Interim Head of People & Culture (9-month fixed term contract) in Westminster

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Westminster, London (with hybrid working)

The Role

This is a high-impact opportunity for a high-calibre HR professional with the leadership skills and expertise to deliver change and support across our organisation at the highest levels. As the Head of People & Culture, you will play a key leadership role in the creation of a workforce strategy, driving the implementation of a culture change plan, and embedding HR operational change. You will act as a trusted advisor to our interim CEO and senior leaders regarding workforce planning, organisational design, culture, and people-related risks, delivering a strategy that operational teams can achieve.

As a senior leader and strategic influencer, you will also oversee the delivery of core HR operations and lead change initiatives, guiding other leaders and managers through the change process with coaching and frameworks for support.

Your role will also involve:

• Leading and inspiring a team to deliver an agile, professional and people-centred service
• Developing a wider picture of the organisation, identifying current and future needs and designing interventions for growth and transformation
• Ensuring we are equipped with suitable and compliant policies, processes, and systems support
• Delivering best practice across recruitment, performance management, employee relations, reward, and retention
• Partaking in, and potentially leading, the delivery of strategic P&C projects and initiatives
• Developing and embedding frameworks for succession planning, talent management, and capability development
• Providing benchmarks across all areas of People & Culture

About You

To be considered as our Head of People & Culture, you will need:

• Experience leading and developing HR teams
• Experience of being a trusted leader of organisational change
• Proven leadership experience in managing departments and teams
• Strong background in navigating and advising on employee relations, including TUPE, restructures, redundancies, and other complex matters
• The ability to develop, motivate and nurture relationships across departments
• The ability to inspire and influence others across stakeholder groups, including staff, members and volunteers
• A customer-focused mindset, with excellent communication, facilitation and data-driven decision-making skills
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law, HR best practice, and safe recruitment processes
• A CIPD qualification or proven substantial equivalent work experience

The Benefits

• Salary of circa £69,000 per annum, depending on experience
• 28 days holiday per annum plus bank holidays
• Benefits, including stakeholder pension scheme, life assurance, birthday leave, and optional private health cover
• Other benefits as detailed in our generous and competitive benefits package

At a pivotal moment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), with your relevant people expertise and experience, you will gain the chance to influence organisational direction, strengthening your leadership portfolio at a strategic level through visible, significant work. What's more, although initially an interim role, for the right individual, there is the potential for this to become a permanent position where your impact will be maintained for the longer term, making this a career-defining appointment.

Other organisations may call this role Head of Human Resources (HR). So, if you want to join us as our Interim Head of People & Culture, please apply via the button shown. The closing date for applications will be Sunday 22 February 2026.

Please note that due to this recruitment being time sensitive, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the vacancy may close early if sufficient applications are received. An immediate start will be available for the right candidate.

This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency. Webrecruit and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.