JULIA POSTIN
Birmingham
Summary
Results-driven HR professional, specialising in employee relations, organisational change, and leadership development. Expertise in driving organisational performance through effective workforce planning, employee engagement, and inclusive leadership development. Passionate about supporting diverse communities and aligning HR strategies with organisational goals. A trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, known for an empathetic approach that balances business needs with staff well-being. Skilled in navigating complex HR challenges with a broad, solutions-focused perspective that considers wider organisational impact. Strong track record in TUPE, restructures, and employee relations case management, preventing legal escalations and reducing HR risks. Passionate about fostering inclusive workplace cultures and driving operational efficiency through data-led HR solutions.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
2010
2010
years of post-secondary education
Work History
People Business Partner
Ark Schools
Birmingham, United Kingdom
01.2017 - 03.2025
- Company Overview: Sector: Education | Multi-Academy Trust
- Adapted quickly to the education sector, developing HR strategies tailored to the unique challenges of multi-academy trusts, including workforce planning, safeguarding, and union relations
- Effectively managed HR functions across multiple sites, navigating differing team dynamics and operational challenges
- Implemented a collaborative approach that strengthened cross-site workforce planning, improved consistency in HR service delivery, and enhanced team cohesion across schools
- Acted as a strategic partner to senior leaders, embedding HR into business decisions by aligning workforce planning with operational objectives
- Provided insights and challenge to influence leadership thinking, ensuring HR initiatives directly supported business performance and organisational goals
- Led workforce planning initiatives to address leadership gaps and enhance succession planning, resulting in a 61% overall reduction in employee turnover across multiple sites (from 40% to 15.6% over two years)
- At another site, targeted strategies led to a 53% reduction in turnover in 2023-24, significantly improving retention and organizational stability
- Developed and nurtured talent, resulting in 81.8% of Headteacher roles being successfully filled internally, strengthening the leadership pipeline and ensuring continuity
- Led business transformation initiatives, embedding HR change management strategies to support restructures, TUPE, and organisational development
- Ensured smooth transitions by aligning people strategies with operational change, reducing disruption, and maintaining employee engagement
- Led a payroll system upgrade across 39 sites, improving efficiency and enabling better financial oversight
- Managed TUPE transitions and restructuring projects, ensuring a smooth transition for affected employees
- Led a culture transformation program with senior leadership, increasing staff motivation to stay by 22% and driving improvements in employee engagement, leadership perception, and pupil behaviour (+37%)
- Resolved complex employee relations cases involving grievances, disciplinaries, and disputes, minimizing workplace disruptions and reducing absenteeism
- By preventing legal escalations and streamlining conflict resolution, saved the organization an estimated £50,000 in potential litigation costs while improving overall productivity in 23-24
- Developed and supported 10 HR staff across the region, upskilling and retaining talent, enabling them to independently manage employee relations cases and enhance overall HR effectiveness
- A strong listener who builds trust with employees and leaders, navigating employee relations challenges with empathy to ensure fair resolutions that balance organisational needs with individual well-being
- Considers the wider impact of HR decisions, creating solutions that foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture
- Promoted a people-first approach to business, fostering a culture of positive interactions and collaboration
- Built and developed the Birmingham HR team, enhancing their confidence to support one another and work across multiple schools, creating capacity and strengthening team resilience
- This approach has also been replicated among senior leaders and operations staff, enabling them to collaborate effectively across schools
- By embedding this model, I have contributed to creating a strong regional HR structure that ensures consistency, efficiency, and high-quality support across all sites
- Experienced in working with recognised trade unions, managing consultations, on workforce changes, and maintaining positive employee relations during restructures and TUPE transitions and casework
- Managed tribunal case preparation, including submitting legal paperwork and coordinating budgets for hearings
- Led negotiations on settlement agreements, mitigating financial and reputational risks while ensuring fair and strategic resolutions
- Delivered leadership training to 10 managers in 23-24, resulting in 90% increase in confidence when handling HR issues independently
- Created a more confident and capable leadership team by coaching managers and resolving complex cases effectively
- Upskilled and retained 85% of HR staff through targeted training, enhancing HR service effectiveness following the school HR lead role change in 2017
- Since then, 57.1% of the original team have been promoted, and 57.1% remain within the network, demonstrating strong talent development and career progression support
- Provided data-driven insights, improving decision-making and compliance across multiple schools
- Delivered complex HR data insights to senior leadership, influencing workforce decisions, engagement strategies, and talent planning
- Developed HR dashboards that provided real-time analytics on absence, performance trends, and employee engagement, driving proactive workforce solutions
- Played a key role in improving a school’s Ofsted rating, implementing safeguarding processes and working with NSPCC, leading to a Good rating
- Provide high-level coordination and strategic support to the Head of People Business Partnering, ensuring the smooth execution of HR initiatives, workforce planning, and stakeholder engagement
- Mentored and developed emerging HR team members in foundational roles, including service desk and people operations colleagues, while directly managing a Junior Business Partner
- Designed and led structured coaching for junior HR professionals, directly enhancing leadership capability across the People Team
- Mentored and supported HR colleagues in resolving complex employee relations cases and stakeholder engagement, ensuring they could operate confidently and independently
- Sector: Education | Multi-Academy Trust
HR Advisor
Ark Schools
Birmingham, United Kingdom
03.2014 - 01.2017
- Company Overview: Sector: Education | Multi-Academy Trust
- Provided expert guidance on complex employee relations cases, supporting senior leaders with grievances, disciplinaries, and performance management
- Developed and implemented HR policies, ensuring compliance with employment law and best practices
- Managed TUPE transitions, overseeing consultations with trade unions and affected staff
- Delivered HR training programs, improving management capabilities in performance, absence, and data protection compliance
- Sector: Education | Multi-Academy Trust
HR Officer
Stadco Limited
Birmingham, United Kingdom
12.2010 - 02.2014
- Company Overview: Sector: Automotive Manufacturing
- Acted as the sole HR representative on-site, managing employee relations, workforce planning, and compliance with TS16949, ISO 18001, and ISO 14001
- Provided HR support for restructures, including redundancy planning and policy deployment
- Led performance management processes, identifying future talent for leadership development
- Managed payroll administration
- Sector: Automotive Manufacturing
HR Roles
Focus Birmingham
01.2005 - 01.2010
- Company Overview: Non-Profit Sector
- Provided first-line HR support, handling employee queries, payroll, absence management, and recruitment
- Advised managers on HR policies and employee relations, ensuring compliance with employment regulations
- Led the implementation of HR process improvements, enhancing efficiency and reducing administrative workload
- Non-Profit Sector
Education
Level 7 Strategic People Professional Programme -
Corndel College
London 09.2025 -
Level 7 Certificate in Human Resources -
CIPD
CIPD Associate Member (Assoc CIPD) - Level 5/7 Modules Completed
CIPD
Legal Practice Course -
The College of Law
Birmingham 09.2004 - 07.2005
LLB - Law
University of Kent
Canterbury 09.2000 - 06.2003
Skills
- Employee Relations
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Workforce Planning
- Organisational Change
- Leadership Coaching & Development
- TUPE
- Policy Development
- HR Data Analytics
Volunteer Roles
- Director at Hamstead Hall Academy Trust
Professional Training & Certifications:
Organisation Design & Development (CIPD) (2024)
Trauma-Informed Practice (Barnardo’s) (2024)
Mediation Training (Healthy Minds @ Work) (2023)
NSPCC Safer Recruitment Workshop (2023)
Annual Employment Law Updates (2010-Present)
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Level 7 Strategic People Professional Programme -
Corndel College
09.2025 -
People Business Partner
Ark Schools
01.2017 - 03.2025
HR Advisor
Ark Schools
03.2014 - 01.2017
HR Officer
Stadco Limited
12.2010 - 02.2014
HR Roles
Focus Birmingham
01.2005 - 01.2010
Legal Practice Course -
The College of Law
09.2004 - 07.2005
LLB - Law
University of Kent
09.2000 - 06.2003
Level 7 Certificate in Human Resources -
CIPD
CIPD Associate Member (Assoc CIPD) - Level 5/7 Modules Completed
CIPD
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