Head of People

Who We Are

At Cornmarket we look after the financial wellbeing of public servants and their families. Weve been focused on public sector employees for over 50 years learning how to bring our clients the best financial services from car home health and life insurance to income protection retirement planning and beyond.

Role Purpose

The Head of People is responsible for partnering with the senior leadership team within Cornmarket to develop and implement a people strategy which is aligned to the business strategy.

A key focus of the role is collaborating with business leaders to help Cornmarket deliver on its strategic objectives through commercially relevant people solutions including leading a people-centered approach to technology and the advent of AI.

The role holder will be responsible for providing leadership and direction to the HR Team and to oversee the operational running of the Human Resource function including but not limited to Talent Development Talent Acquisition Organisational Design Total Reward Diversity Equity & Inclusion Wellbeing and Employee Relations.

Accountabilities of the Role

• Comply with risk control and regulatory requirements that are relevant to this role. Ensure compliance with Company policies regulatory professional and legal requirements. Ensure familiarity with the IAF framework the fitness & probity regime employment law and data protection considerations. Proactively identify and prepare for regulatory changes that impact our talent.

• Partner with the senior leadership team to understand their strategic priorities and commercial realities to help identify and inform people solutions that will support business objectives.

• Develop and build on our people strategy by identifying our key priorities and deliverables for success. Build and execute HR strategies which improve HR processes and progress the people agenda. Influence and champion strategic people initiatives which will help the business to deliver business growth and employee engagement.

• Collaborate with the Senior Leadership Team across the Group (CGFS CIS & EIS). Working closely with Heads of Function and People Managers to facilitate effective and proactive decision-making to ensure solutions are realistic fair consistent and effective. Build effective relationships with the business to understand people challenges.

• Advise and support the business on organisational change ensuring its alignment with our business model and strategic objectives.

• Lead and develop a team of HR professionals to ensure an excellent employee experience with an emphasis on business partnership coaching and development of the company culture. Motivate the team to achieve and maintain excellent proactive service to the business. Enhancing a culture of personal responsibility and accountability by leading by example. Creating a positive working environment where the team feel like they can contribute fully and openly.

• Design and execute a strategy for sustained investment in developing line managers to deliver on their people management responsibilities. Ensure metrics are in place to measure and demonstrate the impact of effective line management on employee performance and retention

• Ensure our Talent Development offering is in line with the business needs enabling people to grow and develop in their current and future roles. Utilise our digital learning capability and lead a learning strategy that is relevant meaningful and measurable. Identify and deploy learning interventions designed to build internal capability in the space of technology data & innovation. Digital and organisation transformation will feature strongly requiring talent and leadership development to build leadership capability to guide or direct a future-focused digital environment supporting the transformational change.

• Drive our HR technology implementation ensuring our future roadmap develops and enhances our talent capability across the business setting out a clear strategy for delivery and success.

• Responsible for ensuring a fair equitable and competitive market total reward strategy across the Company. Develop the required governmental frameworks to support our Total Reward offering. This includes developing and maintaining robust job architecture and applying a consistent job evaluation methodology to ensure internal equity and external competitiveness.

• Lead the talent management process and develop appropriate solutions to drive a high-performance culture. Working with the business to effectively manage performance and develop effective succession planning. Increase the use of promotions and career pathways to upskill and retain key talent.

• Work with the business on the design delivery and maintenance of progression plans / career paths across the business ensuring that we have clear documented plans for all key functions within the business. Work closely with the business owners to ensure plans are reviewed regularly and remain fit for purpose.

• Deliver on the talent needs of the business through a targeted Talent Acquisition strategy that includes the development & enhancement of Cornmarkets employer value proposition externally to help attract top talent to the organisation.

• Design and deliver the companys DE&I strategy that builds towards our ambition to have a workplace culture where everyone feels comfortable to bring their whole selves to work incorporating sustainable people practices that drive attraction retention & business performance.

• Design and ensure the delivery of a CSR programme that fits with our broader strategy and vision to make a positive impact for the community in which we operate whilst providing meaningful community engagement initiatives that drive engagement amongst staff.

• Provide guidance to leadership and the HR Team in dealing with employee relations issues effectively and compliantly creating a fair respectful and high- performance culture.

• Work closely with the senior management team to ensure regular and effective internal communication utilising the most effective communication channels in order to deliver our key messages such as employee/management forums email bulletins the intranet etc.

• Maintain commercial awareness relevant to this role.

Skills & Knowledge Required

• Strong knowledge of the risk control and regulatory environment within Financial Services (preferred) including an understanding of the IAF Framework the Fitness & Probity Regime data protection considerations etc.

• An excellent understanding of employment law and how it shapes people policies practices and decisions is required along with experience of managing legislative changes proactively.

• Strong commercial awareness/acumen. An understanding of the Life Pensions and General Insurance market preferred.

• Significant experience at Senior HR Manager/HR Manager/Senior HR Business Partner level essential.

• Have substantial stakeholder management skills with a track record of successfully implementing organisational change and digital transformation and effective HR practices.

• Experience proactively driving changes to people related practices and initiatives with a specific focus on technology implementation AI readiness and developing digital leadership capability.

• Proven expertise in designing and implementing robust job architecture and applying formal job evaluation methodologies (e.g. Hay Mercer) to create clear measurable progression plans and support the Total Reward Strategy.

• Proven ability to coach and develop People Professionals in AI digitalisation and change management.

• Strong leadership skills self-motivated and enjoys working in a fast-paced dynamic team environment.

• Strong communicator with excellent relationship building and influencing skills.

• Third level qualification in the HR field required.

• CIPD membership preferred.

Behavioural Competencies Required

• Trusted Adviser: Providing professional and commercial insights across all areas and challenge/negotiate effectively with key stakeholders in the delivery of practice and advice. Building effective relationships with your business areas by always providing sound knowledge of HR disciplines deliver on what you promise and building personal relationships of trust that can be relied on.

• Strategic Partner:Act towards a commercial mind-set and sound point of view on the organisation and what can drive continuous improvement. Leads peers in the delivery and attaining of results for own unit and for the wider business. Focuses self and others on the swift resolution of challenges and seeks positive outcomes. Seeks opportunity to add-value and partner with business units.

• Talent Developer: Ensure that the organisations capabilities are aligned with strategy and are integrated and working effectively and efficiently.

• Innovative Implementer: Develop creative HR practices into unified solutions to business problems.

• Change Catalyst: Proactively initiates and facilitates changes at organisational project and individual levels.

• Technology Savvy: Technology savvy professionals are aware of and leverage the latest technology to more efficiently deliver HR programmes and help people stay connected with each other.

• Leadership: Take full responsibility and accountability for your area. Always lead by example within the HR team and across the business. Lead with passion drive and execution.

• Personal Development: Seek out and act on feedback received from your business areas. Take coaching opportunities to develop as a HR Professional taking responsibility for own personal development in conjunction with management and CPD. Providing professional and business insight to all stakeholders that your service. Take responsibility for driving your own training needs and drive the training and development of other team members on core processes. Takes responsibility for ongoing learning and development.

  
  

What We Can Offer You

• Attractive remuneration package to include an annual performance related bonus

• Flexible working from home options as part of our Cornmarket Flex ways of working

• Professional development as appropriate

• Flexi leave (option to purchase additional annual leave)

• Attractive & flexible pension contribution rates

• Health insurance or wellness subsidy

• Fully paid family leave types (Maternity/Paternity/Surrogacy/Life Leave)

• Income protection

• Life cover

• Discounts on financial products

• Comprehensive health & wellbeing programmes

• Employee Assistance Programme

• Active Sports & Social Club

Equal Opportunities & Data Privacy Notice

Cornmarket is committed to building an inclusive workplace environment Were proud to be an equal opportunity employer striving to create a welcoming environment. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age disability ethnic background family status gender identify or expression marital status membership of the Traveller Community national origin race religion sexual orientation. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. To request an accommodation please contact our Talent Acquisition Team. To review our data use practices visit ourRecruitment Data Privacy Notice.