Head of Culture and Engagement in Blagdon

We believe food can be a force for good. Not just in what it tastes like, but in what it makes possible - for people, for farming, for nature and for generations to come. We are building a business that proves commercial success and deep responsibility can, and must, go hand in hand. A business rooted in sustainable food systems, organic principles, regenerative thinking, co-ownership and a long-term commitment to the health of our land, our communities and our future. Our ambition is not modest. We want to help shape a better food system while building a co-owned organisation where people feel they truly matter - where voice is real, contribution is visible and success is shared. We want people to feel proud of what we make, how we make it and the difference they make by being here. That is why this role exists. To Nurture & Nourish People & Planet by Making Great Food the Right Way. Forever.

The Opportunity

As our inaugural Head of Culture and Engagement, you will help shape the future character of the organisation. This is a pivotal leadership role at the intersection of purpose, people, performance and transformation. You will create the conditions for co-owners to feel informed, involved and inspired - connected not only to the strategy of the business, but to the deeper reason we exist. You will help build a culture where people understand where we are going, believe in why it matters and feel empowered to influence how we get there. You will lead the evolution of how culture is experienced across the organisation: how communication flows, how leaders show up, how people navigate change, how wellbeing is championed, how feedback is heard and how co-ownership becomes something people genuinely feel, not just something they are told. In a period of strategic growth and organisational change, your impact will be felt everywhere. You will bring clarity in complexity, energy in moments of uncertainty and direction in moments that matter. You will partner senior leaders, shape the co-owner experience across multiple sites and lead a talented team to deliver bold, insight-led work that strengthens trust, belonging, performance and shared accountability. This is a rare opportunity to build something significant - not from the sidelines, but from the centre.

What You'll Be Responsible For

• You will be accountable for creating a culture and engagement approach that helps the organisation thrive as a purposeful, co-owned business.
• Shape a culture people want to belong to: You will define and drive a compelling culture and engagement strategy that connects co-owners to our purpose, values and long-term ambition. Your work will help people feel part of something meaningful and ensure culture becomes a lived experience across every site, team and key career moment.
• Bring co-ownership to life: You will help turn co-ownership into a genuine organisational reality - strengthening ownership, accountability, pride and shared success. You will create frameworks, experiences and communication that deepen people's sense of influence and connection to the future of the business.
• Create a communication model fit for a modern, multi-site organisation: You will set the direction for how the organisation communicates with clarity, honesty and impact. You will build an approach that cuts through noise, supports understanding and helps people engage with what matters most. You will also raise leadership capability so managers and senior leaders communicate with confidence, consistency and authenticity.
• Strengthen co-owner voice and experience: You will own the end-to-end co-owner narrative - ensuring what people hear, see and experience feels coherent, human and credible. You will lead the evolution of the engagement and voice approach, using insight to improve the moments that matter most: onboarding, development, recognition, change, transition and everyday working life.
• Lead change in a way that people can believe in: You will design and deliver communication and engagement strategies that help people navigate change with clarity and confidence. This includes major People and Culture initiatives and wider transformation activity, ensuring change is well-governed, well-sequenced and experienced as something people can participate in, not something that happens to them.
• Connect purpose to community, farming and impact: You will make our wider mission visible and meaningful inside the organisation - helping co-owners understand the connection between their work and our commitment to food, farming, sustainability, climate responsibility, soil health and positive impact for future generations.
• Build powerful partnerships across the business: You will act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, offering challenge, perspective and practical guidance on culture, communication and engagement. You will work closely with colleagues across People and Culture, as well as External Communications and Brand, to create a joined-up narrative internally and externally.
• Lead and grow a high-performing team: You will lead, coach and develop a specialist team spanning internal communications, health/nutrition/wellbeing and change. You will create clarity, momentum and ambition within the team, helping each person do the best work of their career while building strong collaboration and shared purpose.
• Provide governance that turns ambition into delivery: You will bring discipline and accountability to People and Culture programmes, ensuring initiatives are well-prioritised, effectively delivered and capable of achieving lasting impact. You will help the function operate with greater clarity, rhythm and follow-through across complex projects and change programmes.

Who You Are

You are not a conventional engagement leader. You are a culture builder, strategist and change-maker who knows how to move an organisation through clarity, influence and trust. You are likely to bring:

• Strategic communication expertise - able to turn complex priorities into clear, compelling messages that create understanding, alignment and action.
• Proven change leadership - with a strong track record of shaping communication and engagement through significant transformation.
• Senior-level influence and judgement - credible with leaders, confident in challenge and skilled at building trust across a complex organisation.
• Purpose and pace - energised by purpose-led business and experienced in fast-moving, multi-site environments such as FMCG.

What Will Make You Stand Out

Exceptional candidates will bring more than capability. They will bring conviction. You will stand out if you:

• Have shaped culture, communication or engagement in a purpose-led, values-driven or co-owned organisation.
• Understand how culture, voice, wellbeing and change work together to influence organisational performance.
• Bring the courage to challenge convention and the judgement to do it in a way that brings people with you.
• Combine strategic thinking with practical delivery, connecting bold ideas to real business outcomes.

Why should I join the family?

We’re independent, British and proud to be making the highest quality yogurts, desserts and ice cream under the Yeo Valley brand and for many of the UK’s major retailers. Operating from four dairies and two logistics centres in Somerset and Devon, we employ over 1900 staff and produce more than 25% of the UK’s packaged yogurt. We’re sure you don’t need convincing, but there’s a whole host of benefits that we offer. You'll also receive the following:

• Competitive holiday allowance
• Non-contributory pension scheme
• Life cover
• Healthcare cash back plan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Subsidised Yeo Valley products and services
• Preferential rates with our partners
• Learning and development opportunities; we’re committed to ensuring all of our employees have the chance to grow

Unfortunately, we’re not able to provide employment sponsorship to candidates at this moment in time. Please note that Yeo Valley do not accept speculative agency applications; we will only accept applications from preferred suppliers that have been submitted to us via our recruitment portal at the point of instruction.