Assistant Director of People

Are you an experienced People leader passionate about driving an organisation forward as an employer of choice? UK Youth is looking for an seasoned Assistant Director of People to co-lead our progressive People strategy and deliver operational excellence that enables our whole team at UK Youth to thrive.

Purpose of the Role

The Interim Assistant Director of People will lead the transformation of the People function and support the COO in overseeing HR operations across the People life cycle. Ensuring compliance with employment laws, strengthening performance and ensuring the delivery of efficient and impactful HR practices. This role will drive strategic and operational improvements, coordinate daily operations, collaborate with departments across the organisation to enhance the People experience, implement a clear action plan to address priorities, and optimise HR systems to enhance data-driven decision-making. Acting as a key advisor to senior leaders and the Board, the postholder will develop the People team while aligning the People function with our strategic goals.

About You

• Demonstrated success in a Head of People/People Experience, Assistant People Director or a Senior HR leadership role, balancing strategic oversight with operational delivery.

• Strong people management experience, including coaching, mentoring, developing and inspiring teams.

• Experience creating high-performing and leading teams through transformation and rebuilding trust.

• Proven expertise in HR systems optimisation, data management, and delivery of key people metrics and reports to support decision-making.

• A track record of advising SLTs and Boards on HR strategy, organisational development, and people priorities.

• CIPD qualification or equivalent HR expertise.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the current streamlined People plan and create objectives that align with organisational priorities and goals.

• Act as a trusted advisor to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and Board, providing high-level HR insights and solutions.

• Co-lead the development of the 2025/26 People Plan in partnership with the COO and Senior leadership.

• Lead, coach, and develop the People team (3 members), fostering a culture of trust, accountability, and high performance.

• Ensure clarity of roles, professional growth opportunities, and effective team dynamics.

• Overhaul the Moorepay Natural HR (NHR) system to create workflows, streamline people processes, improve data accuracy, and reporting capabilities.

• Establish key People metrics and analytics to inform decision-making and enhance organisational effectiveness.

• Redesign core HR processes and policies to ensure compliance, user-friendliness, and consistency.

• Address capability gaps in the People team and embed a proactive, service-oriented approach.

• Support managers in resolving complex employee relations issues, building their capabilities in handling HR matters effectively.

• Collaborate with SLT to enhance organisational culture and embed UK Youth’s values into day-to-day operations.

• Lead change management and transformation initiatives to improve employee engagement, retention and job satisfaction.

• Develop and deliver learning and development programmes across the organisation that focus on enhancing soft, technical and leadership skills.

• Develop internal communication frameworks and staff recognition programmes to foster alignment and motivation.

• Champion the organisation’s EDI agenda, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and meaningful progress.

• Use data and evidence to implement impactful EDI initiatives, fostering inclusivity at all levels.

Who we are

UK Youth is a leading charity that exists to ensure all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. We work with others to ensure that the youth sector is strengthened, supported, and that provision is youth-led, evidence-informed and delivers high-quality outcomes.

UK Youth plays a unique role in addressing; the lack of investment in the youth sector, the lack of cross sector understanding in how youth work makes a difference and the limited opportunities to embed effective solutions. These factors lead to mass inequality of access to youth services for young people. To find more about us and how we make an impact, please visit UK Youth Website.

Why work at UK Youth? 

UK Youth is a leading charity that exists to ensure all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. We work with others to ensure that the  youth sector is strengthened, supported, and that provision is youth-led, evidence-informed and delivers high-quality outcomes. UK Youth plays a unique role in addressing; the lack of investment in the youth sector, the lack of cross-sector understanding in how youth work makes a difference and the limited opportunities to embed effective solutions. These factors lead to mass  inequality of access to youth services for young people.  

What we can offer you

We offer a competitive range of benefits, good work/life balance, excellent learning and development opportunities and vibrant organisational culture:

• Flexible/Agile Working

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees)

• Funded training provided in; Safeguarding, GDPR, Information and Cyber Security & Equality & Diversity

• Other training available in support of your personal and professional development

• Pension scheme (currently UK Youth match employee contributions up to 5%)

• Membership of our life insurance scheme which would pay-out up to 4 times your salary

• Employee Assistance Programme to support employees both professionally and personally

• 20% discount off bookings at Avon Tyrrell, our New Forest Outdoor Centre, including camping, lodges and outdoor activities.

• IT equipment provided for the duration of contract

• CycleScheme and TechScheme

Ready to Make a Difference? 

If you’re a forward-thinking HR leader committed to social impact, we’d love to hear from you! 

UK Youth are offering an initial 6-month fixed term contract for this position, with the potential of extension/permanent contract.

How to apply

If you would like to be considered for this fantastic opportunity, please check out our website for more information and the job description. Please complete an application via our completely anonymised recruitment system (provided by Applied)

• Closing date for applications will be 11:59pm, Friday 3rd January 2025

• Interviews are due to take place Thursday 9th January 2025

• Successful candidates must be available to start w/c 13th January 2025

As this role involves working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks, which include criminal record check and employment reference.