Deputy Director of People, Culture & OD in London

Are you an experienced senior HR leader looking to shape the people strategy of one of the UK's leading cultural organisations?

I am working with a nationally significant cultural institution that preserves, develops and provides access to one of the world's most important collections of books. They have an ambitious vision for the future, they are looking to appoint an exceptional Deputy Director of People, Culture & Organisational Development on a 12-month FTC to help lead organisational transformation and build an inclusive, high-performing culture.

This is a key strategic leadership role, reporting to the Senior Director of People, Culture & Organisational Development and working closely with the Executive Leadership Team. You will provide leadership across Employee Relations, HR Business Partnering, Reward and People Policy, ensuring the organisation continues to attract, develop and retain talented people while delivering a modern, customer-focused people service.

The Deputy Director of People, Culture & Organisational Development role is paying £80,000 - £90,000 per annum accompanied by an excellent public sector benefits package. The role is located in King\'s Cross, where they go into the office 2-days per week.

Some of the key responsibilities of the role include:

• Providing strategic leadership and advice to Executive leaders on employee relations, workforce planning, reward, organisational design and people policy.
• Leading the Employee Relations, HR Business Partnering and Reward teams to deliver high-quality, customer-focused people services across the organisation.
• Driving organisational change and transformation programmes, ensuring the workforce has the capability and skills to deliver future priorities.
• Leading on complex employee relations matters, ensuring fair, consistent and legally compliant outcomes while protecting organisational reputation.
• Developing workforce planning, talent management, succession planning and leadership development initiatives to strengthen organisational capability.
• Championing an inclusive, collaborative culture by embedding organisational values, promoting wellbeing and enhancing employee engagement.
• Overseeing reward, pay, pensions and benefits, ensuring compliance with employment legislation, governance requirements and best practice.
• Contributing as a senior organisational leader, managing budgets and resources effectively while representing the organisation externally with key stakeholders and partners.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced senior HR professional with a strong track record of leading people strategy within a large, complex organisation, ideally within the public, cultural, education or wider not-for-profit sectors. You will be a collaborative and influential leader, with significant experience in employee relations, organisational change, workforce planning and developing high-performing teams. A strong understanding of employment law, governance and strategic HR leadership is essential, alongside a genuine commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

The interview process will consist of two stages, with the final stage taking place in person. They are looking to have someone in post by September 2026.