Interim Head of HR
- Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
- Hybrid (The Grange, Saunderton, Princes Risborough)
- 27/05/2026
Job Description
Job title: Interim Head of HR
Responsible to: Director of People and Culture
Based: Hybrid (ideally 2 days in office) The Grange, Saunderton, Princes Risborough
Contract: Fixed Term (until 31 December 2026)
Hours: Full Time, 35 hours a week (part time applications considered, min 3 days a week)
You will support the delivery of the People & Culture plan, ensuring the organisation has the capability, culture and capacity to achieve its strategic objectives.
You will act as a trusted partner to SMT, translating organisational priorities into people solutions and driving a high-performance, values-led culture.
Responsible to: Director of People and Culture
Based: Hybrid (ideally 2 days in office) The Grange, Saunderton, Princes Risborough
Contract: Fixed Term (until 31 December 2026)
Hours: Full Time, 35 hours a week (part time applications considered, min 3 days a week)
You will support the delivery of the People & Culture plan, ensuring the organisation has the capability, culture and capacity to achieve its strategic objectives.
You will act as a trusted partner to SMT, translating organisational priorities into people solutions and driving a high-performance, values-led culture.
Key Responsibilities
Key Activities
- Lead, coach and develop the People team, line managing the People Business Partner and People Operations Manager, to deliver quality people services across the employee lifecycle
- Lead workforce planning aligned to organisational strategy and service delivery needs
- Provide expert HR advice and guidance on complex ER, risk and organisational change
- Oversee recruitment strategy and employer brand
- Ensure compliance with employment law, safeguarding and regulatory
requirements - Use people data and insights to inform decision-making and drive continuous
improvement - Develop organisational approach to pay progression and employee benefits
- Lead on the development of a new EDI strategy
Customer and Service Delivery Expectations
- Leading and developing the People Experience function (made up of People Business Partnering and People Operations teams) to be high performing
- Timely, pragmatic and risk-aware HR advice
- High-quality, consistent and fair people processes
- Clear, simple and accessible guidance for managers
- Regular data reporting and people analytics support evidence-based recommendations aligned to organisational priorities
- Proactive rather than reactive support
- Compliance maintained with minimal risk exposure
- Positive feedback from SMT and other stakeholders on quality and impact
of People team effectiveness
Key Deliverables
- People services and initiatives foster an inclusive, positive and high performance culture in line with organisational values, and are delivered on time and within resource
- Improved employee engagement scores, measurable progress and clear
action plan delivery - Workforce plans aligned to service delivery needs and budget
- Achievement Development Review process is embedded with high completion rates and quality outcomes
- EDI strategy and policy developed, with implementation plan
- Pay progression framework and updated benefits package
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
- Proven track record of successfully leading a small HR/People team, with a situational leadership approach
- Strategic and operational HR leadership expertise, with a good understanding of the HR business partner function
- Well developed coaching and/or mentoring skills with experience of supporting both line managers and HR professionals
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build positive working relationships quickly and hit the ground running
- Strong influencing and stakeholder management at a senior level
- Thorough working knowledge of current and proposed UK employment law and risk management
- Data-driven decision making
- Ability to lead change and embed culture
Benefits
- Employee Assistance Programme.
- Death in Service Payment.
- Annual leave enhancements recognising long service
- Day off for your birthday
- Defined contribution group personal pension plan
- Enhanced sick pay
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Eye care
- Hearing tests
- Learning and Development opportunities
- Discounts on merchandise at Hearing Dog gift shops
- Pet Dog Policy
About Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
National charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, trains dogs to transform the lives of deaf people and provides hearing loss services – because nobody with hearing loss should feel alone.
What you'll earn (you won't find "competitive salary” written instead of a figure on our watch!)
£55,000 (FTE)
What you'll receive in return (Benefits)
- Employee Assistance Programme.
- Death in Service Payment.
- Annual leave enhancements recognising long service
- Day off for your birthday
- Defined contribution group personal pension plan
- Enhanced sick pay
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Eye care
- Hearing tests
- Learning and Development opportunities
- Discounts on merchandise at Hearing Dog gift shops
- Pet Dog Policy
CIPD Requirement
Not required
Email Contact for candidates
recruitment@hearingdogs.org.uk
Closing Date
01/06/2026
About Hearing Dogs for Deaf People