Harmonic Operations™ | Certified B Corp
Director of People | PE-backed Consumer Business | London
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Director of People | PE-backed Consumer Business | London
About the Business
Our client is a PE-backed consumer business with ambitious plans for growth and a leadership team that's investing just as much in the organisation as it is in the commercial strategy. Having built a well-established brand and a loyal customer base, they're now focused on ensuring the business has the leadership capability, organisational structure and culture to support its next phase of evolution.
As Director of People, you'll report directly to the CEO and work closely with the Executive team on the decisions that will shape the future of the organisation. You'll bring a commercial perspective to conversations around organisational design, leadership capability, succession planning and culture, ensuring the People strategy evolves in line with the wider ambitions of the business.
You'll inherit an established team with strong foundations and the opportunity to build on what's already in place. The agenda is broad, spanning leadership development, organisational change, talent, reward and employee experience, and will suit someone who enjoys creating clarity, challenging constructively and helping organisations navigate growth without losing what makes them successful.
The Role
You'll lead the People function across the business, providing both strategic direction and operational leadership. Working in partnership with the CEO and senior leadership team, you'll define the People agenda, develop your team and help ensure the organisation has the capability, structure and culture to support its long-term ambitions.
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This role requires someone who enjoys operating at executive level while remaining closely connected to the business. You'll be advising senior stakeholders on complex organisational challenges one day and coaching leaders or developing your team the next. It's a role that combines influence with delivery, giving you the opportunity to shape both the direction of the function and the wider organisation.
Responsibilities
- Partner with the CEO and Executive team to develop and deliver the People strategy.
- Lead, develop and mentor the People and Workplace teams, creating a function that is both commercially focused and people-centred.
- Support organisational growth and transformation, providing guidance on change management, organisational design and leadership capability.
- Develop succession planning and leadership programmes that strengthen capability across the business.
- Oversee the organisation's approach to talent, performance, reward and employee engagement.
- Continue to evolve People policies, processes and systems, ensuring they remain scalable and aligned with the needs of the business.
- Work closely with leaders across the organisation to build high-performing, inclusive teams.
- Use data and commercial insight to inform People decisions and measure the impact of key initiatives.
What the Client Would Like to See
- Experience leading a People, HR or Talent function within a fast-paced, commercial environment.
- A track record of partnering with CEOs and Executive teams to influence business strategy.
- Experience leading organisations through growth, transformation or organisational change.
- Strong commercial judgement, with the ability to balance business priorities with an exceptional employee experience.
- Experience developing high-performing teams and coaching senior leaders.
- The credibility and confidence to influence stakeholders across every level of an organisation.
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What We'd Like to See
- Experience within a consumer, retail or multi-site business would be beneficial, although not essential.
- Someone who enjoys solving organisational challenges and thinking beyond the traditional remit of HR.
- A leader who is as comfortable discussing long-term strategy as they are supporting teams through day-to-day change.
- Someone who builds credibility through collaboration, sound judgement and a pragmatic approach.
- A natural coach who enjoys developing others and creating environments where people can perform at their best.
Salary: Up to £110,000 + benefits
Location: London (Hybrid)
At Harmonic, we're committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and ensure every candidate is considered fairly, regardless of race, religion, gender identity or expression, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic.
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