Director of People and Culture

The Director of People & Culture will be a trusted strategic partner to the C-Suite and senior leadership team, playing a pivotal role in shaping the organisation’s people agenda, in line with its commercial objectives and growth ambitions.

This is a senior, influential role for an experienced People and Culture leader who combines strong commercial acumen with a practical, delivery-focused approach. You will operate as both a strategic advisor and a hands-on change leader, translating business priorities into people solutions that drive performance, engagement, and long-term sustainability.

Working closely with Heads of Department and the HR team, you will embed a high-performance culture, strengthen leadership capability, and ensure the organisation is equipped with the talent, structure, and ways of working required to succeed in a fast-moving environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive and support change and transformation initiatives, working closely with senior leaders to plan and deliver effective change
• Act as a strategic advisor and coach to the executive team, providing pragmatic, commercially grounded HR and Cultural insights that support sound decision-making.
• Design and deliver people strategies that are clearly aligned to business goals, enabling growth, innovation, and operational effectiveness.
• Lead and embed a high-performance, inclusive culture, ensuring leaders are equipped to engage, motivate, and develop their teams.
• Take ownership of organisation design, workforce planning, and talent strategies, ensuring the right structures and capabilities are in place for both current and future needs, and implement change effectively.
• Provide hands-on leadership across core HR disciplines, including performance management, succession planning, leadership development, and employee relations.
• Use data, insight, and external perspective to inform decisions, challenge assumptions, and continuously improve people practices.
• Build credibility through strong business acumen, influencing at senior level with confidence, clarity, and integrity.
• You will bring fresh thinking, challenge the status quo where appropriate, and have the confidence to work independently while building strong, trusted relationships across the business.

Essential Criteria & Qualifications

• CIPD Certification
• 15 years plus postgraduate experience in a HR role, with 5 years plus progressive experience in a senior or equivalent strategic People and Culture role, with depth across talent management, organisational development, performance management, and succession planning.
• A proven track record in HR Business Partnering, including resolving complex people issues and influencing senior stakeholders to improve organisational performance.
• Demonstrable experience leading and enabling organisational change and transformation, with a practical understanding of change methodologies.
• Strong understanding of leadership frameworks, executive coaching approaches, and team effectiveness.

Desirable Criteria & Qualifications

• Hold a higher-level qualification in business or related subject
• Proven track-record in developing Company culture and scaling headcount in a high-growth environment
• Experience in developing and implementing employee performance management and development frameworksExperience in a HR/People and Culture leadership role within a Life Sciences or Pharma focused organization
• Track record in designing a consistent, human-centred employee experience