Head Of People and Culture in London

Hours: Our full-time working arrangement is 37.5 hours per week, with the opportunity for flexible working.

We are open to considering part-time working (with salary pro rata).

When applying, please specify your preferred working pattern in the cover letter.

Location: London/hybrid (minimum two days per week in the London office)
Reporting to: Chief Operating Officer

INTERVIEW STAGES

Interviews are expected to take place over three stages as follows

• First panel interview: between 9 - 15 December 2026
• Second panel interview: between 6 - 12 January 2027
• Final interview with CEO: between 14 - 18 January 2027.

The above timetable is subject to change.

For candidates reaching the second panel interview, there is likely to be a task or presentation, to which candidates should dedicate no more than 3 hours’ preparation time.

USE OF AI IN APPLICATIONS

At Mission 44, we recognise that AI can be a useful tool when preparing job applications.

We encourage candidates to use AI to support their applications, such as improving clarity, structure and readability, while ensuring their responses reflect their own voice, experiences and skills.

AI should support your thinking, not replace it.

We want to understand your individual experience, motivations and perspective.

For further information, please refer to our Using AI – Guidance for Job Applicants.

RIGHT TO WORK IN THE UK

Applicants must have the existing right to work in the UK.

Unfortunately, Mission 44 is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Candidates must therefore be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship.

ABOUT THE ROLE

• We are seeking an expert and empathetic Head of People and Culture to lead our efforts to:
• build, develop and support a happy, healthy and high-performing team
• drive a “best in class” organisational culture as we grow from start-up to scale-up in the UK, the US and Brazil
• make Mission 44 an outstanding place to work, indirectly contributing to helping young people thrive from classroom to career.

Reporting to our COO, you’ll develop and deliver our People and Culture strategy, advise on growth and change, and guide complex employee relations matters.

You’ll champion inclusion and wellbeing, strengthening performance, capability and learning.

You will operate at a senior level while embracing the broad role span which comes with leading people and culture in a c. 35 person international team.

The role is ideal for someone looking to deploy deep experience and HR expertise in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

You will be excited about delivering impact by ensuring sector-leading support across the full colleague lifecycle, combining strategic thinking with effective implementation and sound professional judgement.

You will show high emotional intelligence and cross-cultural awareness, building trust with colleagues across levels and locations.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• PEOPLE STRATEGY AND LEADING THE PEOPLE FUNCTION (20%)
• Deliver a progressive People and Culture strategy aligned with Mission 44’s priorities and international growth, translating it into clear plans and a coherent approach across countries that reflects local contexts and needs.
• Act as Mission 44’s lead People professional, providing trusted advice and constructive challenge to senior leaders and managers.
• Support organisational planning, budgets and resource allocation, exercising delegated authority and securing value from external advisers and suppliers.
• Contribute to the Management Team and cross-directorate collaboration, preparing reports and recommendations for SLT and our Finance, People and Operations Committee.
• EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AND EMPLOYMENT COMPLIANCE (20%)
• Personally lead complex employee relations matters, including performance, capability, and health-related cases, in line with best practice.
• Help managers to resolve concerns early and handle difficult conversations well, balancing colleague and organisational needs, and employment law risk.
• Lead the approach to occupational health, reasonable adjustments and supporting colleagues with disabilities or support needs.
• Maintain a progressive suite of People policies and respond to changes in employment law.
• Design and oversee employment arrangements in the UK, US, Brazil and future countries, working with local advisers and employment partners to reflect different legal and cultural contexts and consistent organisational principles.
• RECRUITMENT, PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT, AND DEVELOPMENT (25%)
• Develop Mission 44’s employer brand, helping us recruit and retain excellent talent from a broad range of backgrounds across our countries of operation.
• Lead inclusive recruitment, onboarding and induction, helping managers define roles, identify diverse hiring channels, and assess candidates fairly.

Ensure appropriate pre-employment checks.

• Work with the COO, Finance and Directorate leaders on workforce needs, succession planning and retention to support growth.
• Own role evaluation, salary bands and career pathways, advising on role design, progression and reward.
• Review pay and benefits against local markets, equity and affordability, using evidence to recommend improvements and working with Finance on annual pay reviews and reward arrangements across countries.
• Lead our performance management, linking colleague OKRs to organisational priorities, overseeing our annual review cycle and coaching managers.
• Develop and deliver an ambitious L&D programme, translating organisational and individual skills needs into plans, budgets and development opportunities.
• Build management and leadership capability through coaching, mentoring and targeted learning across locations and cultures.

Embed individual development plans and career conversations.

• Evaluate learning impact and ensure fair access to development opportunities.
• ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE AND COLLEAGUE ENGAGEMENT (20%)
• Help leaders and managers embed Mission 44’s values in everyday decisions and behaviours, building a collaborative culture with clear expectations and accountability, and effective collaboration across locations and cultures.
• Translate commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion into measurable improvements across recruitment, development, reward and progression, addressing barriers and advocating for inclusion.
• Lead colleague engagement, including our twice-yearly colleague surveys and our Engagement Group, using feedback to improve colleague experience.
• Lead use of internal comms channels to support People initiatives (e. g. presenting at team meetings and away days, content for internal newsletters).
• Lead wellbeing initiatives and help managers address workload and work pressures, enabling colleagues to raise concerns and access support.
• PEOPLE OPERATIONS AND LINE MANAGEMENT (15%)
• Ensure responsive People support throughout the colleague lifecycle, with clear responsibilities, consistent service standards and effective delegation.
• Subject to resource approval, recruit, line manage, develop and empower a junior colleague or apprentice, demonstrating a flexible and nurturing approach.
• Oversee HR systems, employment records and processes, protecting confidentiality and personal data.

Work with Finance to ensure accurate and timely payroll inputs and benefits administration.

• Own key People OKRs, using data, KPIs and feedback to monitor outcomes and improve services, including through responsible use of AI/ technology.

ABOUT YOU: SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL

• Substantial generalist HR experience with senior responsibility for a People function or significant portfolio, combining strategy with practical delivery.
• Experience developing and implementing People strategies that support organisational growth or change.
• Strong, current knowledge of UK employment law and substantial experience independently advising on complex employee relations cases, including capability, health, disability and reasonable adjustments.
• Experience across recruitment, performance management, L&D, pay and reward, applying approaches suited to a scale-up organisation.
• Credibility to advise and constructively challenge senior leaders, communicating complex issues clearly and influencing decisions with evidence and judgement.
• Experience coaching managers and developing colleagues, including setting priorities, delegating effectively and supporting high performance.
• A demonstrable record of embedding diversity, equity and inclusion in People practices and improving colleague engagement and experience.
• Confidence using HR systems and data to improve outcomes, with a sound understanding of confidentiality and employment data protection.
• Proficient using AI (eg Chat GPT, Claude) to improve efficiency, quality and accuracy of your own work.

Experience deploying AI tools to improve organisation-wide HR processes or comms.

• Experience managing external advisers, including legal advisers, knowing when to seek advice or elevate risk.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain the highest standards in a fast-paced environment.
• CIPD Level 5 or above, or equivalent professional knowledge with substantial relevant experience, with a commitment to your professional development.

DESIRABLE

• CIPD Level 7, Chartered Membership or equivalent advanced professional expertise.
• Experience supporting an international workforce and working with overseas employment advisers, local legal advisers or employer-of-record providers.
• Experience in a scale-up or high-profile organisation.
• Experience of Google Workspace, Bamboo HR and Applicant Tracking Systems (e. g. Workable).
• PERSONAL QUALITIES
• Integrity, discretion and empathy, with the confidence to make difficult decisions.
• Build trust across different roles, backgrounds and cultures, listening and valuing colleagues’ perspectives.
• Take a practical, proactive approach, following through on commitments and adapting priorities as organisational needs change.
• Welcome feedback, reflect on your own practice and remain curious about better ways to support people and organisational effectiveness.
• Deep commitment to Mission 44’s vision of supporting young people from underrepresented backgrounds to thrive in education and employment.
• Flexible, adaptable, resilient, and calm under pressure.

Mission 44 is a fast-moving scale-up: you embrace change, adjust priorities when needed, maintaining focus, resilience, and a solutions-oriented mindset.

• Enjoy 28 days annual leave, plus a day for your birthday
• Use our cycle-to-work scheme and free gym access
• Save for retirement with our generous pension package
• We finish every Friday at noon in August
• Optional health insurance and access to an EAP
• Professional development budget of £1k
• Unlimited volunteering leave, as agreed with your manager
• Wellbeing allowance to spend in whatever way works for you
• Competitive parental leave package