Head of People

About CoppaFeel!

CoppaFeel! are the UK s only youth focused breast cancer awareness charity, and we re on a mission to get every 18-24 year old checking their chest. We educate people on the signs of breast cancer and encourage them to check their chests monthly, so that if they notice something unusual they are empowered to contact their GP and advocate for themselves.

We do this because when diagnosed early, breast cancer treatments are more effective and survival rates are higher. Early detection can save lives.

Breast cancer does not need to be detected late, and as long as we are here and continue to be supported by people like you, we will do all we can to make sure this doesn t continue to happen.

The Role

We re excited to be creating a new Head of People role to support the next phase of our charity s development. The role provides strategic leadership, expert input and operational oversight of CoppaFeel! s people, culture and employment practices, aligned with organisational strategy, values and governance.

Blending strategic leadership with hands-on delivery, the role operates with professional autonomy within the People remit and works in close partnership with the Director of Operations, who retains overall accountability. You will support senior leaders, strengthen organisational culture and ensure people practices are consistent, inclusive and effective as the organisation evolves.

This role sits within the Operations Department, reports into the Director of Operations and line manages the HR Manager. This is a hybrid role, with two days per week in our London office. The role is full-time but will consider part-time.

Duties and Responsibilities

The responsibilities below set out the primary scope of the role, but are not an exhaustive list. The successful candidate will have the flexibility to shape future needs, build capacity and respond to organisational growth.

• Develop, implement and deliver CoppaFeel! s People Strategy to support organisational priorities, providing expert input into strategic decision making and organisational planning.
• Lead strategic workforce planning including succession planning to identify and plan for the charity s future .
• Establish, monitor and report on key people metrics and performance indicators, using data and insight to evaluate effectiveness, inform continuous improvement and support evidence based decision making for the Leadership team, SMT and , where appropriate, Trustees.
• Define, monitor and be accountable for the effectiveness of all people related functions, including recruitment and inclusion, retention, engagement, leadership capability and overall employee experience.
• Act as a trusted adviser to the Senior Leadership Team and senior managers, providing expert guidance and organisational insight informed by feedback from across the organisation.
• Fulfill the responsibilities of a Head of Department, including accountability for delivery and outcomes, role modelling CoppaFeel! s leadership behaviours and contributing to effective organisational decision making.
• Act as senior lead for complex employee relations issues and provide expert guidance on best practice.
• Develop and coach managers and leaders across the organisation to embed a culture of high performance and accountability.
• Ensure HR practices are consistent, equitable and legally compliant.
• Maintain, develop , implement and communicate People Policies, processes and systems, ensuring clarity and accessibility for all staff.
• Ensure compliance with UK employment law, GDPR and safeguarding requirements.
• Support the Director of Operations in managing people related risk, and reporting, contributing to SMT, CEO and Trustee level oversight as required.
• Promote and embed diversity and inclusion across policies, employee relations, recruitment , culture, and staff experience
• Line manage and support the HR Manager, fostering their continued development.
• Oversee the pay and grading framework, ensuring fairness, consistency and role clarity.
• Champion and embed CoppaFeel! s values in all people-related decisions across the organisation.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties or responsibilities as required by the Charity.

Skills, Experience and Qualifications

Essential

• CIPD Level 5 minimum (Level 7 desirable).
• Significant HR generalist experience at senior advisory or lead level.
• Experience designing and implementing HR policies, frameworks and people processes.
• Experience leading EDI, culture or wellbeing initiatives.
• Strong understanding of UK employment law and GDPR.
• Confident communicator with the ability to build trusted relationships across all levels.
• Experience supporting managers through complex ER matters.
• Ability to translate strategy into practical, people-focused solutions.

Desirable

• Charity sector experience or experience working in a mission driven organisation.
• Coaching or leadership development experience.
• Experience in a small organisation or growing charity.
• Experience supporting organisational change or expansion.
• Experience using people data, metrics or HR systems to support decision making.

Application information

Applications will close on Monday 2nd March 2026 with the aim to commence first interviews on W/C 9th March 2026.

CoppaFeel! reserves the right to close the vacancy early in the event that we receive a high number of applications before the closing date.

Main benefits, Terms & Conditions

Annual leave entitlement: 22 days, plus office closure at Christmas, a day off on our Founders birthday, and a day off for your birthday.

• Employee Assistance Programme
• Health Cash Plan; cash back on everyday health expenses, as well as a GP advice line and access to PerkBox.
• Access to Self Space training and 1:1 therapy
• Core working hours of 10am to 4pm
• Flex Friday; every other Friday off, offering the time to recharge and ensuring work life balance, while remaining available in case of emergencies

All annual leave and benefits are pro-rata'd for part time employees.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

At CoppaFeel! we support a diverse range of communities and we understand that diversity within our team is central and crucial to meeting the needs of the young people we exist to serve. We strongly encourage applications from Black, and people of colour, LGBTQIA+ candidates, candidates with disabilities, from men, and from those with a lived experience of cancer because we would like to increase the representation of these groups within the charity.

We promote equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace and make recruitment decisions by matching the charity's needs with the skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We recognise the value in encouraging a diverse range of perspectives, skills, experience and knowledge at the charity.

While the successful candidate will be selected purely on merit, in the event of a tie between two candidates with equal suitability, we may select a candidate with lived experience of the issues we are seeking to address through our work.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and we commit to offering an interview for all applicants with disabilities who meet our required criteria for the role. If you have any accessibility requirements or need any adjustments for the interview process please get in touch.