Director People Team Effectiveness

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.

We connect. We inspire.

Role Purpose

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, the Director, People Team Effectiveness is accountable for the internal operating discipline of the People Function: governance, performance reporting, functional engagement, cost insight, continuous improvement, and the capability, culture, future technology roadmap and ways of working needed for the function to be fully effective. The role enables the CPO and People Leadership Team to run the function with clarity, pace and accountability by maintaining the routines, insight, forums and reporting needed to track delivery and make timely decisions. It develops the conditions for the People Function to perform well as one integrated team, including building engagement, collaboration, accountability, learning and confidence among People team colleagues themselves. It facilitates development of the People Function Technology roadmap, working with People Function domain leaders and specialists from Digital & Technology to define the future HR tech stack requirements, sequencing, dependencies and decision points.

Main Accountabilities

Coordinate strategy execution, technology roadmap and performance

Coordinate delivery of People Function priorities, providing clear oversight of progress, performance, risks and dependencies. Establish effective performance rhythms and reporting to support the CPO and People Leadership Team, and facilitate the People Function technology roadmap with domain and Digital & Technology leaders, ensuring clear requirements, sequencing and decisions.

Strengthen governance, risk management and decision support

Strengthen proportionate governance across the People Function, providing clear oversight of risks, dependencies, escalations and decisions. Ensure leadership forums are purposeful, well planned and focused on delivery, accountability and effective decision making.

Develop the capability, culture and ways of working of the People Function

Develop the People Function’s capability, culture and ways of working so it operates as one effective, engaged team. Embed the operating model, improve collaboration and hand-offs, reduce duplication and complexity, and use insight to improve service quality, colleague experience and overall effectiveness.

Lead communications, engagement and advocacy for the People Function

Lead clear, engaging communications that build understanding and commitment around People Function priorities, progress and ways of working. Provide leaders with effective briefings, narratives and collateral, showcase impact and improvement, and use colleague feedback to inform leadership action.

Lead cost insight, efficiency and stewardship support

Provide consolidated cost, capacity, workforce and demand insight to support resource planning and portfolio reviews led through People Partnering & Change Delivery. Coordinate efficiency and value-for-money commitments, using data to understand cost-to-serve, delivery risk, service impact and benefits, while promoting responsible stewardship of people, budget and external spend.

Lead and develop the People Team Effectiveness team (4 people)

Lead and develop a high-performing People Team Effectiveness team, setting clear priorities and building capability across governance, performance, communications, engagement, cost insight, HR technology and improvement. Ensure the team operates as an enabling hub for the wider People Function, modelling inclusive, values-led leadership and continuous learning.

Knowledge & Experience

Education

Essential:

• Evidence of continuing professional development in strategic HR and organisational transformation

Desirable:

• Agile SAFe qualification or equivalent.
• Programme, portfolio or transformation qualification such as MSP Practitioner or equivalent.
• Change management qualification such as Prosci, CCMP or equivalent.

Experience

Essential:

• Significant senior leadership experience in HR, including in business-facing HR roles, as well as in functional strategy execution, business planning, governance, performance management, operational effectiveness or organisational improvement.
• Strong understanding of HR operating models and how to build HR capability
• Knowledge of how to build and maintain HR, functional governance, performance management, cost insight and resource stewardship.
• Experience translating strategy into clear plans, measures, governance rhythms and delivery disciplines.
• Proven ability to use data, insight and evidence to improve functional performance, service quality and decision making.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including experience supporting cost optimisation, budget stewardship and value-for-money activity.
• Experience leading communications, engagement, stakeholder advocacy or change adoption activity in a complex organisation.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, including experience working directly with executive leadership teams.
• Ability to create clarity, focus and accountability in a complex, matrixed environment.

Desirable:

• Experience within a global, matrixed organisation.
• Experience shaping HR technology strategy, technology roadmap development, future tech stack requirements, digital enablement or AI-enabled ways of working.
• Experience developing functional performance frameworks, cost-to-serve analysis or efficiency improvement plans.

Important Information

Location: UK (Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London), Nigeria (Abuja, Kano, Lagos, Port Harcourt)

Working Arrangement: This position is open to flexible working arrangements. Available for homeworking arrangements in the UK.

Contract Type: Indefinite

Pay band: 10 LMFGS

Right to Work Requirements: You must have the legal right to work in the location in which the role is based.

Languages: Written and verbal proficiency in English is required

Closing date for applications: 23:59pm, Tuesday 20 October 2026 (British Summer Time, BST)

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

Safeguarding Statement

The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email askhr@britishcouncil.org