research and best practice.

• We champion every teacher and school leader’s potential to develop, as the driving force for sustainable school improvement.

What would we like…?

As a leading charity in the education sector, we need to attract, retain and motivate talented people to work with us to deliver our mission. The role of Associate Director HR Operations, Recruitment and Onboarding, is at the heart of achieving that goal. This is a new role, and the successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the HR services we provide.

We’re looking for a committed team player with a HR Generalist background who is passionate about HR’s contribution to organisational success. We want our new colleague to take leadership responsibility for the operational excellence of our services, ensuring that core processes are well designed and well delivered.  You will work closely with the CFO, Head of HR, and the HR Business Partners who manage the HR relationship with the senior leaders across Ambition.

We would like you to:

• Lead the "HR Operations, Recruitment and Onboarding" team, setting the vision for the service.

• Oversee internal and external recruitment processes.   

• Help develop our employer branding so that we can continue to recruit great people and attract a richly diverse candidate pool.

• Lead our onboarding process so that new colleagues are properly welcomed to the organisation and set up to succeed.

• Collaborate with the senior leaders to support our People Strategy.

• (For the first 12 months of the role - to be reviewed in early 2024) Oversee the core HR processes, including first line HR advice, monthly payroll, performance management cycle etc. 

Working in a hybrid way, you’ll be attached to either our Birmingham, London or Manchester office and will report to the Head of Human Resources. In line with our current ways of working, you’ll be expected to be in the office at least 1 day a month, in addition to team days. This is subject to review.

What’s in it for you….?

• 25 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays and 'winter shut down’ between Christmas and New Year.

• Professional development for all staff.

• Employer pension contribution of 11%.

• Agile, hybrid working culture, so you can manage when and where you work.

• Staff affinity networks that help keep equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work.

• Blind recruitment process to ensure equality and fairness in our hiring.

• Enhanced maternity pay after a year’s service.

• Shared parental leave package.

• Access to free, confidential 24/7 wellbeing and support line.

• Comfortable and collaborative workspaces in the city centres of Manchester, Birmingham and London

• Work-from-home technology package to support hybrid working.

• Interest free season ticket / bike loans.

ABOUT YOU

We don’t expect the person we hire to have all of the following, but this should give you a sense of what would enable you to thrive in this role and in our team:

YOU SHOULD APPLY FOR THIS ROLE IF

You have a track record of success in the following activities:

• Delivering efficient, effective and accurate HR services, including process improvement, mapping, and monitoring.

• Building credibility and constructive working relationships with line managers.

• Managing an operations team and successfully improving service delivery.

• Managing end-to-end attraction, selection, and onboarding processes, with a candidate-centred approach.

• Using appropriate channels for promoting roles.

YOU’LL LOVE WORKING AT AMBITION IF…

• You want a career with a person-centred organisation with a cause at its heart.

• You have a collaborative work ethos, bring warmth and good humour to work and constructive outlook to every situation.

• You enjoy working in a fast-moving workplace, with a great support structure around you.

• You would like to grow with an ambitious organisation as it progresses over time

• Want flexibility in how you work – splitting your time between one of our offices and remote working and managing your own working patterns to get the job done.

Applications can be considered for all office locations (London, Birmingham, Manchester).

How to apply  

All applications must be received by the closing date, 9.00 am on 13 February 2023 . Interviews are expected to take place during the week commencing 13 February 2023.