Executive Director of People

The Company

The Student Loans Company (SLC) was set up in 1989 to make it easier for students to get the financial support they need to benefit from further and higher education opportunities. It now plays a critical role at the heart of government policy to broaden opportunities and support lifelong learning.

They have developed a technology-led transformation programme to make significant improvements in their customer service and deliver more effectively for taxpayers who fund their operation. They have made great progress – but there is more to do and they aspire to be a benchmark digital organisation in the public sector.

SLC is a non-profit making government-owned company that administers loans and grants to 1.5m students annually.

SLC enables people to invest in their futures through further and higher education. They do this by making timely and accurate payments of maintenance loans to learners and tuition fee loans to higher education (HE) and further education (FE) providers.

They also work in partnership with HMRC to ensure that repayments are collected on time from those due to repay (whether that is through HMRC or direct to the SLC) and manage the nationally significant student loan book on behalf of HM Government.

The scale and complexity of SLC is akin to that of a mid-tier UK financial services institution. It is incorporated as a company limited by shares under the Companies Act and is wholly in public ownership – with the UK Government being the majority shareholder and the remaining shares held by the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

SLC has some 3,300 employees based predominantly in its Glasgow and Darlington offices, with a small office in Llandudno Junction.

Their Mission

SLC exists to enable people to invest in their futures through further and higher education by providing trusted, transparent, flexible and accessible student finance services.

Their Vision

To be widely recognised as enabling student opportunity and delivering an outstanding customer experience in the efficient delivery of the four UK governments’ further and higher education finance policies.

The Role

Reporting to the Chief Executive, you are a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, representing the People dimension in all executive and non-executive decision-making, with responsibility for leading the People function, delivering wide-ranging people services and implementing the People Strategy whilst ensuring clear alignment to key organisational objectives and the People business plan.

As Executive Director of People, you will represent the People dimension in all executive and non-executive decision-making, and will lead the full People function, which delivers a wide range of people services.

You will drive the implementation of our People Strategy – key to their ambition to make SLC a great place to work – whilst ensuring clear alignment to key organisational objectives and the People business plan.

Managing a high performing team, you will be instrumental in driving a continuous learning approach using our Career Pathways framework, which aims to empower colleagues to take ownership of their development and career goals.

Chris Larmer, CEO is looking to develop an executive leadership team that can bring a mix and blend of public/private sector skills, but most of all, that brings energy, drive, passion and enthusiasm for the delivery of a great customer service for SLC.

The successful candidate

Essential:

• Chartered Fellow CIPD with a bachelor’s degree.
• Significant HR/People experience working at senior/Director level within public sector or private sector
• Skilled practitioner in driving and delivering change within a change-conservative setting.
• Thorough and proven knowledge of the legislative, statutory and regulatory frameworks within which an HR functions operate, particularly within the UK public sector.
• Demonstrable impact achieved through strategy and policy formulation and implementation.
• Significant experience of leading, motivating and developing people.
• An inspirational and confident leader with proven experience of creating a high performing and diverse workforce, who is visible and approachable to all colleagues and stakeholders.
• Experience of creating and instilling a team culture of continuous improvement and process transformation to deliver business plans whilst ensuring that employees are engaged in the changes.
• Proven ability to lead, work with, motivate and command the respect of business leaders and other stakeholders.
• Proven experience of engaging the most senior business leaders and other stakeholders to develop strategic, comprehensive and actionable approaches at a function level.

Desirable:

• MSc/MBA qualification
• Familiarity with the constraints of public sector funding and/or a regulated sector.
• Knowledge of finance or education
• Passion for education and the development of
• Evidence of CPD

To apply, please send your CV to Jaclyn Needham, Director at FWB Park Brown at applications@fwbparkbrown.com.  For an initial confidential conversation please contact 0131 539 7087.