Director of HR

Director of Human Resources -, SOAS, University of London

SOAS is a unique institution, a University dedicated to the study of the human condition with a special focus on Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. It is dedicated to a study of the planetary questions of our historical moment, but it tries to understand these from the perspective of the Global South. In fulfilling this mandate, SOAS has brought together an incredible array of scholars, students and professionals who are dedicated to academic excellence and social justice, all of whom are intent on changing our world for the better.

We have an ambitious new strategy which re-affirms our commitment to global excellence and our vision to build a research-intensive university which is world-class and responsive to the marginalised communities of our world. SOAS recently featured in the Top 50 universities in the world for addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022, Development Studies ranked 2nd in the world. The 2021 Research Excellence Framework continued to consolidate our position as a leading institution for social sciences, arts, and humanities research.

We are seeking to appoint a Director of HR who will work closely with the Executive Board and the whole SOAS community to develop and implement people strategies that are aligned with our values and will help enable the delivery of our strategic ambitions. As a senior member of the School’s professional services team, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Director will help build and shape the HR Directorate, driving and leading transformational change to deliver an agile and responsive service. They will ensure the delivery of effective HR, learning and OD support to academic departments and professional services directorates as we continue to invest in our people and facilities.

We are seeking a strategic and creative thinker with proven HR and OD leadership in a people-focussed organisation of relevant scale and complexity, and a proven record of leading and delivering excellence and service improvement across the breadth of this portfolio. With excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, they will have experience of developing people-centric, high-performing HR strategies and organisational cultures, and will have a genuine interest in making a difference in a University that is committed to social justice, and thereby making a significant impact on the UK and the world.

We would particularly welcome applications from candidates from working class, first generation Higher Education, the Global South, Black, Asian or other minority ethnic and underrepresented groups. All appointment decisions will be made on merit, following a fair and competitive process.

Closing date: Friday 17th March 2023 at 5pm