Head of global HR services

Do you have the passion, vision and drive to lead the delivery of excellence that can transform the quality of Christian Aid’s HR support to its 900 staff working across the globe to eradicate poverty? Do you have HR expertise to lead and develop large scale corporate initiatives that build staff capability and drive change? Can you build effective partnerships with directors and senior managers?

As the Head of Global HR Services you will work closely with Christian Aid’s directors and senior managers to strengthen organisational HR capacity and ensure excellence in the way we manage and support our staff across all of Christian Aid’s work. You will lead the strategic development of this critical corporate service to ensure it continually responds effectively to the challenges of a rapidly changing operational environment. In your leadership of the Global HR Services Team, you will forge effective and transformative partnerships across Christian Aid’s operations that build management capacity and best practice around all aspects of people management.

Reporting to the Director of Strategy and People Management, you will lead and inspire a global HR team of 13 staff based in the UK, Africa, India and Peru. You will support their on-going professional HR development and manage the effective deployment of budget to deliver the work and responsibilities of the team.

You will have a degree level education and a recognised professional qualification in HR, together with extensive knowledge and senior level experience in the strategic development and delivery of an HR function in a large and complex organisation, operating internationally across different cultures and legal jurisdictions.

You will be able to evidence effective strategic partnering at senior levels, demonstrating excellent influencing and negotiating skills to impact change at a corporate level. Working closely with our Strategic Business Development Partners, you will have a track record in directing and managing corporate change projects, leading large scale initiatives which have resulted in improved operational efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of HR.

You will have the analytical skills to evaluate current and future systems, processes, capabilities, skills and learning needs at a strategic level. Experience of working in the charitable sector is desirable.

Please show your suitability for this post by giving answers to the following questions: Using the guidance notes may help you formulate your answers.

Building partnerships

Describe a time when you have used knowledge gained from external partnerships to influence and change internal corporate practice.

Realise potential

Describe an example of when you have had to challenge and address behaviours or actions that have been contrary to the organisation’s vision and/or values.

Strive for Improvement

Describe a time when you have led an initiative to strengthen the capacity of a team or function which has resulted in a significant impact at an organisational level.

We value the contribution each person makes to the success of our organisation. That’s why you can expect a wide range of rewards and benefits, including a generous holiday allowance, a season ticket loan, and flexibility that will ensure you enjoy a good work/life balance.

As this post is UK based, non-EC nationals will require current and valid permission to work in the UK.

Download the role profile (123 KB pdf)

To apply for this post, please download an application pack and email your completed UK & Ireland application formto:  recruitment@christian-aid.org  quoting the reference number given below. Alternatively, your completed application form, together with the equal opportunities form, can be printed out and posted to us at:

Christian Aid 
35 Lower Marsh 
Waterloo 
London 
SE1 7RT

Please note that CVs will not be accepted.

Job reference: 626/OK

Closing date: 12 noon, Tuesday 17 December 2013

Interview date: Monday 13 January 2014

Christian Aid values diversity and aspires to reflect this in our workforce. We welcome applications from people from all sections of the community, irrespective of race, colour, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief.