Head of HR Services

Job summary

Do you want to work on one of the most exciting transformation projects in the public sector?

The Defence Housing Service (DHS) is being created through the Armed Forces Bill to deliver a step-change in housing for the UK’s Armed Forces and their families following the publication of the Defence Housing Strategy on 3 November 2025, which marked the most significant change to Armed Forces housing in over 50 years. DHS will bring a dedicated focus to improving the homes, communities and lived experience of Service personnel, placing families firmly at the heart of everything it does.

This is one of the most ambitious housing transformation programmes in the UK today. Backed by a £9.2 billion investment, DHS will modernise tens of thousands of homes, introduce a more proactive and customer-focused approach to maintenance, and unlock new opportunities to develop housing on Defence land. DHS will have the focus and agility to deliver change at pace, combining public service values with greater flexibility to build the skills, systems and partnerships needed for the future.

This is a rare opportunity to be part of shaping its culture, influencing how it works, and helping deliver lasting improvements for Service families across the UK.

The Defence Housing team is currently part of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), who respond to the evolving needs of our military personnel, and the ways in which they live, work, train and deploy. We are proud to be the expert partner Defence needs for all their infrastructure requirements. From large scale infrastructure projects such as runways for the F35 fighter jets to net carbon-zero accommodation for our Service families, our activities focus relentlessly on our customers, and our outputs are unique in the UK and across the globe! DIO , What we deliver every day.

The future delivery model for this team is currently under review and may change as part of potential organisational developments. This could include the team or function transferring to a different employer or organisational structure in the future. Should activities transfer out of the Ministry of Defence existing employees transferring with those activities will maintain the same or substantially the same terms and conditions of employment.

Job description

Reporting to the DHS HR Director, this role will help shape the People Strategy to drive and underpin people transformation across DHS. You will be responsible for leading the delivery and performance of the HR Services team, ensuring services align with organisational priorities and support the achievement of DHS strategic objectives. You will act as a key HR contact for the Ministry of Defence (MOD), Defence Business Services (DBS) and Civil Service Commission, building influential relationships and maintaining an awareness of the wider government people agenda.

You will lead a multi-functional team spanning Talent Acquisition, Employee Relations, Diversity & Inclusion, Wellbeing, HR Policy, and People Data and Reporting. You will provide the strategic frameworks, tools and processes required to ensure HR services are delivered effectively, efficiently and in line with business needs.

Working closely with senior stakeholders across DHS, you will support the development and delivery of people strategies that enable organisational transformation and cultural change. The role will play a key part in shaping strategic workforce planning, building housing capability, enhancing colleague engagement, and delivering an effective employee lifecycle experience.

What you’ll be doing;

• Lead and develop the HR Services team, ensuring the effective delivery of talent acquisition, employee relations, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, HR policy, and people data services.
• Provide strategic leadership for HR service delivery, ensuring the function is appropriately resourced, skilled, and equipped to meet organisational priorities and service standards.
• Work closely with HR Business Partners and senior stakeholders to deliver strategic workforce planning, ensuring DHS has the capability, capacity, and structures required to meet current and future business needs.
• Lead the development and implementation of HR policies, frameworks, and processes, ensuring compliance with employment legislation, Civil Service requirements, and organisational objectives.
• Provide expert advice and oversight on complex employee relations matters, working collaboratively with DBS, Trade Unions, HR colleagues, and external partners where required.
• Lead the Diversity & Inclusion and wellbeing agendas, driving initiatives that support an inclusive, engaged, and high-performing workforce.
• Use people data, workforce insight, and performance metrics to inform decision-making, identify trends, and drive continuous improvement across HR services.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Defence (MOD), Defence Business Services (DBS), Civil Service Commission, and Trade Unions.
• Ensure effective governance of HR services, including oversight of contracted services, compliance obligations, and value-for-money considerations.
• Manage departmental resources and budgets to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of HR services.

Whilst this role is advertised as a full-time position of 37 hours per week, we recognise the benefits of flexible working and are open to discussing part-time hours, job share arrangements, or other flexible working patterns with suitable candidates. Regular in person attendance is required (this is expected to be approximately 60% of your working week) to promote the benefits of face-to-face collaboration alongside flexibility of hours to support work-life balance and business need. Initially, you may be expected to attend more frequently to familiarise yourselves with the site, the team, and your role.

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Proven experience of leading multi-functional HR teams, setting strategic direction and delivering organisational people strategies, driving continuous improvement and high-quality service delivery.
• Significant experience across a broad range of HR disciplines, including workforce planning, resourcing, employee relations, organisational development, and the development and implementation of HR policies and strategies.
• Strong understanding of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles, with experience of developing and implementing initiatives to build a diverse and inclusive workforce.
• Strong commercial and business acumen, with the ability to align people strategies to organisational objectives and balance growth, performance and cost management priorities.
• Experience of using workforce data, insights and evidence-based analysis to support strategic decision-making and inform HR policy and people strategy.
• Comprehensive knowledge of employment legislation, HR best practice and employee relations, with experience leading on complex and high-risk cases and managing relationships with external legal advisers.

Qualifications

Chartered membership with CIPD or CIPD Level 7 qualification

Memberships

CIPD Membership

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Chan