Head of People and Culture (37.5 hours per week) Apply before 5:00 pm on Friday 11 th April 2025 Reference number : HOPC/03/25 Salary : £79,288 - £86,183 p.a. - Starting salary dependent on experience (pro rata for part-time) Contract type : Permanent Location : Birmingham/Cardiff/Leeds – however, travel to the Birmingham office will be required for in-person attendance at meetings, etc. where necessary Our Benefits Stakeholder pension scheme, whereby LeO will double your contribution up to 10%. Annual Leave of 26 days per year (plus bank holidays) – (pro rata for part time staff), plus you can buy or sell 4 days leave each year. hybrid working of 80% at home and 20% in the office spread over a month. Group Income Protection – if you can’t work due to long term absence or injury, this protection can provide a regular income. Life assurance of 6 times your annual salary Legal Information Service offering free advice and support with debt management, tax related matters, consumer disputes. Employee Assistance programmes Online health, fitness, and wellbeing resources Wellbeing champions Investment in your career development through learning and development, talent management, coaching, mentoring and on the job experience. About the job The Office for Legal Complaints’ (OLC) strategy for the Legal Ombudsman places at its heart the value and impact HR can bring. Over the last few years significant progress has been made in developing a strong, forward-thinking people strategy and delivering a wide range of impactful, effective people initiatives, supported by a committed HR team. This role provides a great opportunity to build on the strong foundations now in place and move HR into the next phase, adding real value to the organisation and delivering on our aim to make LeO an employer of choice. You will report into the Chief Ombudsman and be a key member of the Executive Team. About You We seek a candidate with full MCIPD membership and proven experience in a similar role. You should be confident in leading HR and equality functions and influencing across the organisation. Key Attributes: Collaborative and innovative HR professional. Ability to develop and implement HR and equality strategies. Natural leader who motivates and inspires through coaching and example. Effective communicator at all levels, including Board level. Strong written and verbal communication skills. High personal resilience, remaining calm under pressure. Strategic thinker with practical and innovative solutions. Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders. Join us and help shape a workplace where everyone can thrive and achieve their best. Job description: Key accountabilities and responsibilities: As a senior Legal Ombudsman executive, provide strong and inspirational leadership across the executive team, the HR and EDI functions and to the wider workforce by demonstrating and role-modelling the Legal Ombudsman’s (LEO) values. Lead on the continuing development of LeO’s People Strategy, ensuring its alignment to strategic and business plans and future developments impacting LeO’s people. Working closely with the EDI Manager and in consultation with LeO’s diverse staff networks, lead and further develop LeO’s strategic approach to equality, diversity and inclusion, embedding it at the heart of LeO’s strategic and business plans and People Strategy and ensuring LeO is a diverse and inclusive employer. Take a lead role in continuing to transform the organisational culture, ensuring that LeO’s values, inclusivity and service principles are lived and embedded alongside creating a high-performance culture within the organisation. Lead on talent development and succession planning strategy, including development of career pathways and progression opportunities, to enable LeO’s people to perform at their best, fulfil their potential and work towards their career aspirations. Further develop and support excellent leadership and management capability and capacity, ensuring leaders and managers are equipped with the skills to manage change well and are empowered to make decisions. Lead on the development of a learning and development strategy that is aligned to strategic and business priorities and ensures LeO’s people have the skills they need now and for the future. Lead on the development of a workforce planning process that ensures that LeO’s staffing capacity, structures and roles are appropriately resourced, fit for purpose and support LeO’s strategic objectives. Lead the development of pay, reward and recognition strategy, so that LeO is able to attract, retain and motivate the best people through an attractive and competitive employee value proposition. Lead on employee engagement, staff wellbeing and inclusion, including engagement with the Staff Council and equality networks, promoting and developing a culture of positive, inclusive partnership working. Lead on the strategic development and implementation of HR policy, formulating policies and strategies for LeO in line with business objectives, employment legislation and HR and EDI good practice. Ensure an effective HR business partnering approach across the business, providing expert professional advice in all areas of people-related services and payroll including the application of employment law, HR policy and best practice. Be responsible for the preparation and delivery of key people reports, data, information and insights to the OLC Board and Remuneration Committee members, ensuring they are assured, updated and engaged on key people issues. Ensure HR and equality systems (including payroll), processes, policies and procedures are legally compliant, efficient and meet the needs of the business. Ensure that strong and appropriate networks and relationships with all external stakeholders and partners are maintained, including the Ministry of Justice and 3rd party contractors such as Occupational Health and payroll providers. Provide strong leadership to the HR and EDI teams and across the organisation. General responsibilities: Demonstrate a positive and proactive commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and employee wellbeing. Monitor and control budgets and contracts within areas of responsibility, ensuring the appropriate use of public funds and value for money. Take a proactive approach to risk management, ensuring that risks and issues are assessed, reported and where appropriate, escalated in line with all governance protocols. Adhere to all corporate policies, procedures, legal, governance and audit requirements, ensuring that all team members do the same. Person specification The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their experience and skills against the following essential criteria: Fully qualified MCIPD HR Professional – with evidence of continuous professional development. Strong leadership and strategic thinking capabilities, including the ability to translate strategic objectives into deliverable operational plans Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to influence, establish credibility and build strong working relationships at all levels with senior leaders, employees and external stakeholders Strong presentational and report-writing skills, with ability to promote a positive image of the Legal Ombudsman to a wide range of individuals and external contacts Ability to take difficult decisions and a willingness to manage risk Able to work effectively at pace and adapt to change Extensive knowledge and understanding of employment law and HR and equality best practice Proven track record of leading and managing high performing HR/L&D functions and teams Working at senior level or in a strategic HR role in a complex organisation Developing positive and inclusive people culture and implementing people/workforce and EDI strategies Developing and implementing effective HR policies and procedures that are fully compliant with employment law and reflect good HR and equality practice Managing complex employee relations matters (including to Employment Tribunal level) Effective employee and stakeholder consultation and partnership working Personal integrity and a demonstrable connection between personal values and the values of LeO Effective under pressure and competing priorities Committed to creation of a positive and inclusive workplace culture and promotion of equality and diversity, respecting difference and welcoming challenge from others About us and why we matter: - People rely on legal services at key times in their lives – whether it’s buying a home, dealing with bereavement, having issues at work, ending a marriage, or being involved in legal action. These things really matter – and that’s why the Legal Ombudsman really matters. If people can’t sort out a problem with a legal provider, we’re here to resolve things fairly and as quickly as possible. And as we resolve individual complaints, we share learning and insight into what we’ve seen – helping prevent the same issues arising again. The Legal Ombudsman are: - Family Friendly with enhanced maternity leave and pay, paternity leave, shared parental leave, adoption leave. Money friendly with access to a discount’s platform including thousands of discounts for supermarkets, eating out, leisure, holidays, theatre tickets etc Community friendly offering Special Leave – if you’re an active member of your community, you can get extra paid leave for public duties, volunteering activities and reserve forces duties. Inclusive of all communities and we encourage applications from the widest possible range of backgrounds and circumstances. A disability Confident employer, welcoming applications from disabled people. We operate the ‘offer an interview’ scheme for all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. If you are successful, it’s key to know all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory completion of our pre-employment checks which include: - Right to work check, (applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK). Employment History references DBS criminal record check Fit for work questionnaire (for all) followed by a medical check (if applicable) Qualifications and/or professional membership check (if applicable)