People and Culture Director

ELEVATE Hub Jobs; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A well-established manufacturing organisation in East Kent seeks a People & Culture Director. This pivotal role involves designing and delivering a forward-thinking people strategy aligned with long-term objectives. Candidates should hold a CIPD Level 5 qualification and possess strong employment law expertise. You will act as a strategic advisor for workforce planning, succession, and cultural transformation, influencing executive decision-making while leading a values-driven culture. The role offers a competitive salary between £65,000 and £80,000, plus benefits.

Benefits

25 days holiday + BH

Discretionary bonus up to 10%

Health insurance (Bupa)

Medicash

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Flexible working hours

Qualifications

• Experience operating in a complex, operational or industrial environment.
• Proven ability to influence at board and executive level.
• Demonstrable experience working within a unionised setting.

Responsibilities

• Design and lead the organisation’s People & Culture strategy.
• Advise the Leadership Team on people-related matters.
• Use people analytics to identify trends and opportunities.

Skills

Strategic mindset

CIPD Level 5 or equivalent

Strong employment law knowledge

Emotional intelligence

Experience in unionised environments

Education

CIPD Level 5 or equivalent professional qualification

Job description

Overview

Job: People & Culture Director

Location: East Kent / Office-Based / Occasional Travel

Employment type: Permanent, Full-time

Salary: £65,000 - £80,000 DOE

Are you already at People Director level and looking for your next challenge?

Or, are you a senior HR Business Partner or Head of HR, ready to step into your first HR Director role and shape people strategy at the Executive board level?

Do you thrive in operational (manufacturing) environments where culture, capability, sustainable growth and workforce transformation really matter?

Sirius Search is partnering with a well-established manufacturing organisation based in East Kent, which forms part of an international group, to appoint a People & Culture Director.

This is a pivotal, senior leadership role, reporting directly into the Managing Director and managing a small HR team. The role plays a critical part in aligning local people strategy with wider group priorities, while ensuring a strong, values-led culture at site level.

The role

As People & Culture Director, you will take full ownership of the people agenda, designing and delivering a future-focused people strategy aligned to long-term business objectives.

You will act as a trusted adviser to the leadership team, providing strategic insight across workforce planning, organisational capability, succession, leadership development and cultural transformation.

Key areas of focus will include:

• Designing and leading the organisation’s People & Culture strategy
• Advising the Leadership Team on all people-related matters, using data and insight to influence decision-making
• Long-term workforce planning aligned to future skills and business needs
• Building and embedding succession planning and internal leadership pipelines
• Championing a high-performance, inclusive and values-led culture
• Leading organisational change through people-centred approaches
• Using people analytics to identify trends, risks and opportunities
• Acting as an external ambassador for the business and employer brand
• Developing effective and constructive relationships within a unionised environment
• Providing strategic oversight of talent, reward, engagement, wellbeing and DEI
• Ensuring strong governance, compliance and ethical people practices
• Coaching and supporting senior leaders to enable strong people management

About you

This opportunity will suit either an established People & Culture Director or a senior HR professional ready to step into their first Director-level role.

You are likely to bring:

• CIPD Level 5 (minimum) or equivalent professional qualification
• Strong employment law knowledge
• Experience operating in a complex, operational or industrial environment
• A proven ability to influence at board and executive level
• Demonstrable experience working within a unionised setting
• Expertise in organisational design, culture shaping and workforce strategy
• A commercial, strategic mindset with high emotional intelligence
• Confidence using people data and analytics to drive decisions
• A collaborative, credible and values-led leadership style

Why this role?

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity within a globally backed organisation, offering the chance to shape people strategy locally while contributing to wider group objectives. You’ll have genuine influence, visibility and the scope to make a meaningful, long-term impact.

Benefits

• 25 days holiday + BH
• X 5 DIS
• Bupa
• Medicash
• EAP
• Discretionary bonus up to 10%
• Working hours 9am to 5pm with some flex required

If you believe you can bring meaningful impact to this People & Culture Director role, send your CV to Cressida Courtney or apply online today.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we may not be able to respond to every applicant individually. Please know that we carefully review each application and will reach out if your qualifications align with the vacancy. Salary banding - To achieve the top end of the salary range, candidates must meet the minimum experience/qualification level required for the role as set out in the job description.

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