HR Team Leader

We’re Hiring: HR Team Leader

Yes, it’s more than policies and biscuits

Do people come to you with the words “Quick question, sorry to bother you…” and you already know it won’t be quick, but you handle it with calm, clarity and a willingness to help?

Do your colleagues come to you to “sense check” their approach to challenging work?

Do you believe HR is about judgement, fairness, and doing the right thing, not just quoting policy paragraphs like you’re reading bedtime stories from the Employment Rights Act?

If so, then keep reading. You might be exactly who we are looking for.

We’re looking for an HR Team Leader who can:

• lead, coach and gently direct a capable team of HR professionals
• navigate complex people issues with professionalism, empathy, calm, and sound judgement
• translate employment law into something managers can understand
• say “it depends” with thoughtful explanation not as a defensive shield
• address poor behaviour, kindly, firmly, and without hiding behind policy.

You’ll be trusted to lead with judgement and insight, not just compliance.

You probably:

• have solid HR experience and have led (or are ready to lead) a team
• know the difference between what the law says and what feels right, and why both matter
• can handle tricky conversations with confidence (support biscuits are available)
• are respected because you’re fair, not feared because you rely on legalese
• can laugh at HR memes because they’re surprisingly accurate.

Bonus points if you’ve ever:

• been cc’d on an email that began, “HR ADVISED…” and taken a steadying breath
• fixed a problem that wasn’t technically HR, but everyone knew it needed HR
• said “Let’s just pause and think about this” and saved the day.

• A role where your judgement truly matters
• A team who cares about doing HR properly, not box ticking
• Senior leaders who genuinely listen (yes, really)
• Space to shape how HR shows up in the organisation
• Competitive salary, sensible benefits, and fewer “fire drill” moments than average*

* We said fewer, not zero. This is HR.

We also offer several employee benefits, such as:

• Benenden Healthcare Membership and Employee Assistance Program
• Opt-in Local government pension scheme with the opportunity for staff to make advanced, voluntary contributions (AVCs) to top up their pension
• Generous annual leave provision
• Discount scheme including reduced membership rates at the local leisure centre
• On-site parking (site dependent)
• Cycle2
  
  Work scheme
• Generous Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

Because HR should be:

• human
• brave
• fair
• grounded in reality.

And because the best HR leaders don’t hide behind the rulebook, they help people do better with practical support and guidance.

Apply now and help us prove HR doesn’t have to be boring, bureaucratic, or beige.

(Still professional. Just not miserable)

For full details of the role, please see the Candidate Pack, Job Description and Person Specification or arrange a further discussion with Claire Wagstaff-Townend (HR and Corporate Health and Safety Manager) by contacting

Closing Date: 5pm Sunday 22 February 2026.

Interviews to be held on: Week commencing 2 March 2026.

The quality of your application will be considered as part of the recruitment process. We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Dover District Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all.

If you require this advert or any part of the application process in an alternative format, or if you would like to apply using a different method, please contact

We’re here to support you every step of the way