Head of HR
Job Reference schooltalent/TP/30147/2702
Number of Positions: 1
Contract Type: Full Time Permanent
Salary: £72,870
Working Hours: 38.75 hours per week
Location: Edinburgh, Ravelston Dykes site
Closing Date: 10/07/2026
Department: Human Resources
Region / Division: ESMS
Job Role: Operational/Professional Services
About ESMS
Welcome to Erskine Stewart Melville, a vibrant family of independent schools located in the heart of Edinburgh. We offer a co‑educational nursery and junior school, single‑sex but closely twinned secondary education, and a co‑educational sixth form. Our schools have an educational legacy spanning more than 300 years and are consistently award‑winning. We provide a rounded education underpinned by values of kindness, confidence, resilience, integrity and curiosity, and innovate continually with technology and outdoor learning programmes.
The people who work for us are passionate, pioneering and strive for excellence. We value their contributions, invest in their careers and support their ambitions for both professional and personal growth.
About The Role
The Head of HR is a full time, permanent role based at the Ravelston Dykes site. The position involves leading and overseeing the Human Resources function, acting as the key interface between operational and strategic HR.
Duties
- Lead the HR function, developing and implementing a vision to transform HR into a strategic, solutions‑focused, high‑performing, collaborative partner that directly supports the delivery of the organisation’s strategic aims and promotes ESMS as an employer of choice.
- Formulate and execute HR strategies aligned with organisational objectives, providing strategic leadership and operational management to the HR team, promoting best practice and building a quality advisory function that adds value across the organisation.
- Act as a strategic partner on all people‑related matters, including succession planning, leadership development and organisational design.
Qualifications & Experience
The successful candidate must have significant experience in a senior HR leadership role, proven ability to manage, develop and lead teams effectively, and previous experience in trade union consultation and negotiation. Experience in the education sector and independent schools is desirable.
Eligibility
ESMS is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. The successful candidate must have an alternative right to work in the UK.
Benefits
- Fee remission from Nursery to S6
- Free school lunches
- Free sports club membership, including access to pool and fitness suites
- 30 days annual holiday leave plus 10 days statutory holiday at Christmas and Easter when schools are closed
- Paid moving house day
- Employers’ pension contributions of up to 8%
- Death in service benefit
- Family‑friendly policies, including enhanced maternity leave
- Membership of the ESMS Discount and Benefits Scheme, including discounts at 130,000 retail and entertainment locations
- Employee Assistance Service
- Cycle to work scheme
- Car leasing salary sacrifice scheme
- Annual professional review process
- Regular salary reviews
- Funding towards professional qualifications
Values
We look for individuals who embody and promote ESMS values of kindness, confidence, resilience, integrity and curiosity, while modelling behaviours in line with our school pillars of ambition, innovation and community.
Safeguarding
ESMS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Applicants must undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and Disclosure Scotland. All staff working at ESMS have direct access to young people; therefore all posts within the school are considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
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