People and Culture Manager

Salary: £46,812 (FTE)

Location: Hybrid – two days a week in the office in London

Hours: 0.8 FTE – 28 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Applications close: 9:00am BST, 21st Sep 2026

About Runnymede Trust

The Runnymede Trust is the UK’s leading independent race equality think tank. For over 50 years, we have worked to challenge racial inequalities and create a more just and equitable society through high-quality research, evidence-based policy development, and public engagement.

Our work is grounded in the belief that racial justice is essential to a thriving democracy and a fair society. We work across a wide range of issues including education, employment, criminal justice, health, migration, housing, and economic inequality – centering the lived experiences and voices of racially minoritised communities throughout our work.

We combine rigorous research with advocacy, strategic partnerships, and influencing work to shape public debate and drive systemic change. Our work seeks not only to understand inequality, but to challenge the structures and systems that sustain it.

To support the delivery of our mission, we are guided by a set of core values that shape both our work and our culture:

• We’re uncompromising on quality and evidence – producing rigorous, credible work that drives informed debate and meaningful change.
• Our work is rooted in care – centring humanity, wellbeing, and respect in how we work with communities, partners, and each other.
• We believe in the power of solidarity – recognising that collective action and collaboration are essential to achieving racial justice.
• We are thoughtfully courageous – willing to challenge injustice, ask difficult questions, and speak truthfully with integrity and purpose.

As an organisation, we are committed to anti-racism, equity, collaboration, and intellectual integrity. We strive to create an inclusive and supportive working environment where colleagues are empowered to contribute, develop, and make meaningful impact.

About the role

The People & Culture Manager will lead and develop the organisation’s people function, ensuring colleagues have a positive and consistent experience throughout their time at Runnymede.

Reporting to the Director of Operations & Finance, the role is responsible for delivering effective people policies, processes and practices that support the organisation’s values, culture and operational needs. Working closely with managers across the organisation, you will provide practical HR advice and support, help develop management capability, and ensure that people policies are applied fairly and consistently.

This is a varied role that combines people operations, employee relations, recruitment, wellbeing and culture. You will be the first point of contact for staff and managers on people matters, oversee the employee lifecycle from recruitment to exit, and ensure that our policies, systems and ways of working support an inclusive and high-performing workplace.

The role will also play an important part in strengthening organisational culture. You will support the development and implementation of initiatives that improve communication, engagement, wellbeing and collaboration across the organisation, helping to create an environment where colleagues feel supported, valued and able to do their best work.

As the organisation’s dedicated people professional, you will maintain and develop the employee handbook, review and update people policies, coordinate payroll administration, and ensure compliance with employment legislation and HR best practice.

Key Responsibilities

People Operations

• Lead and continuously improve people processes across the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, development and offboarding.
• Ensure people policies, procedures and practices are up to date, legally compliant and embedded across the organisation.
• Maintain and develop the employee handbook, ensuring it reflects organisational values and ways of working.
• Oversee HR administration, employee records and the preparation of payroll information for external providers.
• Act as the first point of contact for staff and managers on people-related queries.

Recruitment, performance and development

• Support managers to recruit and retain talented staff through inclusive and equitable recruitment practices.
• Ensure recruitment and onboarding processes provide a positive and consistent experience for candidates and new starters.
• Coordinate and support performance management processes across the organisation.
• Work with managers to identify learning and development needs and facilitate appropriate opportunities for growth and development.

Employee relations and wellbeing

• Provide advice and guidance to managers and staff on people matters, ensuring issues are managed fairly, consistently and in line with organisational policies.
• Support managers in addressing employee relations matters, including absence, conduct, capability and wellbeing issues.
• Coordinate wellbeing initiatives and resources that support staff working within a racial justice environment.
• Promote a positive, inclusive and supportive workplace culture.

Culture, engagement and internal communications

• Support the development of an organisational culture that reflects Runnymede’s values and commitment to anti-racism, equity and inclusion.
• Organise and coordinate staff away days, all-staff meetings and other initiatives that strengthen collaboration and engagement and support staff wellbeing.
• Work closely with colleagues to ensure staff are informed, connected and engaged with organisational priorities.
• Support mechanisms for gathering and responding to staff feedback.

Governance, compliance and reporting

• Monitor developments in employment law and HR best practice, ensuring organisational compliance.
• Produce people-related reports, metrics and insights for the Director of Operations & Finance and Senior Leadership Team.
• Monitor workforce data and key indicators to support effective decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Support organisational planning and projects relating to people, culture and ways of working.

Person Specification

Experience

• CiPD level 5 or equivalent experience working in a People, HR or People & Culture role, with responsibility for delivering people processes across the employee lifecycle.
• Experience supporting managers on a range of people matters, including recruitment, performance management, employee wellbeing and employee relations.
• Experience developing, reviewing and implementing HR policies, procedures and people practices.
• Experience working within the charity, public or not-for-profit sector.
• Demonstrable experience of applying anti-racist and inclusive approaches within people practices and organisational culture.
• Experience preparing payroll information and working with external payroll providers.

Skills

• Clear verbal and written communication skills.
• Interpersonal skills with the ability to build effective working relationships across all levels of an organisation.
• Ability to influence, challenge and support managers in a constructive and solutions focused way.
• Organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and work independently.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records and documentation.

Knowledge & Understanding

• Knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice
• Knowledge of HR systems and people data reporting
• Understanding of anti-racist practice and its application within workplace policies, culture and people management.
• Understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion principles and their practical application within organisations.
• Understanding of effective approaches to employee wellbeing, engagement and development.
• Commitment to the aims, values and mission of The Runnymede Trust.

Equity, Access & Inclusion

The Runnymede Trust is committed to creating an inclusive, equitable and supportive workplace where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As an organisation dedicated to racial justice and social equity, we recognise that a diversity of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives strengthens our work, challenges our thinking and improves decision-making.

We particularly welcome applications from people from Black, Asian and racially minoritised communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, people with caring responsibilities, people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and others who are underrepresented within the charity, policy and research sectors. In our recruitment processes, we value the skills, knowledge, experience and perspectives that individuals can bring, particularly where these contribute to broadening representation and bringing insights that are not currently reflected within our organisation.

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive. If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process, please let us know.

We recognise that candidates may not meet every requirement in the person specification. If you are excited by the role and believe you can make a strong contribution to our work, we encourage you to apply.

This job description provides an overview of the role and may evolve over time in line with organisational priorities.