Interim Head of People and Sponsorship Compliance

Interim Head of People and Sponsorship Compliance

Three-month fixed-term contract | Hybrid | UK base to be agreed

Reporting to: Managing Director

A defined three-month mandate to strengthen compliance and deliver practical assurance

Transforming Support is a UK-based group with social care provider subsidiaries. Our People Team supports safe, high-quality care through reliable HR services, accurate pay and effective sponsorship compliance.

We are seeking an experienced Interim Head of People and Sponsorship Compliance to lead a focused review and remediation programme across:

• HR compliance
• UK sponsorship and right-to-work compliance
• Rostering and attendance controls
• Payroll delivery and assurance

This is a hands-on interim leadership assignment. You will identify urgent risks, establish proportionate controls, coordinate corrective action and test that improvements work in practice, while maintaining service continuity and accurate, timely pay.

You will report to the Managing Director, with a dotted-line relationship to the Board for assurance.

Your mandate

You will hold accountability for the cross-functional compliance review and remediation programme within an agreed scope and delegated authority.

You will work across HR, Finance, Operations, Digital Services and specialist advisers to:

• Establish compliance priorities, action owners, deadlines and evidence requirements
• Require relevant records, checks and progress updates
• Challenge unresolved issues and coordinate corrective action
• Escalate material risks or matters requiring additional authority
• Report progress, control effectiveness and residual risks to the Managing Director and Board
• Complete a final assurance report and structured handover before the assignment ends

Operational managers will retain responsibility for routine operational delivery, safe staffing, individual rota preparation and accurate attendance inputs. Finance will retain agreed funding, payment-authorisation and financial-assurance controls.

Key responsibilitiesCompliance review and remediation

Review existing advice, audit findings, records and controls across HR, sponsorship, rostering and payroll. Establish a risk register with named owners, deadlines and evidence requirements, introduce urgent interim controls and address material failures.

Review employment records, recruitment checks, working time, leave, absence processes and the timely handling of employee requests. Agree corrective actions with functional managers and verify their completion.

Rostering and attendance assurance

Reconcile contracted hours, planned rotas, actual attendance, leave and payroll against employment and sponsorship requirements.

Review excess hours, staffing gaps, overtime, agency use, sickness and unpaid absence. Establish clear roster approval, change-control, exception and escalation arrangements, while considering safe staffing, working-time, pay and sponsorship implications.

Sponsorship compliance

Lead the sponsorship compliance review and remediation programme. Verify right-to-work checks, sponsor records, reporting events and relevant changes in sponsored workers’ circumstances.

Reconcile roles, work locations, hours, attendance and pay information. Maintain an effective reporting calendar and retrievable evidence, coordinate specialist immigration advice and audit preparation, train responsible managers and investigate recurring exceptions.

Formal sponsor key-personnel or system-user duties will only apply where the postholder is separately appointed and eligible.

Payroll management and controls

Maintain payroll continuity during the assignment and agree responsibilities, access, handover and service standards with Finance from the outset.

Review payroll cycles and reconcile authorised employment changes, hours, absence and pay. Strengthen checking, statutory submission and correction processes, with appropriate separation between preparation, checking and payment authorisation.

Senior assurance and reporting

Act as the senior escalation point for material HR, sponsorship, rostering and payroll risks.

Chair weekly remediation meetings and the monthly People and Sponsorship Compliance Review. Report action closure, overdue items, control effectiveness and remaining risks to the Managing Director and Board. Recommend longer-term improvements with clear owners, costs and implementation requirements.

Three-month delivery priorities

First week

Confirm authority, accountabilities and escalation arrangements. Triage urgent risks, establish immediate controls and agree priorities with functional managers.

By the end of month one

Complete the initial compliance review, establish baseline measures, secure approval for the action plan and implement urgent payroll and roster checks.

By the end of month two

Deliver priority remediation, train responsible colleagues and test controls across HR, sponsorship, rostering and payroll.

Before the end of month three

Complete and evidence agreed actions, report outstanding risks with owners and deadlines, submit the final assurance report and complete a structured handover.

Success will be assessed through payroll accuracy and timeliness, reporting deadlines, roster and pay exceptions, verified action closure, repeat findings and effective resolution or escalation of serious concerns.

About you

You will bring:

• Senior HR leadership and cross-functional programme delivery experience
• Applied knowledge of UK sponsorship duties and right-to-work requirements, including their relationship with roles, work locations, hours, absence and pay
• Hands-on experience of sponsorship compliance reviews, remediation and effective control testing
• Strong knowledge of payroll operations, reconciliations, statutory requirements, roster and attendance controls
• Experience managing payroll delivery and controls connecting rotas, attendance and pay
• Strong HR judgement, knowledge of fair employment processes and the ability to challenge constructively
• Practical audit, data analysis, risk reporting and time-bound remediation experience
• A relevant professional qualification or equivalent demonstrable expertise with current professional knowledge

Experience in regulated health or social care, payroll service transition, or improving HR, rostering or payroll systems would be advantageous. CIPD or CIPP qualification or membership is desirable.

Your approach

You will demonstrate sound judgement, discretion and attention to detail. You will work calmly under pressure, support colleagues, challenge constructively and communicate decisions clearly.

You will uphold our behaviours:

• Own the outcome: Take end-to-end accountability and report transparently against agreed measures.
• Secure by design: Protect sensitive information, implement proportionate controls and maintain audit readiness.
• Frontline-first improvement: Listen to operational teams, remove friction and embed practical improvements that work day to day.

What we offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Three-month fixed-term appointment
• Hybrid working, with the UK base to be agreed
• Some work-from-home flexibility in line with business requirements
• A visible, high-impact assignment reporting directly to the Managing Director
• A collaborative and supportive working environment

How to apply

Apply through LinkedIn with a CV demonstrating direct experience in:

• Senior HR leadership
• UK sponsorship and right-to-work compliance
• Payroll, rostering and attendance controls
• Cross-functional compliance remediation
• Rapid assessment, corrective action and structured handover