London, England, United Kingdom, August 2025 – Emma-Jean Smith has been appointed as Head of People Operations at Oasis Community Learning, marking a significant leadership transition for the education-focused multi-academy trust. In this newly assumed permanent role, Emma-Jean will be responsible for driving HR strategy, people operations, and talent transformation across Oasis’ nationwide network of academies.
Prior to joining Oasis Community Learning, Emma-Jean Smith served as Head of People & Culture (Interim) at edyn, a private equity-backed hospitality brand operating boutique hotels across the UK and Ireland. During her brief but impactful tenure of 5 months, she led people strategy alignment with C-suite executives, directed a high-performing HR team across multiple functions including payroll, talent, and organisational design, and spearheaded people transformation initiatives.
Before edyn, Emma-Jean held senior leadership roles at the British Heart Foundation for approximately 3.5 years, including Head of HR Business Partnering and Director of People & Organisational Development (Interim). She led structural HR transformation and policy frameworks across the organisation, playing a pivotal role in enhancing strategic HR capabilities at one of the UK’s most respected health charities.
She also had a significant stint at British Airways as Global HR Business Partner for around 4 years, where she supported global commercial business units and international operations. Her work contributed to aligning talent strategies with business outcomes across geographies, including Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Earlier in her career, Emma-Jean held various roles in HR and project management at Transport for London (TfL) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Her combined tenure of over 7 years at these public institutions helped establish a foundation in workforce planning, change management, and civil service governance.
About Oasis Community Learning
Oasis Community Learning is one of the largest multi-academy trusts in the United Kingdom, founded with a mission to deliver exceptional education at the heart of strong communities. Operating over 49 academies across England, the organisation is known for its commitment to inclusion, holistic development, and creating a rich learning environment that supports both students and families. Its three key values—Character, Competence, and Community—form the backbone of all strategic decisions, making it a people-first education organisation with national reach.
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