Director of People and Culture

Job description

The vacancy

Hours: 35 hours per week

Work Pattern: Full time - 35 hours per week/ 70 hours over two weeks (nine-day fortnight)

We are looking for an exceptional leader to shape and deliver our People & Culture strategy and create an inclusive, high-performing organisation where our colleagues and residents thrive.

The role

The Director of People & Culture will provide strategic leadership across Housing 21's People and Culture portfolio, ensuring we have the workforce, leadership, culture and organisational capability needed to deliver our strategy and provide excellent services for residents. As part of our senior leadership team, you will shape and deliver the People Strategy, ensuring colleague experience, inclusion, performance and organisational priorities are aligned to our purpose of providing high-quality housing with support or care for older people.

You will lead strategic workforce planning, organisational culture and people transformation, using insight, data and sound judgement to manage performance, resources, risks and cross-organisational priorities. Working closely with the CEO, Executive Directors and senior leaders, you will provide advice and constructive challenge while ensuring Health and Safety, Diversity and Inclusion and Data Protection responsibilities are fully understood and embedded.

Who we're looking for

We're looking for an inspiring, credible and adaptable people leader who can build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels. You will bring a strategic mindset, sound judgement and strong financial, data management and analytical skills, using insight to make effective decisions, optimise people resources and develop workforce plans and people strategies that respond to current and future organisational challenges.

Highly influential and confident in driving change, you will be able to manage multiple projects, challenge standards and behaviours constructively and lead innovative, effective people practices that support a high-performance culture and help Housing 21 remain an employer of choice.

Responsibilities of the role

• Shape, agree and lead delivery of the People Strategy, ensuring workforce, leadership, culture and organisational capability support Housing 21's strategy and resident outcomes.
• Contribute to organisational strategy as part of the senior leadership team, providing evidence-based advice, insight and constructive challenge to the CEO, Executive Directors, senior leaders and governance forums.
• Provide strategic leadership across the People and Culture portfolio, setting priorities, managing resources and risk, and holding functional leaders accountable for service quality, professional standards and outcomes.
• Lead strategic workforce planning, talent, succession, leadership development and the employer proposition to attract, develop, engage and retain the workforce and leadership capability the organisation needs.
• Champion culture, inclusion, wellbeing and employee experience, using data and insight to identify priorities, improve performance and hold leaders accountable for measurable progress.
• Lead people and culture input into transformation and change, ensuring workforce design, consultation, engagement, leadership capability and change readiness are embedded in programme delivery.
• Set the strategic direction for reward, recognition, benefits, pensions and payroll, ensuring arrangements support attraction and retention.
• Use workforce analytics, external insight and horizon scanning to anticipate risks, inform decisions, strengthen governance and keep the People Strategy forward-looking.

What we're looking for

A strong track record at Director or senior leadership level, able to deliver people strategies that support organisational priorities, performance and long-term success. Extensive knowledge of HR, organisational development, culture, employee experience, talent, succession, leadership development, workforce planning, employee relations, inclusion, reward, recognition, pensions and payroll, alongside a strong commercial understanding and experience across a wider operational remit.

Confident operating as a trusted adviser to executive teams and senior leaders, you will use data, insight and evidence to influence strategy, manage risk and demonstrate the impact of People and Culture activity. Proven experience of leading people services through complex change, improving systems, processes and digital solutions, and building organisational readiness for sustainable transformation.

Why us?

We support our employees to do what they do best, whether that's through flexible working, learning new skills or being part of a friendly and supportive workplace culture. We also offer a great benefits package including pension options, car salary sacrifice and leasing scheme, lifestyle discounts, blue light card discount, holiday trade scheme, volunteer days, occupational sick pay, occupational maternity/paternity pay, Health Cash Plan, Employee Assistance Programme and more.

As part of our commitment to our employees and offering flexibility, we offer a nine-day fortnight, providing employees with the opportunity to work their hours across nine days and have a three-day weekend every other week.

An offer of employment will be subject to the satisfactory completion of references and a basic disclosure check.

Closing date for applications 11 October, with interviews taking place 26 & 28 October

Due to the nature of this role this advert may close earlier than the closing date listed and once sufficient applications have been received.

Recruitment Agency support is not required at this time.

About us

At Housing 21 we pride ourselves on being passionate about people and are committed to investing in those who work for us to help them to be the best they can be.

When you work for us, you will be joining an organisation that holds the Investors in People Platinum standard and was rated the UK's third Best Place to Work in 2024 by Glassdoor. Our people are our foundation, and we know how important it is to support them to do what they do best, whether through flexible working, learning new skills or being part of a friendly and supportive workplace culture.

We are incredibly proud of the culture we have created and celebrate the positive difference we make to society. If you think you're ready for a new challenge and able to make a difference, then come and join us!

Benefits

Flexible working
including a nine-day fortnight

Holiday trade scheme and volunteer leave

Funded health
cash plan

Occupational maternity pay / paternity pay

Pension
contributions

Occupational sick pay

Lifestyle discounts

Car salary sacrifice and leasing scheme

Learning and development opportunities