XCM
People and Talent Director
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People & HR Director
Hands-On | Scale-Up Operator | Hiring, Organisation & Performance
Company Overview
We are a growing data technology business in the Customer Data Platform (CDP), analytics & data activation space. We have 55+ staff and partner with leading UK and international brands to transform how they understand and monetise their data.
Our proprietary CDP platform, Horizon, enables clients to gain deep customer insight and activate data to drive measurable commercial outcomes. XCM delivers a full solution across data, technology, people and partnership, offering a high-touch, “white glove” service that differentiates us in the market.
Following recent investment, we are entering a critical phase of growth and scaling the business significantly across product, platform, delivery and commercial functions.
Our growth is guided by three strategic pillars: World-Class Technology, Deep Expertise, and Exceptional Relationships.
Reporting to: CEO
Works closely with: CTO, Leadership Team and Talent Manager
Location: North of England (preferred), with regular travel required. Role will require attending meetings in Leeds.
Role Purpose
This is a critical leadership hire for XCM and will play a central role in determining how successfully we scale.
The primary purpose of this role is to build and manage the organisation required to support XCM’s next phase of growth - ensuring we attract, hire, develop and retain high quality talent, whilst building a high-performance, accountable and well-managed culture.
This role balances both talent acquisition alongside the current Talent Manager and broader people leadership, ensuring the business scales effectively without losing performance, structure or culture.
Core Focus
- Deliver a high-quality hiring engine across all functions alongside the talent manager
- Translate growth plans into a clear, prioritised and realistic hiring roadmap
- Build a well-structured, well-managed organisation where people perform, develop and stay
- Define and enforce a high talent bar aligned to XCM’s strategic pillars
- Support leadership in designing a scalable organisational structure
- Establish clear performance expectations and accountability
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Key Responsibilities
Hiring & Talent
- Execute the hiring plan across product, platform, sales and delivery alongside existing talent manager
- Take ownership of hiring outcomes (speed, quality and consistency)
- Ensure high-quality hiring decisions through clear evaluation frameworks
- Challenge hiring decisions where standards are not met
Organisation Design & Leadership Support
- Partner with CEO on team structure and role definitions
- Ensure organisation design supports delivery against the strategic pillars
- Identify gaps, overlaps and inefficiencies and drive improvements
Performance, Retention & People Management (Primary Focus)
- Build and implement effective performance management processes where required
- Support managers in managing, developing and retaining their teams
- Ensure underperformance is addressed clearly and effectively
- Identify, develop and retain high-performing individuals
- Build a culture of accountability, feedback and continuous improvement
Employee Experience & Culture
- Ensure the organisation scales without losing clarity, engagement or culture
- Build clear communication, feedback and engagement mechanisms
- Support leadership in maintaining a consistent, high-performance culture
- Identify retention risks and proactively address them
- Ensure employees understand expectations, progression and development opportunities
Essential Experience
- Experience scaling a business (circa 50 → 100+ employees)
- Experience in hiring across engineering, commercial and delivery functions
- Strong generalist HR background & experience with recognised qualifications (e.g. CIPD Level 7 or equivalent)
- Experience in a client-facing, supplier-led technology or services business
- Exposure to ARR-based business models with multiple clients
- Experience working closely with founders and senior leadership
- Strong hands-on involvement in both hiring and people management
- Experience supporting multi-location or distributed teams
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Strongly Desired
- Experience in CDP, data, martech or SaaS environments
- Experience working in businesses delivering a blend of technology and services
- Experience operating in client delivery environment
What Success Looks Like (First 6–18 Months)
- XCM scales from circa 60 to 85+ employees with consistently high-quality hires
- Hiring is structured, efficient and predictable
- New hires ramp quickly and contribute effectively
- Clear organisation structure supports growth and decision-making
- Leadership team strengthened with high-calibre hires
- High levels of employee engagement, performance and retention
- A more structured organizational model is achieved that is ready for scale and growth
Why This Role Matters at XCM
XCM is entering a critical scaling phase following investment
The quality of hiring and people management will directly determine success
XCM operates a solution-led, client-facing model, where team quality impacts revenue and delivery
Scaling without structure risks performance, delivery and culture
This role is central to building a high-performing, scalable organisation
Closing Statement
This is an opportunity to take real ownership and build a high-performing organisation in a scaling, investor-backed technology business, working directly with the CEO and leadership team.
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