The Talent World
Head of People and Culture
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We're looking for an experienced and influential Head of People & Culture to join the West Midlands Growth Company and play a critical role in shaping the future of our organisation. If you're a strategic HR leader who thrives on driving organisational performance, developing culture, leading change, and partnering with senior stakeholders, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.
Who are we?
The West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) is the region's economic development delivery organisation.
From April 2026, we will lead the delivery of regionally commissioned economic development activity aligned to the West Midlands Growth Plan, working in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority and local authorities.
We bring together the strengths of the public, private and academic sectors to attract investment, support business growth, create jobs and drive sustainable economic prosperity across the region.
This is an exciting time to join us. As we evolve into a new regional Economic Development Vehicle (EDV), you will play a key role in establishing and shaping a major new organisation, aligned to the region's ambitious growth agenda.
We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer that values diversity, fairness and respect.
The Role
As our new Head of People & Culture, you'll lead the People function and act as a trusted strategic partner to the Leadership Team and senior managers.
Working as part of the Finance & Operations Team, you will ensure that people strategy, organisational culture, workforce planning and organisational design are fully aligned to the Corporate Plan, the evolving EDV operating model and the organisation's planned growth to approximately 200 employees.
This is a highly influential leadership role with responsibility for driving organisational effectiveness, supporting transformation and growth, and ensuring WMGC remains a high-performing, inclusive and engaging place to work.
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You'll Be Involved In
- Leading the development and delivery of WMGC's People & Culture strategy.
- Supporting the successful transition and growth of the new Economic Development Vehicle.
- Shaping organisational culture, values and leadership behaviours.
- Driving workforce planning, succession planning and talent development.
- Leading organisational design, restructuring and change programmes.
- Building leadership and management capability across the organisation.
- Supporting employee engagement, wellbeing and inclusion initiatives.
- Advising senior leaders on complex people, organisational and employment matters.
What You’ll Be Doing
Strategic People Leadership
- Develop and implement a People & Culture strategy aligned to the Corporate Plan and future operating model.
- Act as a trusted advisor to the Leadership Team and senior managers on all people, culture and organisational matters.
- Lead workforce planning, organisational design and restructuring initiatives.
Culture, Values and Organisational Development
- Lead the development and embedding of organisational culture, values and behavioural expectations.
- Define and promote high-performance standards, leadership expectations and management capability.
- Lead employee engagement initiatives and use insight to drive continuous improvement.
Recruitment, Workforce Planning and Talent
- Oversee recruitment, onboarding and retention strategies across the organisation.
- Ensure recruitment activity aligns with organisational priorities, workforce plans and budget requirements.
- Lead succession planning and talent development initiatives.
Employee Relations, Policy and Compliance
- Lead complex employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, performance, absence and organisational change matters.
- Ensure fair, consistent and legally compliant application of policies and procedures.
- Maintain an effective and up-to-date employment policy framework.
Performance, Reward and Governance
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- Lead the development and implementation of performance management frameworks.
- Oversee reward, grading, benchmarking and remuneration activities.
- Work closely with Finance to ensure people-related decisions support affordability and long-term workforce plans.
What You’ll Bring
Essential
- CIPD Level 7 qualification or equivalent senior HR/People leadership experience.
- Significant experience in a senior HR or People leadership role.
- Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
- Experience leading organisational design, workforce planning, restructuring and transformation initiatives.
- Demonstrated experience building organisational culture, employee engagement and leadership capability.
- Experience leading and developing HR or People teams.
- Ability to align people strategy with organisational goals, delivery plans and financial constraints.
- Strong leadership presence, sound judgement and credibility with senior stakeholders.
Desirable
- Degree qualification or equivalent professional experience.
- Evidence of continued professional development in organisational development, change management, leadership or employment law.
- Experience of HR systems, people analytics or digital transformation initiatives.
- Experience of reward, grading or remuneration governance.
- Experience supporting Board, Committee or governance reporting processes.
Who You'll Work With
This role will involve building and maintaining strong relationships across a wide range of stakeholders, including:
- Leadership Team
- Senior Management Team
- Finance and Operations teams
- Governance colleagues
- Line managers and employees
- External HR and legal advisers
- Audit & Risk Committee (ARC)
- Board members and governance forums
Why You'll Love Working Here
- Circa £80,000 Salary
- 26 days holiday
- Company pension scheme including life assurance
- Hybrid working with 2 days in the office
- Cycle to work
- Simple Health employee membership scheme
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