Lubna Taj Malik

I am an HR Consultant and Executive Coach, Workplace Investigations and Organisational Development specialist. A former Group Director of People with over 20 years’ experience working at executive and board level the public and third sectors. I support Boards, Chief Executives and senior leadership teams to achieve strategic outcomes and strengthen organisational effectiveness through HR leadership, people strategy, organisational development and robust workforce governance.

My work sits at the intersection of HR, culture and organisational performance. I design and deliver people strategies aligned to business and financial plans, lead deep-dive organisational and workforce reviews, and support organisations through periods of challenge, change, scrutiny, growth and reset. I am often commissioned when organisations need both strategic clarity and credible, hands-on HR leadership.

Alongside HR strategy and organisational development, I am highly experienced in complex employee relations, workplace investigations, trade union engagement, pay and grading structures, job evaluation and HR assurance. I am also an ILM Level 7 qualified Executive Coach, enabling me to support Boards and senior leaders not only with systems and structures, but with leadership impact, confidence and decision-making.

I have worked with clients to develop end-to-end people functions including HR, organisational development, learning and development, employee relations, wellbeing, recruitment and payroll. I have extensive experience modernising people infrastructure, embedding compliant policies and frameworks, strengthening leadership capability, and aligning culture, reward and capability to organisational priorities.

I am known for my calm authority, credibility at board level and ability to work with complexity to ensure successful outcomes for my clients. Combining strategic insight, deep technical HR expertise and a coaching-informed approach, I help organisations stabilise, strengthen and evolve their people practices in ways that build trust, performance and long-term resilience.

Clients

AIUR Trust
TACT Social Care
Imroc
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide
Resources for Autism
Sepsis Trust
BVG Associates
NHS Trusts
Housing Associations
Further Education
Faith based charities

Qualifications

CIPD Level 7
Postgraduate Diploma Human Resources Strategic Management
ILM Level 7 Executive Coaching
Employment Law Diploma
Insights Discovery Practitioner

Experience

HR Strategy, Employee Relations & Board-Level Advisory

I have built my career in senior HR leadership and consultancy roles, most notably as Group Director of People, where I operated as a core member of the executive leadership team with direct accountability to the Board. I led large, multi-disciplinary people functions and delivered complex workforce programmes including organisational restructures, workforce modernisation, culture and engagement strategies, leadership development, and improvements to governance and assurance.

I have extensive experience advising Boards, Chairs and Chief Executives on HR strategy, workforce risk, organisational design and employee relations. This includes shaping people strategies aligned to corporate and financial plans, presenting workforce intelligence at board level, and supporting regulatory and governance requirements.

A significant element of my work centres on complex employee relations and workplace investigations. I am regularly commissioned by Boards and senior leaders to lead sensitive grievance, disciplinary, whistleblowing and collective matters, often involving senior stakeholders, trade unions and legal advisers. I bring a fair, evidence-based and trauma-informed approach, ensuring process integrity while protecting organisational credibility and learning.

Alongside this, I deliver HR/Culture audits, policy and framework reviews, and organisational diagnostics to provide independent assurance and practical roadmaps for improvement. My work often follows periods of organisational stress, growth or inspection, supporting leadership teams to stabilise, reset and strengthen their people practices.

Across both executive and consultancy roles, I am valued for combining strategic HR leadership with hands-on delivery, enabling organisations to address immediate workforce challenges while building strong, compliant and future-focused HR foundations.