Expression of Interest: People & Workforce Director

Location: Remote/Flexible, with travel as required
Contract Type: 2-year contract, subject to programme award (or Associate/FTC engagement)
Salary: £95,000-£110,000 FTE or up to £850 per day (Associate basis)
Hours: 37.5 hours per week (full-time equivalent)
Status: Expression of Interest

A Senior Opportunity to Shape the Workforce Behind a National Programme

Etio is developing plans for a significant national programme and is seeking expressions of interest from experienced senior People and HR leaders.

The People & Workforce Director will lead the people strategy, workforce planning and organisational development required to mobilise, grow and sustain a high-performing national programme.

We are seeking an experienced People leader who can build the workforce infrastructure, culture and capability needed to support delivery at scale. This role will bring together workforce planning, talent acquisition, HR operations, employee relations, organisational development and employee experience, ensuring the programme attracts, develops and retains the talent required to achieve its objectives.

This is an opportunity to help shape an organisation from the ground up, building the people foundations that enable long-term success.

You Will

• Develop and lead the programme's People and Workforce Strategy.
• Support the creation of a distinctive, inclusive and delivery-focused culture.
• Work with programme and partner leaders to establish a shared purpose, values, leadership behaviours and ways of working.
• Lead workforce planning, mobilisation and organisational readiness activities.
• Establish effective HR operations, systems and people processes.
• Develop talent attraction, recruitment and onboarding strategies.
• Provide leadership and oversight across employee relations and people risk.
• Shape the employee experience, including employee voice, engagement, feedback and organisational listening mechanisms.
• Develop approaches to performance management, development and employee engagement.
• Ensure appropriate people policies, governance and compliance arrangements are in place.
• Partner with senior leaders to address workforce, culture and organisational challenges.
• Lead workforce transition from mobilisation into operational delivery.
• Support organisational design, role clarity, decision-making frameworks and cross-functional collaboration.
• Develop workforce dashboards and management information covering recruitment, retention, capability, absence, engagement, diversity and workforce risk.
• Build and lead the People function as the programme develops and matures.

What You'll Bring

• Significant senior/ executive level leadership experience across HR, People and Organisational Development functions.
• Experience creating, embedding or transforming organisational culture.
• Proven experience leading workforce strategy, mobilisation, organisational growth, transformation or the establishment of new operating models.
• Strong HR operational knowledge and employee relations expertise.
• Experience designing and implementing effective people processes, systems and governance.
• Strong understanding of employment law, workforce risk and people compliance.
• Experience influencing senior leaders and working within complex stakeholder environments.
• Strong workforce planning, talent management and succession planning capability.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, influencing and relationship-building skills.
• A pragmatic, commercially minded approach to People leadership with the ability to balance strategic thinking and operational delivery.

Who We Are

📌 Etio is a mission-driven organisation providing expertise to improve education systems and outcomes.

📌 We work in partnership with the Department for Education and sector leaders to deliver high-quality national programmes that raise standards and strengthen the profession.

Benefits

We know our people are our greatest strength. That's why we offer a flexible, supportive culture and benefits that help you do your best work while supporting your wellbeing.

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (with the option to buy more)
• Flexible working culture
• Private Medical Insurance and Healthcare Cash Plan
• Enhanced family-friendly policies
• Work from Anywhere globally (up to 8 weeks per year)
• Paid volunteer day
• Cycle to Work and Electric Car Scheme
• 3% employer pension contribution

Accessibility and Adjustments

We're committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require adjustments at any stage of the application or selection process, please let us know. We're happy to support you.

We welcome expressions of interest from individuals interested in either a substantive leadership role or an Associate engagement.