Ideal location London, Surrey, East Sussex
An exceptional opportunity has arisen for a strategic and people-centric People Director to join a high-growth, private equity-backed organisation operating within a purpose-led, service-driven sector.
This is a newly created, board-level role, reporting directly to the CEO, with full accountability for shaping and delivering the people strategy during a critical phase of growth.
The Opportunity
This is not a traditional HR leadership role!
It is a transformational position, responsible for building a high-performing, values-led culture across a large, distributed workforce, while supporting the organisation through a clearly defined growth and investment journey.
The successful individual will play a central role in:
Driving employee engagement, recruitment and retention
Scaling the organisation while maintaining a strong, people-first culture
Building leadership capability and succession pipelines
Aligning the people agenda to a private equity-backed value creation plan
Key Responsibilities
Develop and deliver a People Strategy aligned to the business and investment objectives
Act as a trusted partner to the CEO and leadership team, contributing at board level
Lead initiatives to improve retention, engagement, and overall employee experience
Build scalable recruitment and workforce planning strategies
Embed a strong learning, development, and leadership culture
Implement robust people analytics and reporting frameworks
Drive a values-led, high-performance culture across all areas of the business
Ensure effective governance across employee relations, compliance, and risk
The Candidate
We are seeking an individual who combines strategic thinking with operational credibility, and who thrives in fast-paced, evolving environments. Ideal backgrounds are hospitality, leisure, wellness
You will bring
Proven experience in a senior people leadership role, ideally within a scaling or multi-site organisation
A strong track record of improving retention, engagement, and culture
Experience operating in a private equity-backed or high-growth environment (highly desirable)
The ability to influence at board and executive level, while remaining close to frontline teams
A commercial mindset, with the ability to link people strategy to business performance
A collaborative, engaging style with a genuine passion for people
Why Apply
An exciting and rare opportunity to shape the people agenda within a high-growth, purpose-led organisation
Direct partnership with an ambitious and experienced CEO
The chance to develop and embed a culture that truly differentiates the business
We are keen to speak to people with
Proven experience operating at People Director / Head of People level within a large, complex, multi-site business (1,000+ employees)
A track record of building or transforming a People function in a high-growth environment
Strong experience driving culture, engagement and retention across frontline workforces
Experience working in, or closely with, private equity-backed or fast-growth businesses (highly desirable)
Strong executive presence, with the ability to influence at board and investor level
People Director - Growing Brand Surrey, England, United Kingdom
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People Director - Growing Brand in South Nutfield employer: Love Recruitment
Join a dynamic team at a brand-new gym in Hove, where you'll have the unique opportunity to shape a thriving fitness community from the ground up. With a competitive salary, performance-based commission, and a clear path for career growth, this role offers an exciting environment for those passionate about fitness and community engagement. Experience a supportive work culture that values collaboration and personal development as you help launch a vibrant new club.
