People Hub Team Leader (People Operations)


Company:	TKAT (The Kemnal Academies Trust)
Salary:	£45,299 (FTE)
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Crawley, RH10 5AD
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	25 Sept 2026
Closing date:	25 Oct 2026

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Summary

Job Advert

(Y)Our Opportunity

At Kemnal, we are drawn to serving the young people who need us most, guided by a clear moral purpose. We are looking for a dedicated People Hub Team Leader who brings energy, heart, and purpose to the People Team, someone ready to lead, innovate, and empower our schools every single day.

As People Hub Team Leader, you will play a key role in shaping our operational shared services. A primary focus will be the operational rollout and embedding of our Secondary Hub Service model across all Kemnal secondary schools. With the blueprint already designed, you will lead on driving adoption, streamlining processes, and embedding a proactive, responsive, and school-focused service across recruitment, employee lifecycle administration, and reporting.

Whether you bring established HR shared services leadership or are a skilled HR supervisor ready to step up, your talent will be valued here. You'll lead an exciting operational challenge: taking an established blueprint and successfully onboarding our secondary schools into the People Hub service model.

Together, let’s show our young people what a truly inclusive employer looks like—inspiring every child to shine, fulfill their ambitions, and seize all the opportunities this world has to offer.

The ideal People Hub Team Leader will be someone who:

*Provides positive, values-led leadership to a dedicated team of People Specialists, nurturing talent and fostering a supportive, high-performing culture.

*Serves as an expert practitioner, providing authoritative advice on the employee lifecycle and national education frameworks (STPCD, Burgundy Book, Green Book / NJC terms).

*Is a champion of system capability, using HRIS (iTrent) and ATS modules to automate workflows, improve candidate experience, and deliver meaningful workforce intelligence.

*Holds operational accountability for safer recruitment standards, ensuring accuracy and timely delivery of pre-employment checks and Single Central Record (SCR) lines in line with KCSIE.

*Coaches and mentors School Business Managers using a peer-to-peer approach to foster shared learning across the Trust.

*Is driven by a clear moral purpose, bringing a positive, solution-focused outlook and the integrity to navigate complex operational challenges.

Great Support Starts with a Great Community: Your Benefits

We believe that in education, people matter most. Investing in your wellbeing and professional growth isn't just a perk, it’s our priority. As part of Kemnal Academies Trust, you will receive a comprehensive benefits package designed to support both your career and your lifestyle:

Career Development & Leadership

* Exceptional Development: Access high-quality development and training opportunities tailored to your role, including leadership development tracks and CIPD support.

*Nurturing Talent: Benefit from a Trust culture that actively invests in continuous professional development and internal career progression.

Family & Work-Life Balance

* Family-Friendly Policies: Dedicated leave policies and flexible working options to support you through every stage of life.

* Structured Balance: Enjoy a flexible hybrid arrangement (3 days remote / 2 days on-site in schools or central offices) designed to support a healthy work-life balance.

Financial Wellbeing & Savings

* Blue Light Card Access: Eligible to apply for the UK’s premier discount scheme, unlocking savings across shopping, dining, travel, and entertainment.

* Cycle to Work Scheme: Spread the cost of a new bike and equipment for a healthier, more affordable commute.

* Generous Pension: Secure your long-term future with substantial employer pension contributions.

* 24/7 Confidential Counselling: Free, round-the-clock support for you and your eligible immediate family members.

About the People Team

The Central People Team operates at the heart of Kemnal Academies Trust, providing strategic, advisory, and operational expertise across our primary and secondary academies. We work in close partnership with Headteachers, Regional Directors, and School Business Managers to ensure robust compliance, exceptional candidate experience, and high-quality workforce planning. Through the People Hub, we aim to deliver an efficient, standardized, and customer-centric service that enables school leaders to stay focused on outstanding teaching and learning.

About Kemnal Academies Trust

Kemnal Academies Trust is a group of schools with ambition for every child and pride in the communities we serve. We provide a broad and rich education that opens doors. Working together, we give every pupil the support and the skills they need to build a life of purpose, agency, and contribution.

Our ultimate aim is to ensure we drive educational standards through the provision of outstanding teaching, leadership, and learning for all. Our leaders focus on pupil progress and attainment, regularly sharing knowledge, insight, and experience across our family of schools. We believe passionately in the power of collaborative working and actively promote school-to-school support because when we work together, every child benefits.

A Culture of Belonging: Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

Belonging is of utmost importance to us. We strive to create an atmosphere where everyone feels welcomed and respected, where expectations are high, and genuine support is provided. Here, colleagues are trusted to lead, contribute, and grow in alignment with our mission. At Kemnal Academies Trust, we are committed to Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, and Belonging. We embrace and celebrate differences, value individual experiences, aspirations, and achievements, and continuously learn how to grow better together. We actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, as we know diversity strengthens our community and drives us forward.

Flexible Working - Kemnal Academies Trust recognises the value of enabling our employees to develop their career while balancing their commitments and interests outside of work. We actively promote flexible working practices and opportunities to support a positive work-life balance.

Application Details & Next Steps - Interview dates for this role are listed in the key vacancy details above; please ensure you hold this date in your diary when applying. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications, so early submission is encouraged.

Be Who You Are: Interview & Workplace Adjustments - Should you be selected and invited to interview, please let us know if you require us to adapt the recruitment process to enable you to participate fully. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments within both the recruitment process and the workplace to support every candidate.

Safeguarding & Safer Recruitment - Kemnal Academies Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all colleagues to share this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to statutory safer recruitment checks prior to appointment. These include, but are not limited to, an Enhanced DBS check with Children's Barred List check, online searches (in line with KCSIE guidelines), identity and right-to-work verification, reference checks, relevant qualification/prohibition checks, and overseas checks where applicable. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended), certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected' and do not need to be disclosed.

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