HR Director

Salary

£49,282 - £54,495

Basis

Full Time

Job category/type

Education and Childcare, Management, Schools/Academies

Date posted

17/11/2025

Job reference

REQ004271

Job title and organisation: HR Director - Lighthouse School

Salary: £49,282 - £54,495

Hours: Full Time (All Year Round)

Contract: Permanent

Location: Lighthouse Education Trust

Closing Date: Monday 1 December at 9am

Strategic HR Role – Shape the Future of Our Growing Trust

Are you looking for a strategic HR role where you can truly make a difference?

This is an exciting new opportunity to shape and influence the future direction of our Trust as we continue to grow and open a brand-new school.

Whether you're already an experienced HR Director or a Senior HR Business Partner ready to take the next step, we'd love to hear from you.

In this pivotal role, you'll use your expertise to lead and deliver effective HR strategies that support our people, culture, and long-term goals.

While this is a strategic role, you'll also need to be hands-on, particularly in the early stages — acting as a proactive HR Business Partner to support leaders and teams directly as the Trust evolves and grows.

You'll need to bring:

• Proven experience as a strategic HR generalist, operating at a senior level
• CIPD Level 7 qualification (or working towards) in Human Resource Management
• Strong experience in strategic workforce planning, employee relations, and organisational development
• The ability to influence and partner with senior leaders, driving positive cultural and operational change
• A deep understanding of HR policy, employment law, and best practice
• Excellent communication, leadership, and coaching skills
• Ideally, experience gained within the public or education sector
• A willingness to be hands-on in delivery as the Trust expands and new systems and processes are embedded
• Above all, genuine alignment with our values and mission

About the school:

Lighthouse School Leeds is a 'Good' school with aspirations to be 'Outstanding' in the near future. We are a happy and vibrant community, where young autistic people learn, flourish and thrive. Currently, we have 104 students on roll aged 11 to 19 years. Students study a range KS3, Level 1,2, 3 qualifications, including BTECs and GCSEs.

The trust has recently been appointed to open Lighthouse School Harrogate which will accommodate 80 autistic students aged 11-19 years.

This role comes with full training, induction and a range of benefits:

• Salary paid across 12 equal monthly instalments, and an increase each September (subject to Trustee approval and the finances of the school).
• Mental health and wellbeing at the heart of everything we do - our staff say they feel supported by the Senior Leadership Team and our Mental Health First Aider Team.
• Access to a range of free health care services including, Employee Assistance Programme offering free counselling (general/menopause), physiotherapy, 24/7 GP service, stress coaching, nurse support services, financial wellbeing coaching, surgical assistance programme, free flu vaccinations, and eye tests for VDU users. See here for more information.
• Up to date autism specific training, including person centred approaches, positive behaviour support strategies and understanding communication from our Speech and Language Therapists and our training and Wellbeing Teams.
• Continuous Professional Development including access to coaching, mentoring and supervision, as well as e-learning and online training courses.

If you're ready to play a key role in shaping the future of a growing Trust, we'd love to explore this opportunity with you.

Take a look and get in touch to discuss next steps

Please visit our website for a job description/person specification and further details regarding the role and our school.

Speak to our HR Partner, Julie Wellacott, who is supporting with this recruitment process to find out more and arrange a visit ahead of the closing date:

Lighthouse School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its students and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An enhanced DBS certificate is required for the successful applicant, and all newly appointed staff who have lived or travelled overseas for 12 months or more in the past 10 years will be required to undertake an overseas check as part of our pre-employment checks. Information can be found on the government website.

We are also committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and do not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply to join us and positively encourage you to choose a career at our inclusive school. You may be eligible for Access to Work interventions in order to assist you to return or remain in the workplace, eligibility information can be found on the government website.

• We are also a DfE appointed Flexible Working Participant School and open to offering a range of flexible working options. Please share your preferences with our HR colleagues at your earliest opportunity in order that these can be fully considered.

Closing date: 9am on Monday 1st December 2025, with main interviews planned for Tuesday 9th December 2025.

The above post is not a Leeds City Council vacancy and has been advertised on behalf of the relevant organisation. To apply please follow their application instructions.