The People Department provides strategic leadership and specialist expertise across the full employee lifecycle – shaping employment policy, enabling effective workforce management, strengthening organisational capability, advancing equality, diversity and inclusion, and provision of health, safety and wellbeing services across the University.
Supporting People Committee, and working closely with divisions, departments and other committees, the People Department ensures that the frameworks, systems and support underpinning employment are coherent, compliant and aligned with the University’s People Strategy.
The structure of the People Department is outlined in the organisational chart. It encompasses the following teams:
- Strategic Workforce Planning – A programme of work is underway to embed Strategic Workforce Planning and its methodology across all staff groups at the University. This includes an Internal Mobility Framework and initiatives to support professional services careers at Oxford.
- Talent Acquisition – Delivery of talent acquisition activity, including senior academic appointments, and management of the University’s in-house Temporary Staffing Service.
- Staff Immigration – Specialist advice on immigration matters, including Right to Work and visa requirements, for current and prospective staff, visitors and their dependants.
- Learning and Organisational Development – Design and delivery of training, mentoring and development initiatives that support individual and organisational capability. Delivery of the University’s Apprenticeships programme.
- Reward and Benefits – Management of pay, job evaluation, reward and recognition frameworks, policies and procedures.
- HR Systems and Analytics – responsible for managing the organisation’s people data, HR technology platforms and workforce insights to support informed decision-making.
- HR Policy and Employee Relations – Development and consultation (including trade unions) on employment policies and procedures for use across divisions and departments.
- HR Business Partners – Operational teams aligned to each academic division, GLAM and UAS provide professional advice and guidance to heads of department, faculty boards and departmental administrators within the University’s devolved employment framework.
- Occupational Health Service- Focuses on the prevention of ill-health and the promotion of health and wellbeing in the workplace for University staff.
- Safety Office - Supports the delivery of high standards of health and safety management. Services support staff, students, contractors and visitors.
- Staff Wellbeing Programme - Supports work-life balance, health and wellbeing priorities for University staff, including the delivery of the Thriving at Oxford Action plan.
- Childcare Services – Provision of high quality, accessible and affordable early years care for the children of collegiate university staff and students.
- Equality and Diversity Unit – Strategic leadership and guidance on equality, diversity and inclusion for staff and students across the collegiate University, including delivery and monitoring of the University’s EDI Strategic Plan and People Strategy.
