Interim Head of HR & Talent – 12 Month Mat Cover

I’m pleased to share that I’m currently supporting a leading Professional Services firm in the search for their interim Head of HR & Talent to support a 12-month maternity cover. This role leads the HR & Talent Management team in developing business partnering and client group management skills and practices. Role modelling, knowledge sharing, being able to challenge ideas, issues and problems with care and consideration. Ideal start date, February.

This role will be required to understand the partnering requirements and ensure the HR Business Partners and Advisors are able to deliver on these requirements.

The role also manages the People Operations team, supported by a People Operations Manager, who ensures all the people administrative processes across the full employee lifecycle are carried out efficiently and to a high quality.

Responsibilities

• The role will play a key role in broader strategic and transformation projects, enabling the HR Leads to provide user-centric solutions to the business and encourage cross-collaboration across multiple teams.
• This role leads company-wide change projects in collaboration with L&D, Talent Acquisition, Reward, and People Operations, managing stakeholders across senior leadership (Partner level) to enable overall achievement of the People strategy.
• The role will actively develop and support the commercial skills of the HR team to ensure overall understanding and purpose of their businesses, and is jointly responsible (with the Head of L&D) for the delivery of Saffery talent programmes and initiatives.
• The role actively coaches and develops the HR Leads to achieve their full potential as well as meet the learning requirements needed for them to partner with their business effectively, including managing their succession/promotion journeys going forward through effective management and coaching.
• The role will identify trends, opportunities, and points of contention to provide a value-added service to the business and can lead on these projects and take part in various groups that are appropriate to their role, following through on projects and deliverables associated with them.
• The role sets the example of providing People Experience solutions that are evidence-led, using data to help make decisions and drive appropriate behaviours (and reduce personal bias).
• The role is also focused on informal coaching at Partner level, as and when needed.
• The role is responsible for enabling the firm to undertake appropriate talent management strategies and aligning them to the Talent management programmes with L&D.
• This role regularly shares learnings and successes with their peers and broader People Experience team to ensure effective and collaborative knowledge sharing and management, further exacerbated with the team working on broader People Experience projects through both internal and external networking.
• This role is responsible for upholding the firm's values and ensuring they limit any compromise to both the firm's employment and People Experience brands, representing their team and colleagues in the most positive light.

Criteria

• Strong Professional Services background having worked within the Partnership model, ideally accountancy, Legal or Management Consulting industry experience.
• Significant leadership and resource management experience in a similar team environment.
• Experience of building and maintaining strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals; mentors others on how to build effective teams and takes actions to correct dysfunctional teams.
• Chartered professional (or equivalent demonstrable experience) with an in-depth understanding of working in a Partnership environment.
• Strong understanding of the competitive environments in which the firm operates.
• Ability to quickly develop a deep and broad knowledge of Saffery operating model, firm objectives, and key result areas.
• Ability to maintain a strong connection between a functional discipline and the firm environment.
• Able to quickly gain deep understanding of strategy, policies, standards, and politics.
• Demonstrated ability to have substantial influence at senior management levels.
• Excellent client management and relationship building skills.
• Ensures accountability and applies knowledge of business to advance the Firm’s goals, giving strong messages about how people’s efforts make a difference to the broader organisation.
• Adapts approach and demeanour in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations, exemplifying flexibility and resourcefulness.