The Talent World
Head of People and Culture
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Role Overview
West Midlands Growth Company helps create new jobs, build and expand businesses, attract regional investment and encourage tourism.
Working within the Finance & Operations Team, the Head of People and Culture will lead the People function and act as an integrated strategic partner to the Leadership Team and senior managers. The role will ensure that people, culture, workforce planning and organisational design are aligned to the Corporate Plan, the evolving EDV operating model and the organisation's growth to approximately 200 staff.
The role will provide senior leadership across people strategy, recruitment, workforce planning, employee relations, performance, reward, culture, organisational development, policy, compliance and people governance, creating a strong organisation where people are clear, supported and able to deliver.
Key Accountabilities
Work within the Leadership Team and Senior Management Team
- Lead and deliver strategic people initiatives that support business needs, transformation, growth, culture, employee engagement, management development and organisational change.
Strategic People Leadership
Recruitment, Workforce Planning and Talent
- Develop, lead and implement the People and Culture strategy aligned to the Corporate Plan, funding requirements and future operating model.
- Act as a trusted advisor to the Leadership Team and senior managers on all people, culture, organisation design and employment risk matters.
- Lead workforce planning, organisational design and restructuring activity to support growth, delivery and organisational resilience.
- Provide people assurance, reporting and advice to the Leadership Team, ARC, Board and other governance forums as required.
- Ensure the People function supports the organisation as it moves from a minimum viable operating model to a more mature and resilient structure.
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Culture, Values and Organisational Development
- Lead the development and embedding of organisational culture, values and behavioural expectations.
- Define and support what high performance means in practice for WMGC, including leadership expectations and management standards.
- Lead staff engagement activity and use feedback to shape people priorities and organisational improvement.
- Develop leadership, management and organisational development activity that supports the new operating model.
- Champion wellbeing, inclusion and a positive employee experience across the organisation.
- Oversee recruitment, workforce planning, onboarding and retention strategies.
- Ensure recruitment is aligned to the agreed operating model, budget, establishment control and delivery priorities.
- Lead succession planning, talent development and career development activity.
- Ensure the organisation has clear role profiles, accountabilities and management structures as it grows.
- Monitor recruitment progress, vacancy risks and the people implications of growth across years 1, 2 and 3.
Employee Relations, Policy and Compliance
- Lead on complex employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence, performance and change-related matters.
- Ensure fair and consistent application of employment policies, procedures and decision-making.
- Maintain an up-to-date policy framework that is legally compliant, practical and aligned to the organisation's values.
- Manage employment risk and ensure appropriate use of external legal advice where required.
- Ensure compliance with UK employment law, right to work requirements, HR records management and relevant governance standards.
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Performance, Reward and Governance
- Lead the development and operation of performance management frameworks.
- Oversee pay, reward, grading and benchmarking activity in partnership with Finance and relevant governance forums.
- Ensure people-related financial decisions are considered alongside affordability, funding requirements and longer-term workforce plans.
- Develop meaningful people reporting, including headcount, vacancies, recruitment, employee relations, absence, turnover, engagement and diversity metrics.
- Manage the People function budget, resources and external support effectively.
Team Leadership
- Lead, mentor and develop the People and Culture team.
- Set clear priorities, standards and ways of working across the People function.
- Ensure the team provides credible, timely and consistent support to managers and staff.
- Build a People function that is strategic, operationally reliable and proportionate to the size and complexity of the organisation.
Key Requirements
- Ability to align people strategy with organisational strategy, delivery plans and financial constraints.
- Strong leadership, judgement and credibility with senior stakeholders.
- Ability to coach and challenge executives and senior managers constructively.
- Strong communication, influencing and negotiation skills.
- Ability to manage complex employee relations, organisational design and change issues.
- Commercial and public-sector awareness, with the ability to balance ambition, affordability, governance and risk.
- Commitment to fairness, inclusion, wellbeing and high ethical standards.
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