Country HR Manager

ISP Country HR Manager - Poland
Role Profile

Purpose of Role

Reporting to the Regional Head of HR and remotely based in Warsaw, Poland however to frequently go to the schools to meet the staff. This role is expected to oversee all our Polish schools.

This role is expected to comply with local, regional and global HR objectives and priorities. It requires a generalist with a broad knowledge of all HR matters, including recruitment, performance development and talent management, employee experience and culture, payroll, employee relations and legal/labour regulations.

The Country HR Manager – Poland is responsible for implementing ISP's HR and talent management strategy at school level and supporting their school to be an "Employer of Choice." The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 5 years generalist HR experience in a similar role and will possess strong communication, interpersonal and leadership skills.

Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding and Health & Safety issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.

Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others.

Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community.

Are financially responsible. We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools.

Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Recruitment:

• Ensure that the recruitment standards in the Country and schools are maintained to the highest level, are professional and rigorous and are compliant with the ISP Safer Recruitment standards.
• Develop and align role profiles with school needs, ensuring compliance with ISP standards and safeguarding requirements.
• Manage Jobvite for advertising, screening, and shortlisting suitable candidates.
• Collaborate with school leadership for effective interviews and candidate experience.
• Align compensation with approved budgets and manage contracts appropriately.
• Support candidates with background checks, immigration, logistics, and local guidance.

Onboarding:

• Organize onboarding sessions adhering to ISP guidelines, clarifying expectations and facilitating necessary support.
• Assist line managers in setting goals and providing necessary resources for new hires' success.
• Maintain communication, seek feedback, and support new hires and line managers for optimal performance.

Performance Development and Talent Management:

• Facilitate Teacher Self-Evaluation Process implementation.
• Record and support performance reviews in the HR System.
• Foster talent development, encourage skills identification, and promote internal growth opportunities.
• Cultivate a culture of continuous feedback and professional development.

HR Systems:

• Lead proper ATS and HR system utilization, ensuring best practices across employees.
• Maintain accurate employee data and comply with system processes.

Payroll and Compensation:

• Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing.
• Communicate payroll and compensation concepts to employees when required.
• Maintain updated compensation information in the HR system.

Employee Experience and Culture:

• Support a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment aligned with ISP principles.
• Contribute to wellbeing initiatives and engagement activities.
• Drive engagement surveys, create action plans, and resolve employee-related issues.
• Implement activities reinforcing positive culture and a sense of belonging.

Employee Relations and Legal Compliance:

• Guide conflict resolution and dismissal processes with fairness and empathy.
• Ensure adherence to legal labor requirements and ISP policies.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum 5 years as a generalist HR, ideally in a similar role .
• Fluent written and spoken English essential together with fluency in Polish .
• IT proficient with good HR systems experience .
• Strong local employment law / labour law knowledge is a must .
• Networking & positioning of the HR department across the whole school community, including the ability to 'manage up' .
• Strong sense of ethics, effective negotiation skills and ability to manage and diffuse conflict .
• Empathy, kindness, understanding and excellent customer service .
• Genuine team player with a hands-on approach who enjoys being collaborative and visible within the school .
• The intellectual capacity and operational grip to 'hit the ground running' and deliver results quickly and efficiently .
• Multi-tasker, capable of operating effectively across a broad spectrum of activities .

You consistently demonstrate and role-model the ISP Leadership Competencies in all that you do.

• Collaboration. Takes an active part in leading their school or region; is cooperative and a genuine team player, developing positive, supportive relationships with colleagues to solve problems and maximise opportunities.
• Learning & Getting Better. Continually demonstrates personal commitment and passion for learning and getting better using evidence and feedback; supporting others in their continual learning, development and growth.
• Innovation Leadership. Is good at creating an environment where ideas for learning initiatives and services are generated and is able to motivate and inspire others through the process of creation through to completion.
• Outcome driven. Can be counted on to find solutions. Is consistently looking to exceed goals and is focused on KPIs.
• Resilience. Can deal with setbacks and challenges calmly and effectively.
• Community Focus. Is committed to meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of our students and their families.
• Integrity & Ethical Management. Has the ability to work ethically and with integrity; helps others feel valued; upholds and models the ISP Vision, Purpose and Principles.

ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles

ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures, including an online due diligence search, references and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years' employment history.

ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.