People & Culture Manager

Join us to support people-led change across the UK

The Churchill Fellowship is a community of changemakers whose mission is to learn from the world and transform lives across the UK.

We support outstanding individuals pursuing their own vision for change in an issue where they have first-hand experience. They are driven by a personal commitment to tackle today’s key issues, to develop new solutions for their communities and sectors, and to exchange ideas throughout the UK and beyond. They work across all of today’s most pressing challenges, from protecting the environment to preventing domestic abuse, from increasing youth employment to enriching urban spaces and much more.

Collectively, they create change that reaches across the country. Every year we select over 100 new Fellows and fund them to spend up to two months discovering new approaches around the world for practical issues they care passionately about. Fellowships cover every aspect of UK life because our approach is universal, responsive and inclusive. We respond to emerging trends and challenges and our Fellowships are open to all UK adults regardless of qualifications, background or age. Fellows propose their own programmes of research and action and bring their lived or learned experience of their chosen subject.

We believe in the power and potential of individuals and prioritise people and topics that would not be funded elsewhere.

This inclusive approach gives the Fellowship a unique range and authority and has created a powerful model for change, based on real needs, frontline insight and personal dedication. It offers dynamic individuals the recognition, funding and support to pursue what is often their mission of a lifetime.

The Fellowship was created by public subscription in 1965 as the living legacy of Sir Winston Churchill. Since then we have made almost 6000 grants to inspiring individuals who possess the passion and commitment to make a real difference. Many Fellows become knowledge leaders and influencers for the long term and continue to feel the beneficial effects of the Fellowship decades after being awarded.

The Churchill Fellowship is a community of changemakers whose mission is to learn from the world and transform lives across the UK.

 

The Landscape

As we approach our 60th anniversary we have been going through a period of strategic and organisational development, expanding our ambitions to create and demonstrate impact, not just for the Fellows themselves but also at a local community and UK-wide level. This will require a phased transition from the current model and we are in the process of defining and internalising this new approach within the organisation.

Following an in-depth strategic and operational review, the new Finance and Operations Director was appointed in July 2023 and was established as our first step in refreshing the staffing structure. We're looking for a dynamic and experienced individual to join her team, at this exciting moment and to be a key part of the team as we build on the successes of the last 6 decades and position ourselves for the future.

As part of our strategic review, we've highlighted Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as a core principles to invest in and as a result of this we are looking for an experienced HR professional with a high level of emotional intelligence, coaching skills and experience working with a diverse team.

 

The Role

The People & Culture Manager is responsible for managing all aspects of the human resources function, ensuring that the organisation attracts, develops, and retains high-quality staff. This role  supports the Finance & Operations Director in fostering a positive and inclusive working culture, whilst ensuring compliance with employment legislation and best practices.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy Development

• Support the development of TCF’s approach to effective methods of working and inclusive organisational culture, drawing upon best practice from across the sector and ensuring alignment with organisational values.

• Support the annual planning cycle, working with the Finance & Operations Director to develop and implement the annual and quarterly rhythm of team meetings, workshops and opportunities for team gatherings.

• Support the Finance & Operations Director through developing guidance for line managers to support the annual rhythm of 1:1 meetings and quarterly reviews supporting team members to meeting their operational objectives and personal development goals.

• Support the ongoing development of HR policies and processes, including the newly developed Staff Handbook, recruitment, staff onboarding, probation, annual reviews and professional development, as well as regularly reviewing staff benefits and ensuring they are in line with good practice.

 

Employee Relations and HR Management

• Maintain elements of the employee database (BambooHR), to support staff with administrative requests relating to annual leave calculations, signing documentation and updating personal information.

• Supporting the recruitment process by creating new roles on BambooHR, arranging the advertising on appropriate websites and working with line managers to initially triage and longlist applications.

• Develop onboarding processes to ensure new team members have the information they need to thrive in the organisation.

• Prepare offers of employment, change of terms letters and other standard employment documentation, with support from external HR Advisors, and the Finance & Operations Director.

• Serve as a point of contact for employee concerns, providing guidance on HR policies and procedures, with support from external HR Advisors, and the Finance & Operations Director.

• Manage the relationship with the appointed EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) including regularly reviewing the support available to ensure it offers the right level of support for team members in line with our values and aspirations as an good employer.

• Develop and build the process for employee objective-setting in BambooHR, and how this then links to the wider organisational strategy, ensuring line managers are equipped to utilize this tool effectively.

• Support the appointed Data Officer (Finance & Operations Director) by managing the organisation’s approach to GDPR and data protection with respect to HR specific processes, overseeing HR systems and records, ensuring data integrity and security.

Learning and Development

• Support the design of a learning and development plan for all teams, identifying potential training options for individuals and teams as needed, working with Directors to identify key learning needs and either develop learning offers to meet those needs or source relevant and high impact external training, for both hard and soft skills.

• Organise and facilitate workshops, seminars, and training sessions to support professional development of all staff.

 

Team Facilitation & Engagement

• Play a lead role in facilitating and organising team meetings and workshops.

• Proactively developing agendas in advance to ensure staff are kept informed.

• Develop and manage a monthly internal staff update, with contributions from the team.

• Develop and plan team lunches and group activities, with the support of the Operations Co-Ordinator

 

Line Management

• Overseeing the day-to-day activities of the Operations Co-ordinator, supporting in a line management capacity to encourage and develop organisational skills and personal development goals.

 

In addition to the responsibilities detailed above, the People & Culture Manager will also undertake any new and additional projects at the discretion of the Finance & Operations Director.

 

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Degree level or equivalent working experience
• HR Management skills training
• Accredited Coaching skills or equivalent training

 

Skills and Experience

• Proven experience as an HR Manager or similar role, preferably within the non-profit sector.
• Strong knowledge of employment law and HR best practices, preferable within the non-profit sector.
• Experience in change management and organisational development.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for communicating face-to-face, in writing and by telephone with individuals at all levels
• High standard of written English
• Strong IT skills, including high levels of proficiency in all aspects of Microsoft Office.
• Excellent organisational, and time management skills with an ability to prioritise competing demands
• Ability to think analytically and empathetically and make balanced judgements
• Confident and calm crisis management 
• Evidence of working in a team and contributing to a culture of a diverse and collaborative working environment
• Experience of liaising with, negotiating and managing relationships with external organisations, teams, and individuals
• Experience using and interacting with Salesforce (Customer Relationship Management) Database

 

Personality Characteristics

• A great team player with a pro-active, confident, and positive approach and the ability to contribute to a culture of collaborative working
• High emotional intelligence, with the ability to work with good humour, tact, and diplomacy and to maintain confidentiality
• Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion
• To have a genuine commitment to the values and ethos of the Churchill Fellowship
• Positive attitude
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Proactive and able to work well independently as well as part of a team
• Passionate about achieving excellence through personal development and continual learning

 

Working for The Churchill Fellowship

Detailed package, benefits and wellbeing package:

• Salary c. £42,000 – 46,000 per annum (pro-rata for 3 days per week / 22.5 hours)
• Hybrid working policy (4-6 days per month in the office)
• 5 weeks holiday a year, with additional paid leave if the office closes over the Christmas Break (pro rata for part-time staff)
• 6 days a year paid leave for volunteering (pro rata for part-time staff)
• Non-contributory pension scheme with 10% employer contribution
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave and pay
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Life Assurance
• Bike purchase salary sacrifice scheme (Cycle2Work)

 

Standard working hours are 36.5 hours a week 9.30am until 5.00pm, Monday to Thursday and from 9.30am until 4.00pm on Friday, including a paid lunch break of one hour.

We have embraced the benefits of working from home and at the same time, we value the contribution of face-to-face contact in building teamwork, collaborating with your colleagues, exchanging ideas and know-how, and for work efficiency. We therefore operate a hybrid working policy, where staff can work from home if they wish, however everyone is required to work in the office a minimum of 4 to 6 days a month with Tuesdays as the core day for regular whole team meetings.

Note: unfortunately, we are not currently in a position to offer sponsorship for visas and all applicants will need to have, and be able to prove, the right to work in the UK.

 

How to apply

Please use your CV and cover letter as an opportunity to tell us a bit more about who you are as a person. We want to understand how you as an individual are going to be a great fit for this role.

We will be scheduling first round interviews as candidates apply, we will then complete a round of second interviews with a shortlist of candidates once the advertising has closed, with the view to appointing the People & Culture Manager as soon as possible after that.

 

Equity, diversity and inclusion are core to the values and ethos of the charity’s work across all activities. The Churchill Fellowship is committed to being an inclusive employer with a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences.  Our office accommodation is accessible throughout