Head of Colleague Relations

Location: Glasgow, Darlington or Llandudno

Pension: A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Advert Closing Date: Sunday 8 March 2026

Is it time you unlocked your potential?

Student Loans Company is a non-profit making Government-owned organisation to provide loans and grants to students in universities and colleges in the UK. Since 1989, we have enabled our customers to invest in their futures by delivering secure, accurate and efficient assessment, payment and repayment services.

• Honesty
  :
  We act with integrity and transparency, sharing information openly and addressing challenges with courage.
• Empowerment
  :
  We enable people to take initiative, make impactful decisions, and continuously learn and grow.
• Accountability
  :
  We deliver on commitments, own our successes and mistakes, and strive for quality outcomes.
• Respect
  :
  We value diverse perspectives, actively listen, and create an inclusive environment where everyone belongs.
• Trust
  :
  We collaborate across teams, build dependable relationships, and work as one to deliver for our customers.

These values are more than words—they guide our decisions, shape our collaborations, and strengthen our impact on the students we serve.

This newly created role will lead SLC’s Colleague Relations function, setting strategic direction and guiding a 15‑strong team to deliver consistent, high‑quality advisory, partnering, and policy support across the organisation. You will shape how SLC navigates complex employee relations, organisational change, and workforce risk, ensuring decisions are fair, legally compliant, and aligned with our values.

Working closely with senior leaders, you will influence organisation design, workforce planning, and cultural initiatives, while steering enterprise‑wide projects that modernise processes and enhance colleague experience. Through data‑driven insight and preventative action, you will strengthen colleague engagement and operational outcomes, building a high‑performing, collaborative team environment with clear priorities and accountability.

As a senior leader within the People Directorate, you will play a key role in driving SLC’s People evolution – helping us to step into the future of a modern, strategic and digitally enabled Directorate.

• Deep expertise across core HR disciplines including people policy, strategic partnering, and advisory services, with a clear track record of improving business performance and colleague experience
• Strong knowledge of UK employment legislation, case law, and best‑practice application, including experience managing complex ER issues up to Employment Tribunal level
• Strong judgement and decision‑making capability, with the ability to balance legal risk, organisational values, and practical business needs
• Evidence of driving continuous improvement and modernisation across people processes, systems, or services
• Strong capability in analysing complex people data, case trends, and workforce insights to inform strategic recommendations and/or preventative interventions for different audiences
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience preparing board‑level papers, presenting complex issues, and influencing diverse stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to apply a pragmatic, solutions‑focused approach to complex people challenges while maintaining fairness, consistency, and organisational values
• Proven ability to build and sustain strategic relationships across HR, senior leadership, and external providers to influence outcomes at scale
• Significant experience operating in complex organisations, ideally across both public‑sector environments and large, multi‑stakeholder settings
• Extensive experience leading specialist HR teams, with clear evidence of developing capability, setting strategic direction, and creating a high‑performing, engaged team culture
• Proven experience leading senior‑level discussions and influencing Executive leaders on sensitive, high‑impact people matters
• Experience managing constructive relationships with trade unions, including navigating consultation, negotiation and dispute‑resolution
• Experience shaping and implementing…