Main Purpose

The Head of People is responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction for BUCS’ human resources and safeguarding in line with our strategic objectives. As a result, the Head of People will ensure that BUCS is compliant with Health and Safety regulations to protect our staff and ensure this is echoed in our approach to safeguarding participants as defined in our safeguarding policy.

To achieve this, the Head of People must ensure the effective management and optimisation of BUCS’ human resources services, development and maintaining a motivated and valued workforce whilst acting as a role model for organisational culture and values. Provision of a comprehensive, structured and holistic professional development programme is central to this. This requires the Head of People to work closely with the Senior Leadership Team and members of the Remuneration and Staffing Committee, and to directly support the Management Team and wider team leaders.

Working closely with members of the governance and compliance team responsible for ensuring statutory and industry standard compliance, the Head of People will chair the BUCS Safeguarding Strategy Group. The purpose of this group is to embed safeguarding practice into the operations of BUCS, apply tests of knowledge and voracity of procedures in place, commissioning and supporting improvements where necessary, and monitoring progress with regard to disclosures, case management and associated issues, escalating to the CEO and Board as required.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Provide leadership to all HR functions, including, payroll, pensions, recruitment, contracts, policies, disciplinary, grievances, including management of any outsourced support services.

• Maintain knowledge of current HR practices, legislation and trends to enable delivery of effective and innovative services drawing on external expertise as required and using this knowledge to ensure BUCS policies are robust, enforceable and contemporary.

• Work closely with the governance and compliance team to ensure contemporary knowledge of Safeguarding, enabling leadership of the BUCS Safeguarding Strategy Group and ensuring that the BUCS Safeguarding policies and practice are up to date.

• Drive an organisational culture that is founded on the BUCS values of respectfulness, inclusiveness, dynamism and innovation.

• Lead the development of initiatives that increase the level of psychological safety and open communication within the organisation that build confidence and trust as a platform for exceptional organisational performance.

• Ensure that BUCS has an exceptional staffing experience from advert to interview, to working life to exit interview by establishing cultural and management practices that enable staff to thrive.

• Design and lead a comprehensive and holistic professional development programme that enables staff and the organisation to thrive, with high uptake levels of compulsory compliance training, team specific training and individual professional development.

• Ensure that within the scope of its budget and size, BUCS is able to act dynamically to provide a contemporary working environment and terms and conditions for its staff, to include consideration of use and presentation of office and meeting spaces, hybrid working policies, related policies and terms and conditions, provision of equipment.

• Provide direct support to staff members as required. This may include direct one-to-one support, the development of wellbeing support networks and the outsourcing of specialist support.

• Design, deliver training and support, monitor and evaluate the staff performance review process ensuring that it drives a transparent, fair and equitable basis for the assessment of staff performance, enabling BUCS and its people to thrive, driving personal and organisational success.

• Attend and provide reporting to the Remunerations and Staffing Committee of the Board.

• Provide quarterly safeguarding information to the board through information papers covering policy and strategy updates, disclosures and case management, uptake with educational support and networking of members, highlighting relevant risks and opportunities.

• Manage the BUCS staffing budget, providing regular management information to the Senior Leadership Team and balancing the resource requirements of the organisation.

• Provide a direct platform for staff voice, building on a culture of respect and inclusion liaising with the Senior Leadership Team to include the administration and implementation of relevant responses to regular staff surveys, managing an annual programme of ‘all staff days’, coordinating and contributing to fortnightly ‘BUCS Townhall’ online meetings, and supporting the Staff Social Committee and other relevant staff groups.

• Provide strategic leadership in safeguarding, engaging with stakeholders on best practice and integration with the training and support of staff and, third parties and volunteers, advising the CEO on the issues of note emerging through the Safeguarding Strategy Group, Safeguarding Triage Panel, and Safeguarding Case Management group.

• Optimise HR and Safeguarding policies, systems and processes for efficiency and effectiveness.

• Oversee contracts and relations with HR and Safeguarding suppliers to drive best value for BUCS and ensure the effective management of resource.

• With the Director of Business Services, design, manage and monitor the Business Services budget to optimise efficiencies, costs and benefits.

• Liaise with the Head of Governance and Compliance to ensure any development and support needs for members of the BUCS Board and subcommittees, and BUCS Trading Board are considered with the potential to dovetail with staff support.

Other

• Actively role model the BUCS values and integrate these into our policies and practices.

• Act on any other reasonable request of the Director of Business Services, CEO or Board.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

BUCS is a Disability Confident Committed and Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment. We make all employment decisions without regard to age, national origin, race, ethnicity, religion, belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Research shows that some people don’t apply for a role if they feel they do not meet 100% of the person specification. We encourage you to apply for this role if you feel you meet the key skills and knowledge listed below, even if you feel you do not have all of them. We are passionate about identifying the right people to help us develop and thrive.

Essential knowledge or experience

• Designing and delivering strategies to support a motivated and valued workforce and embed a culture of development and learning.

• Managing human resource functions, including, payroll, recruitment, disciplinary, grievances and contracts.

  Using and adapting HR policies and practices to create an equitable, diverse and inclusive working environment.

• Management experience with a proven ability to lead, develop and motivate others to reach their full potential.

• Experience of developing holistic change programmes that drive transformation through professional development, resources and support tools.

• Application of quality assurance within key processes including performance reviews, professional development, and safeguarding delivery.

• Managing internal staff meetings, working groups and communications.

• Effective presentation of management information to drive decision-making.

Essential skills and abilities

• Ability to work on own initiative.

• Strong team player with good interpersonal abilities including an ability and willingness to communicate and develop trusted relationships with a range of stakeholders.

• Effective mentor, motivator, manager and influencer of people.

• Excellent organisational and planning skills.

• Ability to manage a complex workload including competing priorities, achieve targets and respond quickly and flexibly to changing needs and demands.

• Conscientious with high standards and a commitment to excellence.

• Tenacious when it comes to problem-solving / acquiring key information.

Desirable knowledge or experience

• Experience of developing strategy/policy that contributes to the development of the organisation to effectively deliver its outcomes.

• Experience in effective communication, presenting and influencing a wide range of audiences including board, members, stakeholders and staff.

• Experience of developing holistic change programmes that drive transformation through professional development, resources and support tools.

• Application of quality assurance within key processes including performance reviews, professional development, and safeguarding delivery.

• Sport-specific safeguarding requirements and expectations.

Desirable skills and abilities

• Ability to innovate, be creative and work dynamically.

If successful, candidates are called to interview on the provisional date of 7 May 2025.