Lead – HR Formal Schools

The Lead / Assistant Manager – HR Formal Schools will be instrumental in driving the HR strategy for Formal Schools by leading key projects and workstreams. This role partners closely with the Senior Manager to address strategic priorities and translate organizational goals into effective people solutions. The position involves working across various HR functions such as workforce planning, organizational design, teacher excellence, succession planning, and culture and engagement. Using data-driven insights, the role supports workforce challenges and collaborates with stakeholders at central, regional, and school levels to implement meaningful change.

Key Responsibilities

Regional HR Organizational Structure:
Lead workstreams that contribute to the evolution of the Regional HR structure and operating model. Conduct research on future HR requirements and assess gaps between current and future states. Define role expectations, structure, and capacity needs within Regional HR. Coordinate stakeholder inputs and translate findings into actionable recommendations. Support the development of governance frameworks, accountability, and decision rights across the Regional HR model. Clarify interfaces between Regional HR, Formal Schools HR, and other HR teams to foster effective collaboration.

Hiring, Onboarding, and Compensation:
Support the development and refinement of the end-to-end teacher hiring process by researching best practices, identifying gaps, and recommending improvements. Collaborate with relevant teams to enhance the teacher induction test and interview process, ensuring alignment with hiring needs and desired teacher profiles. Work alongside the Schools Learning and Development team to design and continuously improve the teacher induction and onboarding programs, facilitating smooth transitions into the school environment. Partner with the Rewards & Compensation team to research, review, and contribute to the teacher compensation framework, leveraging market and internal data to inform recommendations.

Succession Planning:
Contribute to the design and ongoing improvement of teacher career pathways. Support school-level succession planning and internal leadership pipelines, including progression routes from Teacher to Principal.

Organization Design and Workforce Planning:
Assist with workforce planning and organization design projects, including the development and review of school structures and archetypes. Analyze compensation implications related to structural and headcount changes to support informed decision-making. Participate in organization design interventions through analysis, stakeholder coordination, and implementation follow-through.

Reward & Recognition:
Design and manage reward and recognition programs that embody organizational values and behaviors, enhancing employee engagement and motivation. Utilize research and industry best practices to ensure programs are innovative and impactful. Lead the creation and distribution of rewards communication materials, ensuring consistent messaging aligned with organizational objectives. Strategically plan and execute awards for major events, streamlining processes to highlight organizational values and boost employee engagement.

Engagement with School/Field Teams:
Develop a deep understanding of the Formal Schools program through regular visits to schools and field locations. Use on-ground insights to inform HR solutions and strengthen relationships with field teams. Provide support to other Schools HR-related programs as needed.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Social Sciences, or a related field.

3 to 5 years of relevant HR experience, preferably with exposure to HR business partnering, talent management, organizational development, or education-sector HR.

Preferred Skills and Attributes

Strong project management and execution capabilities, with the ability to independently lead initiatives. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, leveraging data and insights for decision-making. Effective communication, coordination, and stakeholder management skills. Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships across all organizational levels. High integrity, discretion, professionalism, and a collaborative work approach. Ability to conduct structured research, identify best practices, and apply findings to HR solutions.

This role offers the opportunity to significantly impact HR practices within Formal Schools by driving strategic initiatives and fostering a collaborative, data-informed HR environment.