Training Qualifications UK - Head of People Services

Training Qualifications UK - Head of People ServicesAt AQA, we're committed to advancing education and we're committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over 10 million exam papers each year and it's our people who make this happen.Applications submitted to AQA will be referred back to the sender For any queries relating to this role, please contact the Training Qualifications UK directly on the following email address: Training Qualifications UK, part of the AQA Group, is the fastest-growing Awarding Organisation in the UK and a market-leading Apprenticeship Assessment Organisation. We work with over 500 schools, colleges, universities, and training providers across the world to provide qualification certificates, endorsements, and apprenticeships to over 150,000 learners. Training Qualifications UK is entering its next phase of growth - and we're investing in top talent to build what comes next. And what comes next is big. Multiple senior roles. Launched together. One shared future. This isn't a backfill. It's a build. We're looking for exceptional people across qualification development, assessment development, people services and marketing & communications to help define what a market-leading organisation in vocational education and FE really looks like. About the Head of People Services role Our people are our most important assets, and the People Services team work tirelessly to ensure that TQUK is a brilliant place to work and that we hire, retain, develop, and recognise our talent appropriately. An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Head of People Services to lead the People Services Pillar which includes HR, Recruitment, Learning & Development, and limited Health & Safety responsibility. As a member of the Leadership Team and reporting directly into the People Director, you will play a pivotal role in developing organisational capability, shaping culture and enabling the business to achieve its strategic objectives. This is a senior, broad HR generalist role - balancing high-level leadership, strategic input and hands-on delivery of complex and sensitive People initiatives. You will ensure our people policies, practices and culture empower employees to perform at their best, feel valued, and have a consistent, positive experience throughout their employee journey. Drive the strategic direction of recruitment, ensuring talent needs are understood, anticipated, and met through a timely, cost-effective and inclusive hiring approach. Oversee and continuously improve the onboarding experience, ensuring every new hire feels welcomed, supported, and connected to our mission from day one. Responsible for all people-related policies, ensuring legal compliance, relevance, and alignment with organisational values and behaviours. Ensure employment contracts, offer letters and associated documentation are accurate, current and reinforce a professional, consistent employee experience. Champion strong governance, embedding GDPR and regulatory requirements across all people processes. Lead the development and delivery of a progressive reward strategy that enables attraction, retention and recognition of high performance. Oversee the annual salary review process, ensuring fairness, competitiveness and clear communication. Commission and interpret salary benchmarking to ensure competitive pay and inform wider strategic decisions. Continually evaluate and enhance employee benefits offerings. Responsible for the benchmarking, sourcing and relationship management of all benefit providers. Communicate and roll out new benefit offerings. Support the growth and refinement of our recognition strategy, ensuring it reflects our culture and business objectives. Lead on transformational people-related projects, ensuring initiatives are well-designed, well-governed and drive meaningful organisational improvement. Shape and support the effective functioning and development of the Leadership Team, ensuring strong team dynamics, collective capability and alignment with organisational goals. Brief and advise the Leadership and Executive teams on people matters with clarity, confidence and strategic insight. Manage budgets and resources effectively, ensuring people projects are delivered on time and to a high standard. Ensure alignment with regulatory requirements and organisational risk frameworks. Champion equality, diversity and inclusion across all people activities. Oversee key areas of basic Health & Safety compliance, including First Aid and Fire Safety responsibilities where appropriate. Liaise with Group level HSE to ensure relevant compliance and ensure we adopt best practice. Drive and deliver a culture that emphasises continuous improvement, efficiency and value for money, creating psychological safety for others and challenging each other and the status quo. Be a cultural architect. Use the non-negotiables to inform all decisions, conversations and actions, influencing others to do the same, holding them to account as required. Work closely with other Heads to manage cross-pillar issues, initiatives and incidents, taking full accountability for completion of company objectives. Shape strategies and plans which help put into practice and support TQUK's vision and long-term direction taking account of financial and implementation issues. Weigh up competing views to generate ways forward which will meet organisational goals. Take quick, confident decisions at a strategic level to move things forward. Define and integrate clear structures, systems and resources required across the Pillars to promote efficient service delivery, making difficult decisions about allocation of resources as necessary. Ensure an in-depth and evolving understanding of the broad range of customer requirements is embedded in TQUK. Be an excellent, proactive communicator, prepared to have difficult conversations and communicate or defend unpopular messages company-wide. Represent TQUK, speaking credibly and authoritatively on behalf of the Executive Team as required. Remain an expert in your own areas of responsibility. Essential Skills and Experience Proven senior HR leadership experience, ideally gained within an awarding, regulated or similarly complex environment. Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build trust and influence at all levels. Significant experience leading teams through organisational change and fostering high-performing, collaborative cultures. Advanced project management capability and the ability to balance multiple priorities. Reward experience would be preferred due to an immediate requirement to deliver on multiple aspects of the employee value proposition. Strong understanding of the vocational education landscape and current sector reforms (desirable). CIPD Level 7 (or working towards) preferred. Deep knowledge of employment law and ability to apply it pragmatically. Highly organised with exceptional prioritisation and planning skills. Skilled in managing sensitive and confidential matters with discretion and professionalism. Strong analytical and problem-solving ability, with a proactive and solutions-focused mindset. Adaptable, resilient and comfortable working in a fast-paced, changing environment. High attention to detail and commitment to excellence. Empathetic, diplomatic and practical, with a sense of humour and a people-first mindset. AQA is an independent charity that sets and marks over half of all GCSEs and A-levels in the UK every year. Our purpose is to advance education by helping students and teachers to realise their potential. As part of AQA, you'll very quickly appreciate the determination and unwavering passion to deliver this