Head of HR Operations

The Co Operative Academies Trust, Manchester, M60 0AG

17 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  As soon as possible

• Closing date

  12 September 2025 at 9am

• Date listed

  26 August 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Administration, HR, data and finance
• Visa sponsorship: Skilled Worker visas can be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time: 37 Hours Monday to Friday
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: 70,966

What skills and experience we're looking for

Qualifications

Chartered CIPD or equivalent experience

Experience

• A proven track record in leading multi-disciplinary HR Operations or Shared Services at a senior level.

• Strong understanding of people systems, compliance frameworks, and service delivery models.

• Demonstrated expertise in using data-driven insights to make strategic decisions.

Skills, Ability, Knowledge

• team leadership

• process design and innovation, including digitisation

• systems mindset

• employment legislation

• GDPR

• change management approaches

• project management

Personal Qualities

• ability to persuade and influence stakeholders at all levels

• All our colleagues are expected to demonstrate a commitment to co-operative values and principles and the Ways of Being Co-op.

Must include qualities relating to the safeguarding of children:

• Motivation to work with children

• Ability to form and maintain appropriate relationships and personal boundaries with children.

What the school offers its staff

• You’ll get being a Co-op member, you’ll get a Co-op colleague discount card. This gives you a 10% discount in our Co-op Food stores.

• Co-operative flexible benefits (discounted line rental and broadband package, family care advice and cycle to work scheme)

• Discounted gym membership and leisure activities which includes discounts on Merlin Entertainments (Sea Life, Legoland etc), Virgin Experience Days, SuperBreak and many more

• Co-operative Credit Union: save directly from your salary and receive a competitive dividend. Borrowers can benefit from very competitive interest rates & terms (in comparison with other high street lenders)

• Co-op Funeralcare benefit

• Season ticket and rental deposit loans

Flexible working opportunities

Looking for full time (37 hours) or substantial part-time or compressed hours.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Skilled Worker visas can be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Co-op Academies Trust as an aware employer is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults as its number one priority. This commitment to robust recruitment, selection and induction procedures extends to organisations and services linked to the Trust on its behalf. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check. We value variety and individual differences, and aim to create a culture, environment and practices at all levels which encompass acceptance, respect and inclusion. All our colleagues are expected to demonstrate a commitment to co-operative values and principles.

Applying for the job

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

Upload additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

JD Head HR Operations.pdf - 163 KB (opens in new tab)

00. Trust Welcome Pack - 2024-25 (1).pdf - 620 KB (opens in new tab)

HR team structure.pdf - 30.2 KB (opens in new tab)

Head HR operations job ad.pdf - 236 KB (opens in new tab)

About The Co Operative Academies Trust

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Email address: nicola.webb@coopacademies.co.uk
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/the-co-operative-academies-trust

Why us?
Co-op Academies Trust is a place where you are part of something bigger, through a leading education and opportunities to serve our community, we are working together to make a better world.

From ages 3-19 Co-op Academies Trust supports students in Primary, Secondary and Special schools across the North of England, giving children the skills and experiences they need to succeed, no matter where they come from.

What makes our Trust unique is that we are sponsored by the Co-op Group. That close relationship means that we benefit from all the business expertise that has seen the Co-op grow to one of the most respected, successful businesses in the country.

Everyone in the Trust honours our fundamental commitment to the Ways of Being Co-op. They are our DNA; they represent our culture and reflect the rationale behind our decision-making. No matter what we do, they are how we do it.

Our ways of being are:

Be Yourself, Always
Show You Care
Do What Matters Most
Succeed Together
In 2025, we have 38 academies as part of the Co-op family, across 4 regions.

Our Values
Being part of the Co-operative Group, we are both guided and driven by the Co-op values which are embedded in everything that we do within our Academy - We strive to demonstrate the following ethical values in everything we do - they are our ‘Ways of Being’:

Succeed together

Do what matters most

Be yourself, always

Show you care

So, if you believe in our values, we would love to hear from you!

We offer a wide range of benefits and rewards to recognise the part you play in our success:
Benefits include:

You’ll get being a Co-op member, you’ll get a Co-op colleague discount card. This gives you a 10% discount in our Co-op Food stores.
Co-operative flexible benefits (discounted line rental and broadband package, family care advice and cycle to work scheme)
Discounted gym membership and leisure activities which includes discounts on Merlin Entertainments (Sea Life, Legoland etc), Virgin Experience Days, SuperBreak and many more
Co-operative Credit Union: save directly from your salary and receive a competitive dividend. Borrowers can benefit from very competitive interest rates & terms (in comparison with other high street lenders)
Co-op Funeralcare benefit
Season ticket and rental deposit loans
And More!

For more information about the Co-op Academies Trust, please visit: www.coopacademies.co.uk

The Trust is also committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage or civil partnerships.

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