Head of People Services

Job Title: Head of People Services

Band: 6

Salary: £72,771 - £80,776

Location: Liverpool/Norwich

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full time

Closing Date: 29/06/2026

Interview Date(s): 04/08/26

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Do you want to be an integral part of the GCA HR team and drive the success of the HR/People Strategy through its people.

Ready to turn strategy into impact? As our Head of People Services, you will lead a dynamic team to champion digital innovation, shape organisational culture, and drive the HR strategy that delivers value for the nation. Are you ready to lead the way?

Job Summary

The Head of People Services plays a central and pivotal role as member of the HR Senior Leadership Team (SLT), reporting directly to the Head of HR.

This role is critical in shaping the future of the GCA organisation and the HR profession

This role will be responsible for leading and line managing the Head of HR Operations, Head of HR Strategy, Reward and Policy, HR Data and Systems Lead and Head of Resourcing and Talent.

The post holder will also be responsible for leading the functional delivery of HR People Services; driving the people agenda, coaching senior leaders through complex people challenges, and supporting effective business delivery through the HR/People plan.

In addition to the above, the post holder will be responsible for the strategic oversight for developing and running the ERP, the Trade Union relationships/consultation, Strategic Workforce Planning and pay award. The role will lead a team of circa c15 FTE, with the majority of that team being based in Liverpool.

Key Accountabilities

Strategic Leadership & Senior Stakeholder Interface

• Expert Advisory: Act as a key advisor to the Executive Committee (ExCo), HR Senior Leadership Team (SLT), and business leaders, providing data-driven insights, robust challenge, and strategic direction on all people-related matters.
• Stakeholder & Industry Influence: Build and maintain high-level relationships across the organisation, wider government, and industry to influence decision-making and align the People Strategy with enterprise priorities.
• Trade Union Relations: Act as the primary strategic interface with recognised Trade Unions; leading formal negotiations, collective consultations, and the annual pay award process to enable organizational transformation while mitigating risk.

Service Delivery, Operations & Digital Transformation

• Customer-Centric Operations: Lead the design and end-to-end delivery of HR services to employees and managers, ensuring operations meet defined quality, performance, and functional standards.
• Digital Roadmap: Own and champion the long-term HR Information Systems (HRIS) strategy and digital infrastructure to optimise data insights and deliver an excellent user experience.
• Financial Control: Oversee the HR function’s budget, ensuring robust financial management, value for money, and the strategic allocation of resources across service lines.

Capability, Performance & Reward

• Workforce Capability: Drive coherent strategic workforce planning and lead the development of enterprise-wide talent attraction and resourcing initiatives.
• Performance Culture: Design and implement model policies that optimise employee performance, drive agility, and ensure continuous improvement in line with organisational outcomes.
• Total Reward: Design and evolve competitive reward and recognition packages that position the organisation as an Employer of Choice, ensuring strict alignment with Civil Service reward principles and wider industry benchmarks.

Governance, Culture & Team Leadership

• Risk & Compliance: Lead organisational people risk management; architecting mitigation strategies for systemic workforce risks and ensuring alignment with internal controls and cross-government functional standards.
• Cross-Government Consistency: Partner with HR Centres of Excellence to champion strategic change initiatives across inclusion and diversity, policy and reward and employee relations, maximising consistency with wider Civil Service objectives.
• People Leadership: Directly lead and manage team members, fostering a high-performance, collaborative culture through regular feedback, coaching, and proactive staff development.

Essential Criteria (to Be Assessed At Application Stage)

• The successful candidate will be required to be a Chartered Member of the CIPD or demonstrate equivalent Senior HR experience and professional qualifications .
• Proven track record of successful leadership experience at Senior HR level and ability to lead strategic HR initiatives and transformational change programmes.
• Ability to interpret and use complex workforce data to inform strategic decisions.
• Proven ability to influence and build credible relationships with colleagues, external partners (including trade unions), and senior stakeholders with ability to influence at executive level.
• Evidence of delivering continuous improvement and digital transformation in HR services.

Experience

Behaviours

• Leadership
• Seeing the bigger picture
• Changing and improving
• Making effective decisions
• Communicating and influencing

(A link to the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework is provided below)

Success Profiles Framework

Assessment

Shortlisted candidates will complete Alternative Leadership Assessment. These assessments are not pass/fail; instead, they provide insights to help the panel explore specific areas during your interview. For more information, read the gatenby sanderson assessment types.

Valuing Our People

• Competitive salary
• Generous pension scheme
• A discretionary non-contractual performance related bonus
• Working remotely in addition to working in advertised office location
• Flexi time scheme (available for B1-B6)
• Minimum 25 days annual leave to a maximum service related 30 days excluding bank holidays

Want to make a difference? Find out more about the rewarding work that we do in our candidate pack .

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

We want to make our recruitment process accessible to everyone, so if there is any way that we can support you, please contact ***email_hidden***

Working flexibly, delivering outcomes

GCA operates a smarter working model that balances flexibility with collaboration. Successful candidates are expected to spend at least 26 days per quarter (approximately 2 days per week, pro-rata) at their contracted office, another GCA site, or off-site for meetings. For the remainder of the time, you may work from home or another suitable location that meets business needs.

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use .

Selection Process

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact ***email_hidden***.

Please note that as part of this recruitment process, if you are unsuccessful at the interview stage but are close to the benchmark score you may be considered for and offered a role at a lower pay band within the same job family.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

Complaints Procedure

Our recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles details of which can be found at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-principles/

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact [email protected] in the first instance.

If you remain unsatisfied with the response you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission at [email protected]

Internal candidates should apply using their Workday account. Please use the careers hub for your application.