Assistant Director of People & Organisational Development

Assistant Director of People & Organisational Development

Salary: £57,696.82 per annum + £4,564.80 per annum car allowance

Hours: 32 hours per week (full-time)

Location: Hybrid – Lochside, Edinburgh, EH12 9DT

Contract: Permanent

A senior People & OD leadership role, with a 4-day working week and the influence to shape Ark’s future.

At Ark, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As a values-driven housing and social care organisation, we create inclusive communities where people can live with dignity, independence and belonging.

We are seeking an Assistant Director of People & Organisational Development to provide leadership across our People and workforce functions. This is a key role at an exciting time, as we launch a new Workforce Strategy and Business Plan. You will help shape our culture, develop workforce capability and ensure we have the people and systems needed to deliver our long-term ambitions.

This is a strategic and hands‑on leadership role with significant influence across the organisation. You will help shape how Ark attracts, develops, supports and retains its people, while ensuring our systems, policies and practices are inclusive, compliant and fit for the future.

Our corporate services roles are based on a 4-day working week, with no loss of pay. We believe this supports focused time, healthier workloads and more sustainable performance, helping colleagues do their best work while maintaining balance.

As a member of Ark’s Senior Leadership Team, you will provide leadership across People Services, Talent & Engagement, Learning & Organisational Development, workforce planning, employee relations and people systems.

You will play a pivotal role in delivering Ark’s new five‑year Workforce Strategy, helping to translate strategic priorities into clear plans, measurable outcomes and meaningful improvements across the employee lifecycle.

Day‑to‑day, you’ll be involved in things like:

• Leading the delivery of Ark’s People & OD and Workforce Strategy priorities;
• Providing strategic and professional advice to the Executive Team, Senior Leadership Team and Board of Management;
• Leading People Services, Talent & Engagement, Learning & OD and workforce functions;
• Overseeing workforce planning, succession planning and leadership capability development;
• Leading workforce analytics, people dashboards and evidence‑based reporting;
• Supporting organisational change, continuous improvement and digital transformation;
• Providing strategic oversight of employee relations, employment law and regulatory compliance;
• Supporting recruitment, retention and workforce sustainability across Ark;
• Ensuring People & OD systems, processes and governance are robust, effective and future‑focused;
• Supporting key corporate priorities, including the implementation of Employment Hero (Ark’s new HR and Pay platform);
• Preparing and presenting papers, reports and workforce insights for senior governance forums.

We’re looking for someone who brings:

• A strong track record in a senior People, HR or OD leadership role;
• Experience developing and delivering organisation‑wide People, OD and workforce strategies;
• Experience operating as part of a senior leadership team;
• Strong knowledge of employment law, employee relations, regulatory compliance and people governance;
• Experience leading multi‑function People teams, including HR operations, L&D, OD, recruitment, payroll or people systems;
• Confidence using workforce data, analytics and insight to support strategic decision‑making;
• Experience preparing Board papers and presenting at senior governance forums;
• Strong change leadership, project management and organisational development skills;
• Experience supporting succession planning, leadership development and workforce sustainability;
• Chartered CIPD membership, or equivalent professional status;
• A relevant postgraduate qualification, such as a Master’s degree or Postgraduate Diploma, or equivalent professional experience.

Most importantly, you will be a visible, inclusive and values‑driven leader who can build trust, influence effectively and support others to deliver excellent outcomes. You will bring professional credibility,…