Senior Trust HR Lead

Our vision is to be a key provider for quality education so that all of our students leave us as highly qualified, confident and articulate young people with a wealth of experience. This vision is under-pinned by moral purpose – a desire to do more to improve the quality of education for all children and young people – and a commitment to schools working together to secure an inclusive, ambitious, collegiate and high-quality offer in the regions we serve.

The Role

We are seeking a highly skilled individual for an experienced Senior Trust HR Lead to manage HR services across the Trust, providing high-quality support to Headteachers, Principals, senior leaders, and school HR teams. You will handle all of the complex employee relations cases, ensure compliance with HR policies, and coordinate with external providers and oversee payroll services. You’ll also oversee safer recruitment, safeguarding checks, and support the smooth running of HR operations across all schools and also oversee the work of the Trust HR Business Partners.

This role requires strong knowledge of employment law and hands-on experience with employee relations, recruitment, and high level HR administration support. If you are committed to delivering efficient HR support in a senior capacity and working closely with school leaders to resolve HR matters promptly, we encourage you to apply.

Our Trust

The Mulberry Schools Trust was formed in 2017, when the Board of trustees and the Chief Executive Officer created a family of schools that has at its heart inclusion, equality of opportunity and a striving for educational excellence.

Schools as Community Hubs

We are committed to supporting young people to overcome the barriers that class, poverty and social exclusion can create, ensuring that all students are able to achieve their full potential. This has inspired us to build up a broad network of partnerships, invigorating student experience, opportunity, drive and success.

There should be no barriers to a child’s future and society should, and can, be a level playing field. Aspiring for this to be reality we promise to:

• Emphasise high quality subject teaching, reinforced by excellent support for learning and intervention.

• Deliver inclusion services and other programmes that assist personal development.

• Provide excellent pastoral care so no student goes unsupported.

• Continually develop strong leadership and have high levels of expertise in education.

Our partners

We want our students in the Trust to have access to a plethora of professional connections which assist them in understanding and knowing how to navigate the wider world. To make this a reality we have a wide range external partners in higher education, business, industry, the arts and the sciences who contribute extensively and fundamentally to our extra-curricular activities, including:

Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd, Bank of America, the Royal Ballet and Opera, the National Theatre, the Women of the World Foundation, Barts NHS Trust, the Central School of Speech and Drama, the women of the future programme and others.

Bringing Down Barriers to Success

We are proud to inspire our students through diverse and representative leadership teams and welcome applications from all of the different communities we serve, regarding this as a strength.

If you have the experience and passion to energise our next generation of leaders, creators and innovators, then we want to see how we can support you in that pursuit.

We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer and actively encourage people from a wide variety of backgrounds, experience and skills to join us and influence and develop our working practice. We particularly encourage applications from ethnic minority groups, and candidates who are disabled. All candidates who demonstrate that they meet the shortlisting criteria will be invited for an interview, in line with the Equality Act 2010.

We want the best staff and we know that means a diverse staff in our Trust.

Encouraging a happy and healthy work environment

We take staff wellbeing seriously at Mulberry Schools Trust, here are just some of the great benefits for all staff.

• Local Government Pension Scheme • Employee assistance programme and support • Free gym onsite in some schools open for all to use across the Trust • Subsidised staff meals • Annual programme of conferences and Trust wide events with high profile speakers • Cycle to work scheme • Annual service award •Long service awards •Paid sabbaticals

How to apply?

We have an online application form on the TES website, and request that you complete the supporting statement in detail explaining why you are the perfect person for this exciting opportunity, referring to the person specification. Please be aware that we will not accept any individual CV’s.

We welcome applicants to inform us if you need any particular adjustments, arrangements or access needs as part of the recruitment process. We are also able to provide large font print job pack on request. We will welcome a conversation in accommodating alternative application methods should they be requested.

If you have any questions about the role or the process, please get in touch with Shruti Kainth, Chief People Officer [email protected]

Interview Date: Shortlisted candidates will be informed of interview likely to take place in July or August.

Post Start Date: September 2025

The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will require a satisfactory Enhanced DBS clearance. We are dedicated to equality and valuing diversity.

Candidates who are selected for interview will be informed following the shortlisting process and full details of the interview will be provided.

We will seek references on all shortlisted candidates and may approach previous employers for information to verify experience or qualifications before interview. Any relevant issues arising from references will be taken up at interview.