Head of People & Talent (10 Month FTC Maternity Cover)

Save My Exams is a rapidly growing EdTech business on the lookout for an experienced Interim Head of People & Talent to provide maternity cover for approximately 10 months,  starting mid July.

We are an exciting, customer-obsessed, remote-first startup that is improving the lives of students every year.

Reaching millions of  users every month, all while being bootstrapped and profitable, we’re looking for a Head of People & Talent to join our team on a fixed-term maternity cover basis and keep our People function running seamlessly.

We are passionate about solving challenging and meaningful problems and looking for people who care about making a real difference in the lives of students and teachers.

So, if you’re interested in joining a rapidly scaling, product-led, customer-obsessed business, and having the chance to disrupt a $7tn+ market by improving the lives of millions of students every year, then read on.

Check out our Trustpilot!

To love this role, here’s the type of person you are:

• You’re a hands-on, experienced Head of People who thrives in fast-paced, start-up / scale-up environments. You’re as comfortable advising the CEO on org design as you are overseeing  payroll matters

• You pick things up quickly. You’re used to stepping into new businesses, building relationships fast, and getting up to speed without hand-holding

• You genuinely care about people and culture, and you’re energised by the opportunity to look after an exciting  People function 

• You have a genuine growth mindset - you're curious, resilient, and energised by change. You're not fazed when priorities shift or when you need to operate across a broad range of projects simultaneously.

• You’re pragmatic and solutions-oriented - you know how to balance best practice with what actually works for a growing business

• You’re comfortable working autonomously and remotely, while keeping strong communication lines with the leadership team

• You're excited about the role AI can play in transforming People operations and the broader business, and you're keen to explore how it can make things better and faster

Over the next ~10 months, you’ll:

• Manage and oversee  our People function 

• Partner with the CEO and Leadership Team as a trusted advisor on all people matters, from org design and workforce planning to employee relations and performance

• Own the People strategy and its operational delivery, ensuring robust frameworks are in place for compliance, risk management, and the full employee lifecycle

• Help build and maintain a high-performing team culture - working to raise the bar on hiring, development, and performance across the business

• Oversee  performance review cycles and maintain the existing performance  and progression frameworks

• Work with managers to review compensation, benefits, and compliance to ensure a competitive and equitable workplace.

• Minimum 3+ years experience in a Head of People, or Head HR role, ideally within a scaling tech or startup environment

• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law, including GDPR, IR35, and statutory requirements

• Proven experience  leading a People function

• Proven experience handling employee relations cases - grievances, disciplinaries, performance management

• Experience with using AI tools to improve People processes and ways of working

• Familiarity with B2C, SaaS, or remote-first businesses
  

Working for a fast-growing, bootstrapped education company is a rare opportunity to build a hugely impactful and sustainable business.

Here’s what we offer:

• Competitive annual salary of £75,000 – £90,000 , depending on experience & skills. (Pro rata’d for the length of the contract)

• Company pension scheme, with the option to opt into the salary sacrifice scheme

• 36 days of annual leave, which includes the UK bank holidays, but you can take them whenever suits you (pro-rata’d for the length of the contract)

• Bonus scheme

• Life insurance

• Enhanced maternity & paternity leave

•  £500 annual learning & development budget (pro-rated for the length of the contract).

• Cycle to work scheme

•  Flexible working hours: We don’t expect (or want) you to spend every waking hour at work. Our general working hours are 9–6pm, however we have a company-wide principle around Core Hours, which is 10–4pm and you can work at times that suit you and your team

•  Remote working: we’re UK based but you can work from your home or wherever you want

•  A people-first culture - we’re driven to work hard but we also have fun, with company coffee coolers, as well as bi-annual get-togethers in person and virtual socials 

Here’s an overview of our hiring process, so that you know what to expect. We aim for a fast and straightforward process.

• Initial call with the current Head of People & Talent

• A short task or case study to complete at home

• Final Interview with the current Head of People & Talent

• 15-minute chat with the CEO

Save My Exams is an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to building and empowering an inclusive community within our company.

Research shows that underrepresented groups apply only if they fully meet the criteria in a job listing. Save My Exams is committed to leveling the playing field, and we encourage anyone from any background to apply even if they don’t check every box on our job listing.