Head of Human Resources – Governance and Policy

Job summary

The Head of HR – Governance and Policy role plays a pivotal role in shaping an inclusive, sustainable and high‑performing organisation. The role provides strategic leadership across the Forestry Commission’s people framework, championing excellent HR policy, pensions governance, equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing, and the effective governance of all people programmes.

Working as a trusted adviser to the Executive Board and senior leaders, the post holder enables confident, well-informed decision-making, drives organisational transformation and ensures that people strategies and programmes deliver meaningful outcomes for colleagues and the organisation.

Job description

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

• HR Policy: Set the strategic direction for HR policy, ensuring it is clear, accessible and enables managers and leaders to act confidently, consistently and fairly. Lead the ongoing evolution of people policies and guidance so they reflect organisational values, emerging best practice and the changing needs of the workforce.
• Governance, Risk and Assurance: Provide visible leadership on HR governance and people‑related risk, creating a strong culture of accountability, transparency and continuous improvement. Anticipate change in the external environment and ensure the organisation is well‑positioned to respond effectively and proportionately.
• Strategic Advisory: Act as a trusted strategic adviser to Senior Leadership and the Executive Board, shaping discussion and decisions on people‑related opportunity, risk and organisational capability. Provide insight, challenge and assurance to support long‑term sustainability and performance.
• Employee Relations and Best Practice: Provide strategic leadership on employee relations, setting clear expectations for fair, consistent and constructive approaches to engagement with staff and trade unions. Champion best practice and support the organisation to manage complex issues with confidence and integrity.
• Pensions Leadership: Accountable for the organisation’s pension arrangements, ensuring they are well‑governed, sustainable and clearly understood. Build confidence among colleagues and leaders in the organisation’s approach to pensions through strong oversight, clear communication and effective decision‑making.
• Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing: Champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing across the organisation, setting a clear strategic direction and ensuring these principles are embedded into people policies, programmes and everyday ways of working. Support the development of a culture where everyone feels valued, included and able to thrive.
• People Programmes: Provide strategic oversight of all people programmes, ensuring they are well‑designed, outcome‑focused and aligned to organisational priorities. Monitor impact and benefits, providing clear insight and assurance to the People Board and Executive Board on progress and outcomes.
• Change and Transformation: Support organisational change and transformation by ensuring that people policies, governance arrangements, systems and programmes enable new ways of working and strengthen organisational capability.

And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential professional and technical experience

• Experience: Substantial experience in a senior HR leadership role, with a strong track record of shaping policy, people programmes and governance frameworks in complex organisations.
• Experience of providing senior-level oversight or assurance across areas such as people policy, employee relations, pensions, equality and inclusion, wellbeing and organisational change.
• Knowledge: Strong understanding of UK employment law, data protection legislation, and best practices in HR compliance.
• Skills: Excellent communication and analytical skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and present complex issues clearly and persuasively.
• Skills: Ability to build, review, and implement robust HR Operating systems. Proficient in KPI / Metrics / Power BI platforms.
• Skills: Ability to design, evaluate and improve people frameworks and operating models that support organisational strategy.
• Qualifications: CIPD qualification required (or equivalent experience in a Senior HR leadership role).

Desirable professional and technical experience

• Expert Knowledge: Deep understanding of UK employment law and HR best practices. Experience of working in, or closely with, the civil service or a large public sector organisation.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to translate complex legislation into practical, user-friendly policies and operational strategies. Experienced in leading large-scale organisational change or transformation programmes using programme management methodologies.
• Communication: Exceptional drafting skills for high-level governance reports, policy documents, and board papers.
• Influence: Proven experience in negotiating with trade unions and influencing senior stakeholders in complex, committee-led environments.

Qualifications

Essential

• Requires Degree / Master's degree in HR Management or equivalent, along with Chartered CIPD membership.

Desirable

• Operational / Non-HR professional experience within complex organisations. CIPD Chartered Fellow would be desirable.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £60,293, Forestry Commission contributes £17,466 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.

You will be asked to upload a CV, write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words. You will be assessed on both during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.

You may be assessed on technical, experience, behaviours and strength based questions during your interview. We will also ask interviewees to undertake a short staff engagement session and participate in such on the day of the interview selection. This may include a short presentation, the details for which would be notified to candidates invited to interview.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Seeing the Bigger Picture
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating & Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk
• Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact FCE by email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Attachments

Head of HR - Policy and Governance Job Description Opens in new window (pdf, 142kB)