Head of People

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and commercially minded Head of People to join a growing and innovative business. This is a standalone HR leadership role where you will take full ownership of the people function, partnering closely with senior leaders to drive organisational performance, employee engagement and business growth. This position offers a unique blend of strategic influence and hands-on delivery, making it ideal for someone who enjoys building and implementing people initiatives whilst remaining actively involved in day-to-day HR operations.

Job Title: Head of People

Job Type: Permanent

Location: Surrey

Salary: £50,000 - £60,000 (depending on experience)

Benefits: 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, discretionary bonus, pension, private healthcare, life assurance, income protection and Employee Assistance Programme

Reference No: 16174

Head of People and Talent – About the Role

Reporting to the leadership team, you will be responsible for leading all aspects of HR across the business, ensuring the people strategy supports both current objectives and future growth. As the sole HR specialist within the organisation, you will manage the full employee lifecycle, lead recruitment and talent acquisition activities, drive learning and development initiatives, oversee employee relations matters and champion a positive, high-performing culture.

You will act as a trusted adviser to leaders and managers, providing pragmatic HR guidance and constructive challenge while ensuring compliance with employment legislation and HR best practice. The role will also involve developing people policies, improving processes, analysing workforce data and implementing initiatives that enhance employee engagement, retention and organisational capability. Main Responsibilities:

• Own and continuously develop the HR function, policies, processes and people strategy.
• Partner with the leadership team to support organisational growth and business objectives.
• Lead recruitment activities across the organisation, from workforce planning through to onboarding.
• Manage the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, performance management, benefits administration and offboarding.
• Develop and deliver learning and development programmes to enhance employee capability and leadership effectiveness.
• Coach and support managers on people management, employee relations and performance matters.
• Manage employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, absence and performance concerns.
• Drive employee engagement, wellbeing and retention initiatives.
• Support succession planning and the identification and development of future talent.
• Develop and maintain HR metrics, reporting and workforce insights to support business decision-making.
• Ensure compliance with UK employment legislation and HR best practice.
• Promote and embed a positive, collaborative and high-performing company culture.

The Successful Candidate Will Have:

• CIPD Level 5 qualification as a minimum
• At least 5 years' experience in a generalist HR role, ideally within an engineering, consultancy, technical or professional services environment.
• Experience operating in a standalone HR position or taking ownership of a broad HR remit.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Proven experience in recruitment, employee relations, learning and development, and performance management.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the confidence to influence and challenge senior leaders.
• A proactive, hands-on approach with the ability to balance strategic priorities with operational delivery.
• Strong emotional intelligence, resilience and commercial awareness.
• Excellent communication, coaching and relationship-building skills.

Howett Thorpe are acting as a recruitment agency in relation to this role and comply with all relevant UK legislation. We do not discriminate on the grounds of any protected characteristics. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to respond to every applicant. If you do not hear from one of our Consultants within five working days, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

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