Head of Workplace Equity

Salary: £83,500- 88,500

Closing date:  Monday 2 November 2026

Contract type: Permanent

Interview dates: 1st stage: w/c 16 November 2026 (online/remote); 2nd stage: w/c 23 November 2026 (face to face); 3rd Stage: w/c 30 November 2026 (face to face)

The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation. We improve health for everyone by funding science, leading policy and advocacy campaigns, and building partnerships. We have committed to spend more than £16 billion between 2022 and 2032. We fund discovery research and take on three global health challenges: mental health, infectious disease, and climate and health. We also work with researchers, governments, businesses and communities to help create the conditions for science to thrive and to turn evidence into better health.

We are looking for a Head of Workplace Equity to join our Equity Department and provide strategic and specialist leadership in advancing Wellcome’s ambition to be an equitable and inclusive employer.

Where in Wellcome will I be working? 

You will join Wellcome’s Equity Department at an important point in its development, as we bring together our workplace equity and equity research and evidence capabilities within an emerging Equity Evidence & Practice function. Our ambition is to strengthen how Wellcome generates, applies and learns from evidence to advance equity, ensuring that our organisational policies, practices and interventions are informed by evidence and contribute to meaningful and sustainable change.

You will report to the Associate Director (Equity Evidence & Practice) and lead a specialist team responsible for advancing workplace equity across Wellcome, including Wellcome Collection. You will work closely with senior leaders across the organisation, particularly the People and Place Team, acting as a trusted adviser to the Chief People Officer and as a member of the People and Place Leadership Team. You will also build influential relationships with the CEO Office and other organisational leaders to ensure equity expertise informs organisational priorities and decisions.

This is an opportunity to help shape how Wellcome approaches workplace equity, connecting specialist expertise, evidence and organisational learning to strengthen inclusive practice and contribute to the wider ambitions of our Equity Framework.

What will I be doing? 

As Head of Workplace Equity, you will lead the strategic development and delivery of workplace equity priorities, working with senior leaders across Wellcome to influence organisational and behavioural change, address structural inequities and embed equitable and inclusive approaches into organisational systems, policies, practices and everyday decisions. A central part of the role will be building trusted and influential relationships with senior leaders, providing constructive challenge, navigating competing priorities and securing commitment to meaningful and sustainable organisational change.

You will work collaboratively with colleagues across equity research, evidence and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) to ensure workplace equity interventions are informed by the best available evidence, responsive to staff experience and evaluated appropriately. You will champion organisational learning, using insights to strengthen delivery and inform future policy and practice. You will lead and develop a high-performing team of workplace equity specialists, fostering an inclusive and collaborative culture and ensuring that strategic priorities are translated into coordinated delivery plans.

You will also oversee a portfolio of workplace equity initiatives, including diversity and inclusion development and training, digital accessibility, inclusive communications and engagement with staff diversity networks, working with organisational partners to manage sensitive issues and support effective implementation.

You will contribute specialist knowledge and practical learning to Wellcome's external partnerships, helping to influence inclusive institutional practice and strengthen our contribution to more equitable research environments.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading the strategic development and delivery of workplace equity priorities, ensuring alignment with Wellcome's Equity Framework and organisational objectives.
• Driving organisational and behavioural change, influencing senior leaders to address structural inequities, challenge established practices and embed equitable and inclusive approaches across Wellcome's policies, systems and everyday decisions.
• Building trusted and influential relationships with senior leaders, particularly across People and Place, providing specialist advice, constructive challenge and practical support to strengthen leadership accountability and deliver meaningful organisational change.
• Leading the design, implementation and continuous improvement of evidence-informed workplace equity interventions, drawing on research, organisational data and staff insight to address systemic and structural barriers.
• Working collaboratively with research, evidence and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) colleagues to assess the effectiveness of interventions, understand what works and apply learning to strengthen future policy and practice.
• Providing strategic oversight of workplace equity initiatives, including diversity and inclusion development and training, digital accessibility, inclusive communications and engagement with staff diversity networks.
• Leading and developing a high-performing team of workplace equity specialists, fostering an inclusive and collaborative culture and ensuring effective delivery of strategic priorities.
• Developing and maintaining internal and external partnerships, sharing specialist expertise and organisational learning to influence inclusive institutional practice and contribute to more equitable research environments.

You will be joining at an important moment of development, with the opportunity to shape how workplace equity expertise contributes to a more integrated, evidence-informed approach to organisational change.

Is this job for me? 

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and influential leader with deep expertise in workplace equity, inclusion and organisational change. We are looking for a strategic, credible and influential workplace equity leader who combines deep subject-matter expertise with the ability to drive meaningful organisational and behavioural change.

You will bring extensive experience of developing and implementing workplace equity strategies, programmes and interventions that address structural barriers and strengthen inclusive organisational cultures and practices.

You will have the confidence and credibility to engage executive stakeholders, build trust, navigate resistance and provide constructive challenge, alongside the judgement to manage complex and sensitive organisational issues.

You will be committed to evidence-informed practice, recognising the importance of drawing on research, organisational data and staff insight to inform interventions, assess progress and continuously improve outcomes.

You will also be an effective and inclusive people leader, able to motivate and develop specialist colleagues and work collaboratively across organisational and disciplinary boundaries.

This role offers a unique opportunity to influence organisation-wide priorities at one of the world's leading charitable foundations. You'll work alongside senior leaders, contribute to Wellcome's wider equity ambitions and help shape approaches that can influence practice both within Wellcome and across the wider research sector. For someone looking to make a significant strategic impact while leading a talented specialist team, this role offers both scale, visibility and purpose.

Some desirable experience

• Experience advancing workplace equity within science, health research or similarly complex institutional environments.
• Experience working across different geographic, cultural or institutional contexts, including partnerships in low- and middle-income countries.
• Experience contributing to the development or sharing of evidence and learning from workplace equity practice to influence wider institutional policies and approaches.
• Experience working collaboratively with research, evidence and evaluation specialists to inform organisational interventions and continuous improvement.

Minimum Criteria: 

To apply for this role please submit an updated CV and answer 2 application questions to demonstrate that you meet the minimum requirements for the role.

• Workplace equity expertise: Extensive experience leading and enabling workplace equity, with a deep understanding of structural and systemic inequities, inclusive employment practices, organisational policies and relevant equality and employment legislation.
• Organisational and behavioural change: Significant experience leading organisational and cultural change, influencing senior leaders and working across complex organisational systems to address structural inequities, overcome barriers and embed more inclusive policies, practices and behaviours.
• Senior influencing and strategic partnerships: Proven ability to engage executive stakeholders, build trusted relationships, navigate resistance, provide constructive challenge and secure commitment to organisational change.
• Evidence-informed intervention design and delivery: Experience translating research, organisational data and staff insight into practical workplace equity interventions, working with specialist colleagues to inform decisions, assess progress and support continuous improvement.
• Strategic delivery and people leadership: Proven experience developing and implementing workplace equity strategies and programmes, leading and developing specialist teams, managing resources and delivering organisational priorities.
• Communication and professional judgement: Exceptional communication, facilitation and interpersonal skills, with the ability to manage sensitive issues, address conflict, make difficult decisions and build effective partnerships across organisational boundaries.

Application Questions:

Alongside your CV, we would like you to answer two questions:

Question 1

Using examples, please provide evidence to demonstrate that you meet the minimum criteria for this role as outlined in the job description? (Up to 500 words)

Question 2

Using short summaries, please provide specific details of up to two different initiatives or projects you have been directly involved in that are relevant to this role.

One example should demonstrate your experience influencing senior leaders and leading organisational or behavioural change to advance workplace equity.

The other should demonstrate how you have translated evidence or organisational insight into a practical intervention, including how you assessed progress, learned from the experience or adapted your approach.

For each example, please describe your role (e.g. team leader, team member), the purpose of the initiative (i.e. its aims) and the major contributions you personally made. (Up to 250 words per example)

You can view the full job description on our website.

You can read more about the benefits we offer our employees on our website  

Our Hybrid Way of Working 

We understand that our colleagues have commitments and personal interests outside of work and we strive to build a flexible working environment, in which people can perform at their best.

At Wellcome we have a hybrid way of working which is 3 days in our Euston Road offices (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) with the remaining 2 days working either remotely or in the office.

Diversity and Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do 

Diversity and Inclusion is a priority at Wellcome. We are committed to cultivating a fair and inclusive environment, where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We are happy to discuss flexible working options for all roles. We work to ensure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible to everyone. This includes making adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term condition. Please visit our website for more information on adjustments and accessibility, or contact us at jobs@wellcome.org. 

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