Head of Human Resources

Job Title

Head of Human Resources

Reports To

Head of School

Main Working Relationships

Division Principal and their Leadership Teams, Specialist Coordinators such as the Head of Learning Support, and our admin team.

Responsibilities

General

• Commit to, and positively promote, the school's Mission and Educational Model in an age 2 to Grade 12, day and boarding context.
• Model and encourage a culture aligned with UWC Values and the IB Learner Profile.
• View yourself as a change agent, capable of helping all staff make progress in a way that communicates that there is more in them than they think.
• Develop an environment in which staff are challenged and supported so as to maintain their enthusiasm for the field of education.
• Constantly improve your own knowledge and skills through professional dialogue, collaboration and professional development.
• Build relationships with all stakeholders that promote the success of students and our programmes.

Specific

• Employee recruitment, onboarding, relations and offboarding
• Managing HR platforms and systems
• Overseeing payroll
• Meeting government requirements with regards to tax, etc.

Strategic HR Leadership:

• Develop and execute HR strategies aligned with the overall business objectives.
• Provide guidance to senior leadership on HR-related matters and contribute to the development of organisational policies.
• Communicate proactively with the Head of School, leadership and management about the strategic objectives and workings of the HR Department.
• Seek to improve organisational effectiveness and productivity.
• Promote a positive image of the School and engage in ongoing growth and development as a professional by engaging with community organisations, national, and international professional associations, conferences, trainings and webinars.
• Represent the department and serve as a resource by participating on various School committees.
• Promote effective employer-employee relations by providing direction on contract interpretations and participating in labour grievance resolutions.
• Develop and implement a strategic and effective Human Resources departmental budget.
• Facilitate a work environment known for its intercultural competency and commitment to DEIB.

Talent Acquisition and Management:

• Oversee the recruitment process, ensuring the attraction and retention of top-tier talent.
• Lead effective hiring processes, characterised by standards of professionalism and safeguarding.
• Implement effective onboarding processes to facilitate seamless integration of new employees.

Employee Relations and Engagement:

• Foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture through effective employee relations initiatives.
• Design and implement programs to enhance employee engagement, satisfaction, and professional development.
• Serve as an advocate for employees by listening and becoming aware of employee needs and concerns, sharing this information with School leadership, researching best practices, and offering options for leaders to consider in addressing employee needs and concerns.
• Contribute to employee engagement by advising and supervising the implementation and administration of the employee benefits programs, providing excellent customer service, automating processing systems, communicating information about programs and services to employees and to all levels of management throughout the School, working with benefit plan consultants and vendors, interpreting policies and laws in a consistent manner, and working with advisory committees to review and implement new and alternative benefits initiatives.
• Supervise all HR department members, ensuring their work is characterised by strong levels of professionalism, customer orientation, accuracy and accountability.

Policy Development and Compliance:

• Ensure consistent and equitable application of human resource policies, procedures, and government regulations throughout the School by advising senior administrators about the applicable policies, procedures, and regulations, providing training for all

Performance Management:

• Implement performance management systems to monitor and enhance employee productivity.
• Provide leadership in the design and execution of training and development programs.
• Advise employees and supervisors regarding performance and disciplinary issues, administer progressive discipline and grievance procedures consistently, listen to employee and supervisor concerns, conduct investigations as needed, and recommend a plan of action.
• Provide training and promote the use of the Improvement, Appraisal & Development Plan as a staff development tool to identify training needs and professional development offerings and to inform promotion decisions, annual salary increases, terminations, succession planning, and other personnel actions.
• Develop a competent, productive and effective personnel staff by supervising, directly and through delegation, professional and support employees.

Required Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in Human Resources
• A minimum of 2 years of successful international experience, ideally in an international school context.
• Knowledge, understanding and previous experience in a boarding and/or UWC school is preferred.