Head of Talent

• Location: Trust Office (Medway/Portsmouth/Paignton/Plymouth) – with regular travel to the Trust’s schools [Hybrid working available]

• Hours: Full time, Permanent

• Salary: TSAT Pay Group 9 £62,036 - £74,834 per annum

Are you ready to lead innovative talent strategies in a Trust that empowers its community to thrive?

The Thinking Schools Academy Trust (TSAT) is seeking a passionate and experienced Head of Talent to join our team. This pivotal role offers an exciting opportunity to shape our talent strategy, driving recruitment, development, and retention initiatives that align with our mission of Transforming Life Chances.

Why Join Us ?

As the Head of Talent, you will join our Senior Management Team and work closely with both the People Directorate and Educational Strategy Team. Your contributions will shape the entire employee lifecycle, taking the strategic lead on attracting, inducting, developing and retaining high-quality talent across our Trust. 

As the Trust lead for professional development, the right candidate will bring enthusiasm, strong organisational skills with an understanding of professional development in the education sector. You will lead a team and work closely with professional development leads within our schools.

This is an exciting role that would suit a pro-active, solution- focused and determined individual who can also influence stakeholders and deliver results. If you are an experienced learning and development leader who is driven by improving educational outcomes, then we would love to hear from you.

What you will need to succeed:

 • A Bachelors or Masters degree in Human Resources, Learning & Development, or related field

• A proven experience in talent acquisition and recruitment, with a track record of success in leadership roles

• Significant previous experience of leading a Learning and Development function, ideally within the education field, including leading Teacher Training programmes would be advantageous

• Ability to convey a strong strategic vision and align talent acquisition strategies with the organisation's business objectives.

• Expertise in talent sourcing, attracting top-tier candidates, working with senior leaders to drive talent development and a strong talent pipeline.

• Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship-building abilities to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.

For a full list of responsibilities please see the attached job description and person specification

Click here to learn more about the role and working for our Trust

About Us

Thinking Schools Academy Trust is a leading multi-academy trust with 26 schools across the South of England. Our vision is rooted in metacognitive learning, empowering students to think critically and reach their full potential. Guided by our core values, we are dedicated to transforming the life chances of young people, helping them to set high goals and achieve exceptional outcomes.

We know that our success relies on recruiting, retaining and developing outstanding talent—creating pathways for our people to grow and succeed. As our new Head of Talent, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring our schools are equipped with highly skilled, motivated staff, enabling us to deliver the best possible education for our students.

What our Trust will offer you:

Joining TSAT means becoming part of a community that values and supports its staff. Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Competitive Pay Scales: TSAT pay scales exceed national standards.
• Extensive Professional Development: Tailored CPD opportunities, including leadership programmes.
• Flexible Working: Hybrid working options to support work-life balance.
• Generous Annual Leave: 27 days plus bank holidays, increasing to 31 days after 5 years of service.
• Pension Scheme: Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Wellbeing Support: 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, free flu vaccinations, and eye care vouchers.
• Cycle to Work Scheme and Exclusive Discounts on a range of products and services.

For a full view of our benefits, please click here

Next steps:

If you’re ready to take the lead in shaping the future of talent at TSAT, we’d love to hear from you. Apply today to join a supportive, forward-thinking Trust where your contributions will make a real difference.

We welcome early applications, as we may close the vacancy once we find the right candidate. To arrange an informal conversation please contact our People Director, Janina Villalta j.villalta@tsatrust.org.uk

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check. As per KCSIE we will also undertake online searches for all shortlisted candidates, if you have any questions regarding this process please email recruitment@tsatrust.org.uk