Head of People

The Head of People is a standalone role that encompasses the full lifecycle of HR activity at the Donmar and operates across both strategic and operational HR.  The role combines business partnering, organisational development, workforce planning and employee engagement with responsibility for People operations, systems, processes, policies and governance. 

The Head of People will use proven skills and experience in HR generalism, recruitment and organisation design to support the overarching strategy of the Donmar while managing the full employee lifecycle and will partner with stakeholders across the organisation to support an excellent standard of colleague management, welfare and engagement. 

The role will deliver on all aspects of HR operations, using a blended approach of staff welfare and culture with compliance and due diligence to keep our people and our organisation safe and thriving.

Reporting to the Director of Finance and Operations (“DFO”), you will work closely with the Head of Inclusion and Skills, to ensure our training programmes are relevant, effective and embedded and that our recruitment processes are robust and inclusive, and the Operations team to help create an exceptional colleague experience.

Duties and Key Responsibilities:

HR Operations, Systems & Reporting

• Lead all People operational activity and ensure efficient delivery of HR services.
• Maintain accurate and compliant employee records and documentation.
• Ensure People systems, processes and workflows are fit for purpose, user-friendly and secure.
• Work with Finance to support accurate payroll processing.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes through technology and automation.

 Employee Relations

• Lead all employee relations activity across the organisation.
• Manage disciplinary, grievance, capability, attendance and performance processes.
• Conduct investigations and advise managers on complex cases and facilitate informal resolution approaches wherever appropriate.
• Ensure all employee relations matters are handled fairly, consistently and in line with legislation and policy.
• Build management confidence and capability in handling people matters.
• Commission and enact external advice, legal or otherwise, when required.

Governance, Legal Compliance & Risk

• Ensure the organisation remains fully compliant with employment legislation and HR best practice by monitoring legislative developments and implementing changes as required.
• Lead the development, review and implementation of People policies and procedures.
• Maintain and regularly update the Colleague Handbook and people-related guidance.
• Support organisational compliance requirements relating to safeguarding, data protection and equality legislation.

 Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Work with the Head of Inclusion and Skills (“HOIS”) to develop a strategic approach to recruitment that attracts diverse, high-calibre talent to ensure recruitment processes are inclusive, accessible and aligned with best practice.
• Support all de-centralised recruitment activity across permanent, fixed-term and freelance appointments.
• Work in partnership with the recruiting manager and operations team on the onboarding and induction processes to ensure a positive colleague experience.
• Develop pathways into the organisation including apprenticeships, internships, work experience and volunteer opportunities.

Learning, Development & Performance

• Collaborate with the HOIS to develop a learning and development strategy that supports individual growth and organisational capability.
• Deliver people-related training and workshops as required.
• Support managers in creating meaningful development opportunities for their teams.

Reward, Benefits & Workforce Analytics

• Support the development and review of reward and remuneration strategies including recommendations for suitable pay frameworks and grading structures
• Conduct salary benchmarking and market analysis to support equitable pay decisions.
• Use workforce data and analytics to identify trends, risks and opportunities.
• Produce meaningful people metrics, dashboards and reports for leadership and governance groups.

Leadership & Governance

• Provide strategic people leadership and act as People advisor across the organisation.
• Support the development and delivery of organisational strategic plans.
• Participate in governance groups including EDI and Culture & Communications Committees.

Strategic HR Business Partnering

• Build strong relationships with managers across the organisation, coaching and developing their people management capability.
• Support managers in creating meaningful development opportunities for their teams.
• Collaborate with the HoIS to deliver the organisation’s EDI objectives and action plans.
• Lead initiatives, via the SMT, that strengthen colleague engagement, wellbeing and organisational culture.

Other Ad Hoc Duties

• At the request of your line manager, take on other reasonable duties and responsibilities as required to support the needs of the team and the organisation.

We are seeking an experienced and proactive professional with senior-level generalist HR experience, capable of operating as both a strategic partner and hands-on practitioner.  

Although part of a broader ‘operations’ team, this role is a ‘standalone’ role, you are 1 of 1, and will need to be able to demonstrate that you have developed your resilience, negotiation and influencing skills to be able to drive the People agenda forward.   

The successful candidate will have a strong track record of advising senior leaders, leading organisational change, managing complex ‘employee relations’ matters and developing people strategies that support organisational goals. They will possess excellent knowledge of employment law, HR best practice and people governance, alongside experience of recruitment, performance management, learning and development, reward and workforce planning.

The ideal candidate will combine strong relationship-building with a passion for creating inclusive, high-performing workplace cultures. They will be confident using data, systems and insights to inform decision-making, improve processes and support organisational effectiveness. Highly organised, self-motivated and comfortable working independently they will demonstrate a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, exceptional judgement and discretion, and the ability to build trust with colleagues at all levels. 

Experience within the arts, cultural, charity or creative sectors, alongside knowledge of freelance or project-based workforces, would be advantageous but not essential. A working knowledge of theatre operations would also be of interest.

Essential Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Strategic HR Leadership

• HR Generalist Expertise

• Experience in talent acquisition and workforce development

• Experience with HR systems, reporting & process improvement

• Experience with HR compliance, governance and risk

• Strong communication & relationship management skills

• Demonstrable skill in supporting inclusion, culture & values

• Excellent IT skills, including Google suite and Microsoft Excel.