Job Title: Director of People
Reports to: Executive Director
Responsible For: Head of HR, Head of Workforce Development, HR Business Partners, on site Occupational Health Unit
Purpose of the Role
The Director of People will provide inspirational vision, leadership, management and coordination to the core HR function across the organisation. You will own, lead and develop the People strategy, governance and project delivery and align the People strategy to the NT’s artistic, business and cultural strategy. This is a senior role and one that requires both inspiring leadership and effective liaison and cooperation with a wide range of stakeholders. The role will shape and devise strategies that create positivity in the workplace, improve engagement with the workforce, and support creativity, innovation and talent development to enable all our people to thrive. The make-up of the National Theatre’s workforce is broad, consisting of permanent, fixed term and casual staff, sub-contracted staff and freelancers. In partnership with the Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director and the Director of Culture will work on an organisation wide culture change project. A key part of this will be to set, implement and monitor an overarching vision of diversity, equality, and inclusion across all areas of activity – staff, freelancers and audiences – that works to eliminate systemic organisational marginalisation and promotes inclusive and equitable practices.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead an effective and efficient HR team to appropriate standards of excellence, responsiveness, delivery and service. Act as a role model to HR team
- Ensure HR policies, practices, procedures and reporting are fit for purpose, operated effectively and maintained in order to provide a fair and consistent management of colleagues throughout the business (thus minimising risk)
- Monitor and oversee the delivery of people and resource priorities across the National Theatre – ensuring that equality, diversity and inclusion are championed consistently throughout the organisation in line with its values
- Function as a strategic business advisor to the Executive Team on key organisational and management issues
- Drive the Talent Management agenda, creating as many career-defining opportunities as possible
- Play a pivotal role in strategic planning for the organisation from an HR perspective
- Ensure the business continues to attract and effectively onboard the very best talent
- Lead on Employee Engagement initiatives which support change initiatives and promote a progressive culture within the company including appropriate consultation and communication methods
- Create and support a culture of high performance
- Build a mentally healthy and resilient workplace, post pandemic, and engage a hybrid workforce
- Build trusted relationships across the organisation and with key stakeholders to ensure the workforce feels invested in the policies and processes held by the organisation, that they work in a culture where everyone feels valued, and have opportunities to develop at work
- Analyse and share observations regarding best practice and innovation within the sector, and be able to represent and advocate for the National Theatre to the outside world
- Ensure effective use of systems and technology to enhance HR service provision including the use of meaningful MI
- Work with the Theatre’s Executive in the development of a Learning and Development strategy, aligned to the Theatre’s current and future needs. Responsible for creating and delivering an annual rolling training plan
- Create a positive employee relations culture, seeking to build new models for staff engagement, working culture and consultation with our recognised trade unions
- Maximise cross-departmental opportunities and troubleshoot cross-function challenges, as needed
- Prepare monthly and quarterly reports on organisational progress for the CEO, ED, Board, and others as needed
- To act as a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) alongside the Director of Learning in order to take the lead role in ensuring that appropriate arrangements are in place across the work of the National Theatre for keeping children and young people and adults at risk safe