Director of Operational People Services

Director of Operational People Services City St George's, University of London

Attractive salary & benefits

Build the operational foundations of a modern People service

City St George's, University of London is seeking to appoint a Director of Operational People Services to lead the next stage of development in its People Directorate.

This is a significant opportunity to join a newly formed university at an important point in its evolution. Created through the merger of City, University of London and St George's, University of London, City St George's has brought together two distinctive institutions with shared ambition, strong professional purpose and deep civic impact.

The People Directorate has a central role to play in supporting that next chapter. The University is strengthening its operational HR foundations, modernising processes, embedding better use of systems and building greater confidence in people management across the organisation. Reporting to the Chief People Officer, the Director of Operational People Services will lead a broad portfolio covering People Operations, Employee Relations and Policy, People Systems, Global Mobility, reward and related services.

The successful candidate will help strengthen service standards, lead the continued implementation of technology and develop the standard operating procedures, workflows and process improvements needed to support a modern service. They will also help move the University towards a clearer tiered model of support, with greater use of self-service, clearer routes for advice and stronger manager accountability.

We are looking for a senior HR leader with a strong track record in complex People operations and HR service delivery. You will bring experience of leading multi-disciplinary teams, improving service quality, managing employee relations and policy, working with people systems and delivering practical change in a complex environment. Experience of higher education would be highly valuable. The University is particularly interested in candidates who understand academic environments, institutional governance, employee relations in a unionised context and the importance of building trust with senior academic and professional services leaders.

This is a demanding and high-impact role. It will suit someone who brings structure, sound judgement and the credibility to balance day-to-day operational delivery with longer-term transformation. You will be joining City St George's at a moment when the operational strength of the People Directorate will make a direct contribution to the University's future success.

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The closing date for applications is midday on Monday 13 July 2026

City St George's is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, academic freedom, freedom of speech and sustainability. The successful candidate will share these commitments and bring inclusive, collaborative leadership to a role that offers significant opportunity to shape the next phase of research and innovation at a distinctive, ambitious and outward-facing university.