Job Title

As we enter our next strategic phase, we are seeking a Director of People and Culture to lead the development of our people, governance and safeguarding strategies, strengthen organisational culture, and ensure high standards of governance across the charity.The Director of People and Culture will provide executive leadership for organisational strategy across the globe, people and culture strategy, organisational culture, and governance and safeguarding frameworks. This role will champion inclusion, wellbeing, and high-performance culture while ensuring strong governance, compliance, and risk management across the organisation''s activities. The postholder is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and a trusted advisor to the CEO and Board of Trustees (Council). The role supports and advises the People Committee, a sub-committee of Council and a senior governance forum, providing expert oversight of people, culture, reward, inclusion, and workforce-related risk.The Director of People and Culture will have executive responsibility for ZSL''s People, Governance, Health and Safety and Safeguarding Teams.Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic LeadershipWork with the CEO and Chair to build governance capability across all levels of the organisation, including induction, development and ongoing learning, to ensure high standards of stewardship, effective challenge, and confidence in operating within a complex international NGO environment.Lead the development and execution of a long-term people strategy, aligned to ZSL''s mission and strategic goals. Provide expert guidance on employee relations, strategic workforce planning, organisational design, culture and change.Act as a strategic partner to the CEO, executive leadership team, Chair of Council and wider Council on all people-related and cultural matters and governance.Act as the organisation''s senior safeguarding lead, ensuring safeguarding is embedded into strategy, decision-making and organisational culture.Demonstrate visible leadership, modelling organisational values and fostering a collaborative, inclusive and supportive working environment.Manage and oversee the People Team, Governance Team and Safeguarding Team budgets and resources; ensure effective deployment of people-systems, tools and technologies to support an insightful, efficient and responsive service.People and Culture StrategyProvide strategic oversight of the People Teams including employee experience, reward and systems, organisational development, business partnering and advisory services, talent acquisition, succession planning and volunteering.Champion a culture of inclusion, equity, diversity and belonging, embedding best practice across policy, process and behaviours.Develop and design change management strategies that support ZSL as it implements its strategy and organisational plans and seeks to create and maintain organisational capability.Partner with the CEO and senior leaders to translate business need into people-solutions, governance and safeguarding solutions, enabling the organisation to adapt, grow and respond to changing demands in the INGO and UK conservation sector.Lead cross-organisational initiatives including People & Culture Steering Group and People Committee and other governance forums that drive employee engagement and inclusive culture.Lead on the development, management and reporting of a strong impact framework for People and Safeguarding with clear measures and targets to support ZSL''s strategic priorities, ensuring plans, objectives, KPIs and metrics drive impact.Strategically lead ZSL''s partnership with Trade Unions and provide senior guidance on industrial relations, in partnership with the CFO on pay negotiations. Advise the People Committee to ensure fair, competitive and values-aligned reward practices are in place.Ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is championed across all people practices; embedding EDI as a core part of the culture, structure and processes of ZSL.Governance, Risk and ComplianceLead governance culture with the CEO and Chair, strengthening decision-making quality, accountability, ethical leadership and role clarity across the organisation; governance should be a value-adding enabler of impact at ZSL.Provide leadership guidance for good governance, ensuring strong structures, reporting and compliance with charity law and regulatory requirements in line with Charity Governance Code.Oversee risk management and mitigation strategies related to people and culture, governance, health and safety, and safeguarding.Lead governance reviews and improvements with the CEO and Chair to ensure structures and processes remain fit for purpose.SafeguardingAct as Senior Designated Safeguarding Lead, with accountability for safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk across the organisation''s work, including international field-based, volunteer-led and partner-delivered activity.Ensure safeguarding considerations are integrated into people management, programme delivery, partnerships and governance frameworks.Ensure effective safeguarding training for staff, volunteers, trustees and partners, appropriate to their roles.Foster a culture where safeguarding concerns are understood, taken seriously and raised without fear of reprisal.Cross-Functional CollaborationAct as an external ambassador for ZSL on people, culture, governance and safeguarding, strengthening ZSL''s employer brand and reputation through sector leadership and partnerships.Work with the executive leadership team and Council to embed people-centred practices and a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.Serve as a key external representative, promoting organisational reputation in people, culture, governance and safeguarding forums.Values and Behaviours for People ManagementCollaborative: creates an engaging environment where people feel comfortable asking for help or support.Ethical: creates a culture which ensures everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.Impactful: delivers results on time and to the agreed standards.Inclusive: makes decisions that promote transparency and inclusion.ExperienceProven senior HR / People leadership experience in a complex international organisation with accountability for multiple HR disciplines and a track record of partnering with senior leadership/ExCo/Council/Board on people strategy, organisational effectiveness, workforce planning and culture transformation.Strong experience of organisational design, workforce planning, culture change and complex employee relations (including grievances/disciplines, TU engagement) in UK and international contexts.Proven experience of governance, charity regulation, and influencing Boards/Trustees.Excellent interpersonal, influencing and relationship-building skills, with credibility at Board and senior leadership levels.Experience in EDI strategy and embedding inclusive practices at organisation scale.DesirableStrong understanding of charity law and compliance frameworks.Knowledge And SkillsStrategic thinker with credibility at executive leadership and governance levels, able to influence and partner effectively.Able to translate business strategy into people-solutions, partner with senior leaders, and deliver successfully.Strong knowledge of employment law, union/industrial relations, EDI, and best practice in the charity sector.Highly developed communication skills with the ability to influence at all levels, including senior leaders, Council/Board, unions and volunteers.Strong analytical skills, able to use workforce data and metrics to shape decision-making and measure impact.Collaborative and decisive leader.Additional RequirementsBlended role for office and home working; some travel to Zoo sites required. We work at least 2-3 days per week in the office.Strong commitment to creating a culture that lives ZSL values and safeguarding, equality and diversity.Our Vision A world where wildlife thrives.Our Purpose To inspire, inform and empower people to protect and restore wildlife.Who We Are We''re ZSL (Zoological Society of London), a science-driven conservation charity with 200 years of history and an urgent mission for the future. We work to restore wildlife in the UK and around the world, helping people and wildlife thrive together.Our Approach We look for answers through science and work with people to find solutions. From the Institute of Zoology to conservation field programmes spanning the globe, we use evidence-based research to understand threats and develop interventions. We protect species, collaborate with communities, train conservationists and create pathways for everyone to take action for nature.Through our two conservation zoos, we bring people closer to wildlife: London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo. Both zoos play a vital role in conservation, public engagement and education.Our People Our colleagues and volunteers are the lifeblood of what we achieve. We''re working to create an environment where passionate people can do their best work, building a culture of collaboration, integrity and inclusion.Our Leadership Vision Under the leadership of the CEO (interim) and ZSL''s governance, we aim to maximise our impact on conservation science and practice globally.Our Values Collaborative, Ethical, Impactful, Inclusive, Innovative, Inspiring. We aspire to live these values daily.Our Governance ZSL is governed by a Board of Trustees (Council) with an Executive Committee led by the CEO.Join Us Be part of our fight to restore nature and help secure a world where wildlife thrives. For full role details and to apply, contact Smita Rai at Green Park via [email protected] or visit Zoological Society of London. #J-18808-Ljbffr