Our Future Health is the world’s largest health research programme of its kind, bringing together millions of volunteers to create an unprecedented resource to help researchers discover new ways to prevent, detect and treat disease. More than 2.5 million people have already consented to take part, and our ambition is to recruit up to five million adults across the UK. Backed by significant government investment, including up to £354 million announced in the 2026–30 Spending Review, we have the scale, resources and momentum to make a lasting difference to the health of future generations. We are now seeking to appoint a Director of People and Culture at a pivotal point in our organisational development.
Over the past four years, Our Future Health has grown rapidly from around 35 colleagues to 350, with plans to reach approximately 450 by the end of the financial year. As we move from our entrepreneurial start-up phase into a larger and more complex organisation, our next challenge is to develop the organisational maturity and capability needed to realise our full potential without losing the pace, innovation and sense of purpose that have driven our success. The Director of People and Culture will play a critical role in this transition, strengthening our culture, leadership capability and organisational effectiveness and helping to create an environment where collaboration is instinctive, decision-making is clear and talented people are empowered to perform at their best.
Sitting within the Organisational Enablement team under the Chief Operating Officer, and working closely with the Executive Team, the Director will provide highly visible leadership across the organisation and shape how Our Future Health works as it continues to evolve. They will lead the People and Culture function, build leadership and organisational capability, strengthen collaboration and accountability, and help the organisation prepare for the opportunities and the implications of AI for its workforce and ways of working. Although not a member of the Executive Team, the Director will be a regular attendee with the authority to advise and challenge the Executive, helping its members develop a shared approach to leadership and act collectively as stewards of organisational culture.
We are seeking an outstanding senior People and Culture leader with significant experience gained within a growing, complex or rapidly evolving organisation. You will bring a strong track record of leading cultural and organisational change, developing leadership capability and improving organisational performance, alongside the strategic and commercial judgement to balance ambition and pace with sustainability, risk and appropriate structure. Given the nature of Our Future Health, you will ideally understand how modern technology and data teams operate and be alive to the impact of AI on organisational design and future workforce capability. An engaging and credible communicator, you will be able to build alignment across different teams and perspectives, influence and constructively challenge at the most senior levels and operate effectively across the public, not-for-profit and private sector worlds in which we work. Above all, you will combine courage and decisiveness with collaboration, integrity, self-awareness and a strong commitment to Our Future Health’s mission and values.
This is an opportunity to help shape an organisation with extraordinary national scale and ambition at a defining stage in its development. Success will go beyond building excellent people processes. It will be about increasing the organisational capacity of Our Future Health, creating a more connected, capable and collaborative organisation that can make the most of its exceptional people and deliver on its ambition to help people live healthier lives for longer.
The closing date for applications is noon on 8 October 2026 .
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Director of People and Culture in London employer: Our Future Health UK
At Our Future Health, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture. As a Finance Business Partner, you will have the opportunity to work remotely while contributing to meaningful projects that drive both commercial and philanthropic growth. We offer comprehensive professional development opportunities, a supportive team environment, and the chance to make a real impact in the health sector.
