Virtue Vets
Human Resources Director
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HR Director
Full-time; £70k plus depending on experience
Location: London-based on-site
We are seeking an experienced and commercially astute HR Director to lead the people strategy across our growing veterinary group. This is a senior leadership role, reporting to the CEO and SMT with responsibility for shaping culture, driving organisational effectiveness, and ensuring that our people practices fully support long-term business growth and clinical excellence.
Role Overview
Reporting to the CEO, the HR Director will operate as a trusted strategic partner, balancing high-level people strategy with hands-on leadership where required. You will set the direction for how we attract, develop, reward and retain exceptional talent, while embedding robust governance, consistency and fairness across all clinics.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Develop and implement the HR strategy aligned to organisational goals and long-term growth.
- Work collaboratively with the executive team to shape business decisions with people-centric insights.
- Provide strategic guidance on organisational design, culture evolution, and workforce planning.
Risk Assessment & Management
- Proactively identify and analyse a variety of risks associated with regulations, employees and data management.
- Develop systems to monitor and flag such risks ahead of time.
- Develop systemic solutions and strategies to safeguard the business.
- Execute solutions, should a risk crystallize, in a manner that minimises damage to the business.
Operational HR Management
- Oversee the full employee lifecycle including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, reward & recognition, and offboarding.
- Lead the development and continual improvement of HR policies, procedures and systems to ensure compliance, efficiency and fairness.
- Monitor legislative and regulatory HR developments and ensure organisational compliance.
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Employee Relations & Advisory
- Act as a senior HR advisor, offering pragmatic, clear, and supportive counsel to leaders and employees.
- Manage complex employee relations issues, including investigations, grievances and disciplinary procedures.
- Promote an inclusive, respectful and engaging workplace culture.
Learning, Development & Change
- Champion capability building and professional development across the organisation.
- Design and deliver training programs that support leadership development, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, and performance excellence.
- Lead organisational change initiatives with empathy and clarity.
HR Analytics & Systems
- Utilise HR data to generate insights that inform strategic decisions.
- Oversee HR systems implementation and optimisation to support scalable processes.
Must-Have Attributes of Successful Candidates
- An entrepreneurial nature is a must-have. A healthy appreciation for the benefits of working in a modern startup with a supportive and competent team while being well compensated.
- Being a self-starter (takes responsibility, gets things done, no handholding needed)
- Willing to do things differently and “not how they have always been done”
- Comfortable with change, as we optimize our clinical model frequently
- Comfort with ambiguity and able to deal with imperfection
- The desire to help improve the clinic’s operational performance in meaningful ways
- Not a behind-the-scenes complainer. Not “gossipy”
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What We’re Looking For
Essential
- Extensive senior HR experience, ideally spanning consultancy, corporate HR leadership, or advisory roles – with a track record of influencing and implementing HR strategy working with executive and board-level stakeholders.
- Demonstrable expertise in employee relations, performance management, policy creation, and organisational development.
- In-depth knowledge of UK employment law and HR governance.
- Experience working with organisations of varied sizes, including SMEs and larger enterprises.
- Strong commercial and business acumen with the ability to communicate effectively at senior levels.
- Experience supporting growth, transformation or professionalisation of HR functions.
- Excellent leadership, interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
- Change-oriented with a passion for improving people processes and systems.
Desirable
- Experience in consulting or external HR advisory services.
- Proficiency with HRIS or other HR technology platforms.
- A proactive and pragmatic problem-solver with a people-focused approach.
- Committed to continuous professional development and thought leadership.
- Chartered/Chartered Fellow CIPD membership.
Compensation
- Salary, depending on qualifications and experience
- Meaningful salary progression linked to professional achievement
Benefits
- 6.6 weeks per calendar year, inclusive of public holidays (after probation)
- Enhanced Adoption, Maternity, Paternity and Statutory Shared Parental Leave
- Enhanced Parental Bereavement Leave
- Discretionary sick pay
- Reimbursement for CIPD membership fees.
- Employee Discounts on Vetcare
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