Director of People and Culture

Salary: £68,826 per annum (Director Salary band step 1)

ABOUT OUR TEAM
Established in 1987, ARTICLE 19 works for a world where all people everywhere can freely express themselves and actively engage in public life without fear or discrimination. Our mission is to promote and defend the universal human rights of freedom of expression and information around the world, through international advocacy, legal analysis, and regional and national projects.

In the previous five years, one of the key achievements of ARTICLE 19 has been expanding and strengthening our international reach by consolidating our presence outside the UK, recruiting national or regional staff, and establishing strong and operationally autonomous national or regional offices. Being based in the countries and regions on which we work, we believe we have a better understanding of regional and national realities and local needs and thus have greater impact on freedom of expression developments as well as increasing our organisational flexibility and scope for recruitment of outstanding staff. We are able to respond more swiftly to opportunities or crises. We are closer to our partners, and thus more capable to respond to their demands and strengthen interactions and capacities. ARTICLE 19 regional/national offices are able to rely on ARTICLE 19’s international work, legal and policy expertise, and its reputation for delivery and impact, and bring all of these qualities and characteristics to national debates for a stronger protection of the right to access to information and freedom of expression.

ABOUT YOU
The Director of People and Culture reports to the Executive Director with matrix accountability to the Chief Operating Officer to develop a strongly administered human resources function that will also build, integrate, and deliver on several strategic and operational people initiatives.

As an organisational leader playing an important role in our Senior Leadership Team (SLT) in the UK and Global Management Team (GMT), the individual will help to develop employment systems and policies to support a globally distributed and diverse workforce. It is an expectation that the role will serve as a strategic HR Business Partner to Regional Directors based in our eight regional offices, and key to this will be the development of good practice in our regional offices, ensuring our values (https://www.article19.org/our-values/) are embedded throughout the organisation.

The Director of People and Culture will apply in-depth knowledge of International HR Management and how to manage complex human resources across regions and teams, and have experience in mainstreaming and implementing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in organisational policies and practices.. The role will make tangible improvements to employee experience and employee systems, including payroll, policies, and benefits in a decentralized and distributed setting.

What you will do day to day:

Strategic leadership

● Provide leadership, advice and guidance to the SLT from a people and culture perspective for organisational direction/decisions.
● Work with our regional offices and independent Affiliates to develop and implement human resources (HR) policies and procedures which are compliant with local / national legal requirements and best practice.
● Manage the commissioning and delivery of internal communications aligned to the human resources strategy under our organizational strategy.
● Offer insight and best practice guidance across the full range of HR lifecycle, including employee relations and performance management.
● Provide expert guidance, tools, coaching and support to Regional Directors and staff covering HR functions in regional offices to ensure a high quality and consistent approach to people management/staff relations across the organization, including the handling of emerging HR issues, conflict, disciplinary and grievance matters to the satisfaction of national legal obligations and organisational policies.
● Support GMT members and staff covering HR functions in regional offices across the organisation to ensure ARTICLE 19’s values and culture are embedded for an engaged and committed workforce whereby individuals reach their full potential.
● Identify the key people risks across the organisation ensuring that these are appropriately mitigated and managed.
● Work to continuously improve own knowledge, skills and behaviours for this leadership role, maintaining appropriate professional qualifications/accreditation and memberships with professional bodies.
● Collaborate with A19’s international office union to improve staff well-being and retention in the context of an agile, post-Covid environment.
Operational leadership

● Develop and lead an exceptional team (currently 3 direct reports) and ensure a high level of responsive service on a daily basis in transactional HR related issues, together with the resources to do so.
● Provide ARTICLE 19 strategic direction and oversight for staff development needs assessment, analysis and training.
● Lead the development and implementation of fit-for-purpose , equitable and efficient HR processes, policies and practices across the organisation.
● Oversee the review and development of employee terms and conditions, salary scales and benefits for ARTICLE 19’s distributed workforce.
● Set up and oversee “employer of record” relationships to employ Europe-based distributed workforce.
● Lead the SLT engagement with, and management of, the relationship with the JNC union and non-union represented staff.
● Ensure compliance with legislation relating to human resources and UK and international employment law.
● Proactively assess future developments in human resources field.
● Be the ARTICLE 19 safeguarding and whistleblowing key lead.
● Lead in ongoing development and implementation of safeguarding initiatives and compliance both within A19 and with our partners. Ensure regular updates to the Finance and General Purposes subcommittee of the International Board of Trustees as required.
● Represent HR at internal committees and working groups as appropriate.
● Represent the organisational externally at appropriate meetings, seminars and conferences.
● Lead any investigation that might lead to gross misconduct by Regional Directors or in the International Office, or other serious breaches of our policies or values.
● Lead ARTICLE 19’s engagement with and relationship management of our various HR professional advisors to ensure best value for money and high quality relevant service levels.
● Make full use of all information and communication technologies to meet the requirements of the role and to promote organisational effectiveness.
● Perform such other duties consistent with the role as may from time to time be assigned, collaborating fully with others to ensure ARTICLE 19’s objectives are achieved.

What you need to succeed in this role:

Essential 

Knowledge and Skills

● Level 7 CIPD qualified.
● Educated to degree standard.
● Fully conversant with all aspects of employment law and HR best practice in the UK and knowledge from one or more of the other countries where ARTICLE 19 operates.
● Knowledge and experience of managing Human Resources practices for a distributed workforce outside of the UK, and in a multi-cultural environment.
● Proven experience in mainstreaming DEI and implementing policies and practices that codify fairness and respect for staff of various backgrounds and identities
● Knowledge of change management and extensive experience of supporting international organisations to evolve and change and operating in different organisational structures.
● Strong leadership and people management skills with the ability to challenge and influence at all levels in the organisation.
● Experience of being part of a Senior Leadership team supporting the development and implementation of wider organisation strategy.
● Strong knowledge in and experience in strengthening safeguarding.
● Proven experience of developing and implementing a people and talent strategy in an international NGO.
● Strong knowledge of identifying and managing people opportunities and risks and overall organisational governance processes and frameworks.
● Confident coaching skills and a good communicator, able to build trusting relationships and credibility quickly with a range of stakeholders.
● Excellent written and interpersonal communication with ability to influence senior leaders and stakeholders.
● Analysing, planning and organising, with the ability to multi-task, respond quickly and change direction in a fast-changing environment.
● Drive, patience and negotiating skills in order to shape and realise complex goals to tight and competing deadlines.
● Excellent written and spoken English.

Other

● Must have the right to work in the UK – we cannot apply for visas on behalf of employees who do not currently have this right.
● Demonstrable and proactive commitment to work in a multi-cultural environment and to equal opportunities, and non-discrimination.
Willingness and availability for regular, and sometimes extended overseas travel.
Experience you will bring

● Extensive experience managing for employee wellbeing.
● Extensive experience of managing complex employee relations issues in a challenging environment.
● Extensive experience in an HR management role which includes working for an international organisation operating in different locations around the world and in the charity sector.
● Proven track record of development and implementation of employment policies, salary and benefits and procedures internationally.
● Extensive experience of developing and maintaining positive employee relations.  

Desirable

● Knowledge and/or experience of working for a human rights organisation.
● Knowledge of at least one other language, particularly French, Spanish or Portuguese.

Closing date: Friday 30 June 2023