Head of People

Location: Derbyshire

A growing, Derbyshire-based professional services organisation is seeking an experienced Head of People to lead its operational People function and play a central role in shaping culture, engagement, and performance across the business. This is a hands-on leadership role for a pragmatic people professional who enjoys working closely with senior leaders, driving engagement initiatives, and ensuring excellent day-to-day HR delivery.

The Role
As Head of People, you will lead the People team and oversee all core people operations, including employee relations, performance management, recruitment delivery, and compliance. Partnering closely with the HR Director, you'll help embed a strong, values-led culture and ensure people practices support wider business goals.

Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage the operational People team, ensuring high-quality HR service delivery
- Act as escalation point for complex employee relations and performance matters
- Drive culture, engagement, and inclusion initiatives aligned to organisational values
- Oversee recruitment activity and ensure a strong candidate experience
- Embed effective performance management and manager capability
- Use people data and insight to inform decisions and improve employee experience
- Ensure compliance with employment law, policies, and best practice

The Successful Candidate
- 5+ years' experience in a senior HR/People role with strong operational focus
- Proven leader with the ability to develop high-performing teams
- Strong knowledge of employment law and HR best practice
- Confident influencing senior stakeholders and coaching managers

- Experience with engagement surveys, culture initiatives, and DEI programmes
- CIPD (or equivalent) qualification preferred