Appointment of the Executive Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development

Welcome from Professor Liz Mossop

Thank you for your interest in joining Sheffield Hallam University as our Executive Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development.

Sheffield Hallam is a university with a strong sense of purpose. We transform lives through education, research and partnerships, with deep roots in Sheffield and South Yorkshire and connections across the world. Our community includes around 31,000 students, 3,800 colleagues and more than 330,000 alumni. We are proud of our scale, our diversity and the practical difference we make.

This is an important moment for Sheffield Hallam. Like universities across the sector, we have been responding to a very difficult financial and operating environment. Our colleagues have experienced significant change as we have reshaped the University and worked to secure a sustainable future. Some of the decisions we have made have been difficult and their impact has been felt across our community. As we stabilise our structures and adapt to new ways of working, our shared purpose continues to sustain us as we look ahead to the future.

Sheffield Hallam is full of talented people who care deeply about the University and the difference it makes. One of our priorities for the next phase is to help colleagues reconnect with the sense of purpose, pride and possibility that brought them here in the first place.

Our new Executive Director of HR and Organisational Development will have an important part to play in making that happen. You will join the University Executive Board and lead the development of our future workforce strategy, helping us build the culture, leadership and organisational capability we need for the years ahead. You will also lead the continued development of our HR and Organisational Development services, ensuring they are trusted, responsive and closely connected to the academic and operational priorities of the University.

This is a role for an experienced people leader who combines professional judgement with empathy, courage and a genuine interest in people. You will need to advise and challenge confidently at executive and Board level while remaining visible, accessible and willing to listen across our community. You will understand complex employee relations, value constructive engagement with our recognised trade unions and know that lasting organisational change depends on trust.

You report to the Chief Operating Officer, working closely with me and colleagues across the University Executive Board. I am looking for someone who will contribute fully to the collective leadership of Sheffield Hallam, bringing an informed perspective to the wider strategic choices facing the University as well as providing clear leadership of our people agenda.

What sets Sheffield Hallam apart is not just what we do, but how and why we do it. Our students and staff are at the heart of everything we achieve, part of an inclusive community where people feel that they belong, are valued and know their contribution matters. Hallam is a place where potential is recognised and where everyone can see the difference they make and the impact they have.

This is a pivotal moment for the University as we build on our reputation as a key strategic partner for regional and national government, delivering on skills, opportunity and growth for our city, region and beyond.