Head of HR Operations

Our people are at the heart of GAD’s ability to deliver expert advice and unlock value for government. GAD’s People Strategy underpins our business strategy and is designed to support growth into new policy areas, while strengthening delivery of our core work. We are committed to building a dynamic, flexible talent ecosystem, fostering a culture of inclusion and learning, and delivering excellence for our clients and the UK public sector.

We offer great working benefits, flexible working options and a career where your learning and development is taken seriously.

For further information about the role and GAD, please see the link at the bottom of the page.

As Head of HR Operations, you will lead a team in the delivery of high-quality, efficient, and compliant HR services that underpin the employee lifecycle. This role requires a confident and emotionally intelligent leader who can manage team dynamics and foster a high performing and collaborative team culture, embed accountability and lead the delivery of impactful operational change. As Deputy support to the HR Director, you will play a pivotal role in directly supporting and shaping the future of HR operations, strengthening people management practices, and ensuring the HR function continues to deliver an outstanding service across the Government Actuary's Department. Working under the direction of the HR Director, the postholder will collaborate closely with the Head of Talent and Skills Development to provide joined-up leadership across the HR team and support delivery of the objectives set out in the People Strategy.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Technical skills.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained.
• A Personal statement of up to 500-words explaining how you meet the essential criteria for the role, with particular reference to the criteria provided in the person specification of the JD.

Your CV and Personal Statement will be used to assess the essential criteria listed in the job description.

During the interview you will be assessed on the experience and behaviours listed in the Person Specification and detailed in this advert. The interview will include a presentation, details of which will be sent to those invited to interview.

Application deadline: 1200 hrs on 08 September 2026

Shortlisting: w/c 07 September 2026

Interviews: 28 September 2026

Interview location: In office (Either London, E14 4PU or Edinburgh, EH8 8FT)

Please apply via our recruitment portal below.

As part of the application form process, please submit your anonymised CV and supporting statement. Please do not email your CV outside of this process as it will not be accepted.

Shortlisting criteria is based on the Person Specification as set out in the Assessment Criteria section of the Job Description. Please ensure you provide examples of how you meet the Assessment Criteria; a strong application will also demonstrate that you meet the required criteria that are identified as key for this role. Applications will be shortlisted in line with the essential criteria for the role. The desirable criteria will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates. Behaviours will be assessed at sift and interview stage. Candidates who are successful at shortlist will be contacted as soon as possible and advised of the interview process and assessment (exact times and dates will also be confirmed).

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.