Job Description

Are you an experienced HR professional looking for your next challenge? RGS Newcastle is seeking a HR Lead (Operations) to join our dynamic team. The successful candidate will have proven track record in delivering the full remit of operational HR matters and bring hands on experience to our dynamic team. Reporting to the Head of HR, you will play a key role in delivering a high-quality HR service across the school.

This is a varied and rewarding role where you will:

Lead on complex employee relations matters. Ensure compliance with statutory requirements. Support the Senior Leadership Team and Managers with HR matters within our community. Contribute to HR projects and strategic initiatives. Deliver training and updates to line managers and staff on HR processes and policies.

What we're looking for:

CIPD Level 5 (or equivalent) and strong HR advisory experience. Excellent knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice. Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills. A proactive, solutions-focused approach.
The successful candidate will form part of a small, dynamic HR team consisting of a HR Assistant, HR Lead (Recruitment) and Head of HR. The HR department is a busy department which supports our community of over 250 employees as well as volunteers, self-employed service providers and peripatetic teachers.

The role may particularly suit someone looking to develop their career in HR, with aspirations towards more senior roles in the future.

Why join us?

We offer a competitive salary, generous benefits, and the opportunity to make a real impact in a prestigious educational setting. RGS is entering an exciting phase of change and development, and this role presents a great opportunity to make a significant contribution as we navigate and shape the next chapter of our journey.

THE SCHOOL

In 1525, the Mayor of Newcastle, Thomas Horsley, wrote his will, in which he generously gifted his estate to fund a grammar school. Five centuries later, Horsley's vision lives on in the Royal Grammar School Newcastle's corridors and classrooms, and his philanthropic spirit drives the RGS's commitment to education.

Few schools can claim a 500-year history. Over the years, the RGS, has continued to flourish as the premier independent school in the North East of England and as one of the country's leading schools - consistently topping the regional table for academic excellence.

Today, RGS is a fully co-educational school with over 1,300 students aged 7-18 (Years 3 to 13). Its academically selective places are highly sought after.?The school has more than 250 students in the Junior School, which shares the same outstanding site as the Senior School. Its Sixth Form is one of the largest in the independent sector, with more than 340 students.

While RGS prides itself on academic excellence, the school is also known for its emphasis on a holistic education. The school's 'There's More to Life' approach informs its holistic education, which is central to students' success, health and happiness.

RGS is based in the heart of Newcastle, immediately opposite Jesmond Metro station. The school occupies over 30 acres of land and has state-of-the-art facilities, including five brand new art studios, a new library, a modern Sixth Form Centre, a 25m swimming pool, two Sports Halls, a Performing Arts Centre, outdoor football/rugby pitches at Mooracres, an artificial turf pitch for hockey and the former County Cricket Ground.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

To provide a professional, proactive HR advisory service across the school, ensuring compliance with employment law, safeguarding requirements, and Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) standards.

The role supports the full employee lifecycle, promotes best HR practice, and ensures regulatory compliance in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) and other statutory guidance.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to the Head of HR, the HR Lead (Operations) responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

Employee Relations (ER) & Advisory

Act as the first point of contact for all HR-related queries, providing professional advice and guidance to staff and managers across the school. Ensure fair and consistent application of policies. Lead and manage complex ER casework (disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence, probation, performance improvement plans) end-to-end: investigation, documentation, hearing preparation, outcomes, and appeals. Coach and advise line managers on HR policy, employment law, and best practice. Support informal resolution, mediation, and early intervention to reduce formal cases. Draft letters, case documentation, settlement agreements (with legal input), and related HR communications. Take accurate minutes and prepare HR documentation for meetings and hearings as requested. Maintain accurate case records and trackers, report ER trends and risks. Lead and manage flexible working requests submitted end-to-end and implement any changes as necessary across systems, employee communications etc.

Performance, Capability & Development

Support the annual appraisal cycle and probationary reviews; to ensure consistency, fairness, and constructive outcomes. Coach managers in objective setting, feedback, and capability management. Identify development needs; collaborate with the Senior Leadership Team to deliver targeted training (e.g., people management, conduct, EDI, investigations). Track performance action plans and outcomes; report on progress and risks.

Absence and Leave Management

Monitor sickness, obtain required paperwork, and advise managers on absence management. Complete return to work procedures, meetings, and paperwork as appropriate, if required. Review sickness patterns, as appropriate, and prepare and present absence management data and reports as required. Apply the school's absence management policy and notify managers when key triggers are reached and/or concerns rise. Conduct Maternity/Paternity and general health risk assessments and follow up on any actions relating to Health and Safety, Payroll or employee wellbeing. Ensure maternity/paternity/adoption/ shared parental leave arrangements are effectively administered and actioned in line with current legislation and in conjunction with Payroll. Manage the referral process to the school's occupational health service provider liaising with occupational health and medical professionals regarding employee referrals and follow up action in line with the schools' policies and procedures such as drafting phased return to work plans.

Pastoral Support (Staff)

Act as a trusted and professional point of contact for staff seeking pastoral support, offering guidance on wellbeing, workplace concerns, and difficult personal circumstances where these impact work. Provide empathetic, confidential advice to staff whilst maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and signposting to external support services where necessary. Support staff experiencing ill health, stress, or challenging life events, working in partnership with line managers, Occupational Health, and external services to facilitate reasonable adjustments and phased returns where appropriate. Contribute to a positive and supportive working culture, promoting staff wellbeing and psychological safety. Advise managers on handling sensitive wellbeing and pastoral matters with compassion and consistency.

Policy, Compliance & Governance

Support the Head of HR in the review, drafting, and implementation of HR policies and procedures (relating to employment, Staff Code, pay, leave, flexible working, whistleblowing, data protection). Ensure compliance with UK employment law, GDPR, KCSIE (Keeping Children Safe in Education), ISI requirements, and any relevant regulatory frameworks. Support the Head of HR to update policies to reflect legislative changes and communicate updates effectively. Assist in conducting policy training and guidance sessions for managers and staff. Support the HRLead (Recruitment) with external inspections/audits/data collection.

Data & Reporting

Maintain accurate HR records in line with GDPR. Contribute to HR data integrity and maintain accurate employee records across HR systems. Produce high-quality HR analytics (e.g., turnover, absence, ER caseload, diversity statistics KPIs) for SLT, governors, and the Head of HR. Drive process improvements through automation and standardisation; document workflows and guidance.

Line Management of the HR Assistant

Provide day to day supervision, guidance, and support to the HR Assistant to ensure high quality delivery of HR services. Oversee the HR Assistant's workload, setting priorities and reallocating tasks where needed to meet deadlines. Conduct regular 1:1s, objective-setting, and appraisal reviews to support personal and professional development. Offer coaching, feedback, and mentoring to help build HR knowledge, skills, and confidence. Ensure the HR Assistant follows internal policies, processes, and data-handling standards. Monitor accuracy and timeliness of administrative tasks such as, recruitment coordination, and HR record management. Support the HR Assistant in resolving routine HR queries, escalating more complex issues where appropriate. Identify training needs and create development opportunities to enhance the HR Assistant's experience. Foster a positive, inclusive, and collaborative working environment that encourages continuous improvement.

Payroll Liaison

Support the Head of HR and HR Team in preparing and submitting accurate payroll data to the Finance department. Provide guidance on pay, allowances, overtime, and incremental progression. Liaise with Payroll to ensure accurate and timely processing; resolve discrepancies. Contribute to job evaluation and benchmarking where necessary. In conjunction with the Head of HR and Finance Department, support with the preparation and issue letters to teaching and operational staff detailing all salary changes. Ensure maternity/paternity/adoption leave arrangements are effectively administered and actioned in line with current legislation and in conjunction with Payroll. Liaise with Payroll and Head of HR regarding leavers and completion of exit interviews.

Staff Wellbeing, EDI & Culture

Support wellbeing programmes, stress risk assessments, and proactive absence support. Champion Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives and ensure inclusive practices through recruitment, policies, and development programmes. Partner with our Head of Wellbeing and representative staff groups to feedback and co-design improvements to promote wellbeing and engagement.

Change Management & Projects

Contribute to organisational change (e.g., restructures, role redesign, TUPE if applicable), ensuring legal compliance and best practice consultation. Take the lead on reviewing and updating existing contractual arrangements. Manage assigned HR projects: systems upgrades, process audits, manager toolkits, handbook refreshes. Prepare business cases and briefings; track project milestones, risks, and outcomes Work with the Salary Review Committee and Head of HR on the creation of an operational staff salary policy and new operational staff salary structure.

Stakeholder Management & Communication

Build strong, credible relationships with SLT, line managers, unions/representative bodies governing board, and external advisers as appropriate. Provide clear, empathetic, and professional guidance; draft internal comms and briefing notes. Represent HR in committees or working groups as required.

Other

Offer support to the HR Lead (Recruitment) at peak recruitment times and key events in the school calendar (i.e. support with recruitment, induction activities, staff training and drafting of staff contacts and offer letters). Collaboratively create and deliver HR presentations for new staff. Work collaboratively with the HR Assistant and HR Lead (Recruitment) and Head of HR to deliver the HR objectives of the school. Provide general absence cover within the HR department, and a willingness to support wider HR projects. Contribute to a positive and professional HR service across the school. Any other reasonable duties as required.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications (Essential)

CIPD Level 5

(or equivalent) in HR. Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and HR practice.

Qualifications (Desirable)

CIPD Level 7

or working towards. Safer recruitment training; investigation training. Child protection training Training in data protection/GDPR; coaching/mediation; project/change management. Understanding of ISI inspection frameworks and KCSIE requirements.

Experience (Essential)

Significant HR advisory experience in a complex, multi-stakeholder organisation. Proven track record in managing ER casework end-to-end, including complex cases. Policy development and implementation; training managers; HR reporting/analytics. Working with senior leaders and influencing outcomes.

Experience (Desirable)

Education sector experience, ideally independent schools or regulated environment. Payroll liaison and benefits administration. Experience of working with HR Systems such as HR Pro, iSams, Sage.

Skills & Attributes

Excellent advisory, coaching, and relationship-building skills. Strong judgement, discretion, and resilience; able to handle sensitive matters. High attention to detail with strong written/verbal communication. Analytical capability; comfortable with HR metrics and presenting insights. Excellent IT skills, including Office 365 programs (Word, Excel, Forms, SharePoint, PowerPoint and Outlook) Highly organised; able to prioritise and deliver to deadlines in a dynamic environment. Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, EDI, and the school's values. Commitment to continued learning, taking responsibility for own CPD.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

Friendly, approachable and honest. The ability to build and maintain strong positive relationships with stakeholders in a professional and approachable manner. An understanding of the need for sensitivity and confidentiality in dealing with personal data. A willingness to be flexible and adapt to new circumstances, requirements, and technologies. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. The ability to work as a member of a team, or as an individual with minimal supervision. The ability to prioritise workload and produce accurate work to tight timescales. The ability to multi-task and work to achieve tight and ever-changing deadlines and to always remain professional. Be a self-motivator, problem solver and be able to use initiative in the role to overcome challenges. A positive, proactive and forward-thinking manner, with a 'can do' attitude. A commitment to supporting the successful education and development of young people in an independent school.

MAIN TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Start Date:

As soon as possible following completion of the School's Safer Recruitment checks.

Line Management:

The post will report to the Head of HR and sit within the School Operational Team.

Contract Type:

All year round This is a permanent role with the school.

Training:

The successful candidate will also be expected to work the mandatory safeguarding training day in September each year, which is compulsory for all staff. Payment for this day has been incorporated into the annual salary.

Special Events:

The successful candidate may also be required to work limited special events in school (e.g. RGS Day) with advance notice being given by the school.

Working Pattern:

Normal core working hours for the role will be 37.5 hours per week, 8.30am - 4.30pm (7.5 hours per day).

Salary:

In the region of 40k- 45k gross per annum (Full Time Equivalent, all year round). Salary offered will reflect the skill and experience of the candidate and will be assigned to the nearest point on the RGS Operational support scale. RGS staff salaries are reviewed on 1st August each year.

Holidays:

31 days + bank holidays for all year-round staff.

Policies:

The employee will be required to comply with a range of RGS policies, in particular, those regarding Data protection, use of ICT facilities, Child Protection, Staff Code and Health and Safety, a copy of which will be made available.

Excellent benefits package available- please refer to our job information pack for full details.

HOW TO APPLY

Candidates are advised to read the 'Information for Applicants' with particular care before applying.

Enquiries about this post should be made in the first instance to Louise Ledger (Head of HR) or the HR team in the first instance. For an informal chat about the post, contact Louise Ledger on 0191 281 5711.

Please visit www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/join-us/work-with-us to access our application form and further information for applicants.

Applications should be sent directly to jobs@rgs.newcastle.sch.uk and should include:

1. A covering letter and

2. A fully completed RGS application form

.

Note: You must complete the application form, even if you want to also attach a CV.

Closing Date: 9.00am Monday 2nd February 2026

Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment

RGS is committed to the safeguarding of children and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers and those working in school to share this commitment. The school applies the Government's Keeping Children Safe in Education Safer Recruitment procedures to all candidates including appropriate pre-interview checks on shortlisted candidates and pre-employment checks pending any offer. More information regarding the checks can be found in our Information for Applicants here, and 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' (September 2025)

Equal Opportunities

We are looking to appoint staff from a wide variety of backgrounds. Not just because it is the right thing to do but because at the RGS we recognise that those different experiences provide fresh perspectives, opportunities to challenge existing beliefs and provide opportunities to act as excellent role models for our diverse student body. We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse school culture and our staff are at the heart of this. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of neurodivergence, age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

We strive to achieve a diverse workforce, fully representative of our pluralistic society and the ethnic make-up of the student population in the UK. People of colour are under-represented on our staff team. We are keen to attract applicants from a diverse pool of candidates and determined to be a fully inclusive employer, and a great workplace for people of Black, Asian, and ethnic minority heritage as well as White heritage.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: 40,000.00-45,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Canteen Company events Company pension Cycle to work scheme Discounted or free food Employee discount Free flu jabs Health & wellbeing programme
Work Location: In person