Head of People

Head of People

Age UK East London

12-month Fixed Term Contract (Maternity Leave)
Hybrid, with regular presence across East London sites
21-28 hours per week (flexible working welcomed)
Salary: £41,700 - £46,850 (pro rata) + 5% pension
Closing date: Tuesday 10 February 2026
Interview: In-person on Monday 23rd February 2026

Charity People is delighted to be partnering with Age UK East London to recruit for their next Head of People.

Age UK East London is a values-driven local charity supporting older people across Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham to live well, stay independent and feel connected. With around 75 staff and a similar number of volunteers, the People function plays a vital role in delivering the charity's ambitious five-year strategy and nurturing a positive, inclusive culture.

This is a brilliant opportunity to lead both HR and volunteering during a period of maternity cover, shaping systems, supporting managers, and ensuring staff and volunteers are set up to thrive.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the People & Volunteering function, working closely with the CEO and the SMT.
• Develop and implement people plans, policies and compliance processes aligned with UK employment law.
• Provide advice and coaching to managers, supporting performance, wellbeing and employee relations.
• Line manage the Volunteer Manager and support a high-quality volunteering experience.
• Oversee onboarding, L&D, payroll liaison, DBS and right-to-work checks, and HR records.
• Lead annual people, volunteer and trustee surveys and use insights to drive improvement.
• Maintain HR systems and produce clear people data and reports for internal stakeholders.

What we are looking for

• Experience in a broad HR generalist role (e.g. Head of People, HR Manager or similar), ideally within a charity, social sector or other values-driven setting.
• Confident working knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice, with the ability to apply this in a proportionate and practical way.
• Experience advising and supporting managers with day-to-day people issues and building constructive relationships across an organisation.
• Experience working with volunteers, for example, supporting a volunteer function, managing volunteer-involving projects and/or through lived experience of volunteering.
• Strong systems and data skills, including using HR and/or volunteer management systems and producing clear reports on people metrics (such as sickness, turnover and workforce/volunteer trends).
• Experience improving processes and systems, with the ability to identify what needs to change and follow through.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain people issues clearly and build trust with staff, volunteers, senior leaders and trustees.

How to Apply

The application process is CV and a Supporting Statement. For more information and for the full Job Pack, please share your CV via the link below. The closing date is 9am on Tuesday 10 th February. Interviews will be in-person and will take place on Monday 23 rd February.

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability, and potential. Please let us know if you require any adjustments to ensure the application process works for you.

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.