Director of Human Resources

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**Who We Are Looking For**

We are seeking an experienced, strategic and highly collaborative HR leader to join our School Leadership Team and lead the development of people strategy and HR practice across the school.

This senior leadership role requires excellent professional knowledge with sound judgement, courage, discretion and exceptional interpersonal skills. The successful candidate will be comfortable navigating complexity, providing trusted advice and constructive challenge, resolving conflict and leading sensitive and difficult conversations with clarity, empathy and confidence.

The Director of Human Resources builds trust and alignment while maintaining the professional independence necessary to provide clear HR advice, uphold organisational expectations and address challenging issues directly and constructively.

A strong understanding of employment law, collective agreements and the Finnish employment environment is important, together with the ability to lead strategically within a diverse international community.

**Key Responsibilities Include:**

- Lead the development and implementation of the schools HR strategy, ensuring that people practices, systems and structures support ISHs strategic priorities and mission.

- Partner closely with the Head of School and School Leadership Team, providing trusted advice, professional expertise and constructive challenge on workforce planning, organisational development and complex personnel matters.

- Drive continuous improvement in HR systems, policies and practices, identifying opportunities to strengthen organisational effectiveness, employee experience and accountability.

- Lead and oversee full-cycle recruitment, selection, onboarding and offboarding, ensuring rigorous, equitable and efficient processes aligned with school policies, safeguarding expectations and DEIJ principles.

- Lead performance and employee relations processes, including professional growth, workplace conflict, performance improvement, and disciplinary matters with clarity, empathy, and discretion.

- Build and sustain a culture of exceptional collaboration, trust and shared accountability, working across teams and perspectives to build alignment and address differences constructively.

- Ensure HR practices and decisions comply with Finnish employment legislation, applicable collective agreements, school policies and relevant regulatory requirements.

- Collaborate with the Director of Business and Operations and Head of School on compensation, benefits, leave and other employment conditions.

- Strengthen staff engagement and wellbeing through purposeful feedback mechanisms, effective communication and appropriate collaboration with occupational health services.

- Oversee employment contracts, absence procedures, HR digital systems, international recruitment and relocation procedures, and other key personnel processes.

- Champion the schools safeguarding culture through rigorous safer recruitment and HR practices, ensuring that employee-related safeguarding concerns are recognised, reported and addressed promptly in accordance with school procedures.

- Contribute actively as a member of the School Leadership Team, taking collective responsibility for whole-school priorities and helping to shape a positive, inclusive and high-performing organisational culture.

**What We Offer**

This senior leadership role offers a significant opportunity to shape ISHs people strategy, influence organisational culture and drive meaningful organisational development within a vibrant international learning community.

ISH offers competitive compensation and benefits and an environment in which professional expertise, initiative and leadership are valued. The successful candidate will have meaningful scope to influence organisational practice while working within a highly collaborative leadership culture built on trust, accountability, inclusion and shared responsibility.

**Salary:**

The salary will be commensurate with qualifications and relevant experience, in accordance with the ISH pay structure and applicable collective agreements.

**Qualifications & Experience**

- A university degree in Human Resources, employment law, business administration, organisational leadership or another relevant field.

- Significant professional experience within an established HR function, preferably including senior or leadership responsibility.

- Strong knowledge of employment law and working knowledge of collective agreements and the legal environment relevant to schools in Finland.

- Experience in international, multicultural and/or educational environments.

- Demonstrated ability to manage complex and sensitive employee relations matters, including performance concerns, workplace conflict and disciplinary processes.

- Confidence and capability to conduct difficult, courageous conversations and provide direct, constructive feedback.

- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills to build trust, influence effectively, and collaborate across diverse teams while maintaining independent professional judgement.

- Strong analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills and the ability to identify and manage organisational and employment-related risk.

- Adaptability, resilience and the capacity to prioritise effectively in a dynamic and complex environment.

- High levels of integrity, discretion and commitment to confidentiality.

- Excellent competence in HR technology and digital tools.

**Child Protection & Safeguarding** ISH is committed to the highest standards of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Successful candidates will be required to sign the schools Child Safeguarding Code of Conduct and successfully complete appropriate background checks, including police clearance and reference verification.

**Employment Start Date**

- As soon as possible, ideally December 2026 and no later than January 2027.

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The International School of Helsinki (ISH) is a vibrant, inclusive and non-profit learning community offering education to students aged 4 to 18 through the International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum. Located in Finland's capital, ISH serves a diverse international community of more than 500 students and 100 staff members and prepares young people to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and complex world.

**Statement of Anti-Discrimination**

At ISH, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. We actively promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) and ensure equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of gender, ethnicity, nationality, age, physical abilities, sexual orientation, or beliefs. For all positions, a criminal record check as required in § 3 Law of working with children, must be presented by the applicant chosen for the position.