HR Manager

About parkrun

parkrun is a health and wellbeing charity and our vision is to create a healthier and happier planet.

Since our conception in 2004, parkrun has evolved into a global social movement with a vibrant and inclusive community at its core. As of 2024, we have recorded over 100-million instances of walking, jogging, running, and volunteering.

Our mission is to transform lives by empowering people to be active, together, outdoors in their local community; and to protect parkrun for the generations to come. Each and every weekend, we deliver free, weekly timed events that people of all ages and backgrounds can join in. By tackling barriers to participation, we encourage communities to come together and embrace regular physical activity.

Now in its 21st  year, parkrun spans over 2,600 locations in 23 countries with more than 10 million people registered, and counting. 

And we have really only just begun.

Brief role description:

The HR Manager will provide end-to-end, operational and strategic human resources

support for the charity's international workforce (excluding APAC). Acting as a trusted

advisor to leadership and line managers, the role will ensure that people practices are

compliant, values-driven, and aligned with our strategy. The postholder will lead on talent

acquisition, employee lifecycle management, employment relations, policy development,

total rewards, and HR vendor management, delivering a pragmatic and high-quality HR

service appropriate to a small charity environment.

Main responsibilities:

1. Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Lead on talent and succession planning, along with the full recruitment lifecycle, including workforce planning, role design, advertising, shortlisting, interviewing, and onboarding with the support of the HR Coordinator

• Manage relationships with external recruitment agencies and job boards as required.

• Work with the Head of Finance & HR on the annual headcount plan.

• In partnership with Health & Inclusion lead seek to diversify our staff team in line with our commitments in the Diversity Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP)

• Support nominations committee with Trustee Recruitment as required

• Support the set up of new international legal entities where required

2. Employee Lifecycle Management

• Oversee all aspects of the employee lifecycle, from onboarding through probation, development, performance management, and exit.

• Oversee accurate and compliant employee records and HR systems.

• Lead on performance management process, supporting a culture of accountability, development, and feedback and development and utilisation of supporting tools.

• Manage leavers, including resignations, retirements, and departures where applicable.

3. Employment Relations

• Act as the lead point of contact for employee relations matters, including absence management, disciplinary, grievance, capability, and performance issues.

• Provide expert advice to managers on employment law, best practice, and risk mitigation.

• Support formal processes, ensuring fairness, consistency, and legal compliance.

4. Line Manager Support & Capability Building

• Coach and advise line managers on people management responsibilities and decision-making.

• Build manager capability through guidance, toolkits, and targeted training.

• Promote consistent people management practices across the organisation.

5. HR Policies, Compliance & Governance

• Develop and Implement the annual “People Plan” in line with Sport England Guidance

• Develop, implement, and regularly review HR policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance and alignment with organisational values.

• Ensure compliance with employment legislation and charity governance standards.

• Maintain an external network to stay up to date and abreast of new developments in the sphere of HR.

• Support organisational change initiatives, ensuring appropriate consultation and communication.

• Provide information to the Nominations and Remuneration Committee as required

6. Total Rewards & Benefits (Including Vendor Management)

• Manage the organisation’s total rewards framework, including pay structures, benefits, pensions, and non-financial rewards.

• Act as the primary liaison with external vendors (e.g. payroll providers, pension administrators, benefits suppliers).

• Oversee payroll processes carried out by People & Culture co-ordinator

• Benchmark reward practices to ensure competitiveness within the charity sector and affordability.

7. Learning and Development:

• Conduct organisational capability assessment and training needs analysis and develop annual training plan within budget

• Design, source, and manage cost-effective learning solutions, including internal training, external providers, pro-bono support, e-learning platforms, and charity-sector resources.

• Support the development of managers through targeted people-management and leadership development initiatives.

• Manage L&D budgets and relationships with external training providers where applicable.

Expectations of line managers at parkrun:

• Will have regular 1:1s with direct reports.

• Will set objectives for direct reports / team.

• Will provide regular feedback and developmental guidance.

• Will plan teams’ workload and availability.

• Will play a role in recruitment and selection and work with the People & Culture team to understand the roles required.

• Will cascade messages to the team as appropriate.

• Will be able to assign responsibilities and authority to the right employees, taking their interests, ambitions, development and competency into account.

• Will deliver any disciplinary sanctions in line with our policies and processes.

• Will provide support for team members and promote health and wellbeing at work.

Essential experience requirements:

• Proven experience delivering end-to-end HR support

• Strong working knowledge of employment law and employee relations.

• Experience managing vendor relationships.

Desirable experience requirements:

• International HR experience

• Experience within a small organisation or charity/non-profit setting

• Experience writing and delivering training interventions

• Line management experience

Professional certification requirements:

• Chartered Member (Chartered MCIPD)/ CIPD Level 7 qualification Desirable

• Associate (Assoc CIPD)/ CIPD Level 5 Essential

Most relevant skills:

• Accountability: Will be accountable and pass on accountability for one’s own actions and those of colleagues and the organisation.

• Communication: Able to talk and work with people at all levels in a professional and mature manner across the whole parkrun network.

• Initiative: Able to be proactive, take initiative and take steps to improve ways of working seeking support where necessary.

• Organisation: Able to determine goals and priorities and to accurately assess the actions, time and resources needed to achieve those goals.

• Presentation: Able to deliver engaging and informative presentations with excellent public speaking skills.

• Priority Management: Able to manage competing priorities with resilience and thrive in a fast-paced environment.

• Problem Solving: Able to detect problems, recognise important information and link various data; to trace potential causes and look for relevant details.

• Teamwork: Accountable for team and individual responsibilities and deliverables.

• Resilience: Demonstrates the ability to remain focused, composed, and effective in the face of challenges, setbacks, or ambiguity and public scrutiny.

• Project Management and associated supporting tools.

• Able to use a variety of IT systems and tools, such as google workspace.

• Demonstrates high levels of discretion and confidentiality.

• Demonstrates a growth mindset, with a desire to improve and learn new skills.

£50,000 to £60,000 FTE, depending on experience and location.

This is a part time role, offering a working pattern of 2.5 to 3 days per week (hybrid).

We have two UK offices, Richmond (London) and Leeds (Yorkshire). We welcome applicants who are within commuting distance to our London OR Leeds offices.

We offer great flexible working conditions and  a range of employee benefits including; 

• An enhanced pension plan, plus enhanced family leave policies

• 25 days paid leave (plus Bank Holidays) - FTE

• A commitment to developing skills and providing training

• Employee discount on the parkrun shop

• Vitality business healthcare, plus Vitality points scheme 

• Employee assistance programme, plus trained mental health first aiders

• A range of enhanced policies to support employees across various periods of their life such as; fertility, menopause, primary carer leave (maternity), partner carer leave (paternity) and compassionate leave.