People & Culture Director

People & Culture Director

Exclusive Search suiting candidates in Herts/Essex Area

Salary: Executive level + bonus + benefits

Sector: Global consumer products Manufacturing Innovation-led brand

Build the people strategy behind a global growth success.

We are partnering with a fast-growing, innovation-led global consumer products business that has scaled rapidly over the last five years, with operations across the UK, Europe, USA, Asia, and China, and a global workforce of circa 140 employees . The business has built its success on exceptional products, bold thinking and a highly committed team. As it continues to scale internationally, there is a clear belief that people and culture must grow at the same pace as the organisation to sustain momentum and market leadership. To support this next chapter, the business is creating a new, senior leadership role - People & Culture Director.

The Opportunity

This is a blank-canvas opportunity to build and lead a global People & Culture function from the ground up. Reporting directly to the COO and joining a close-knit senior leadership team, you will transition the organisation from an outsourced HR model to a strategic, in-house people capability that enables growth, performance and cohesion. This is not a traditional HR role. It is not compliance-led, policy-heavy, or process-driven. This role is about building commercial advantage through people. You will take what already works - the energy, creativity, loyalty, and drive within the business - and amplify it, putting structure, strategy and investment behind developing people and teams as long-term assets.

What You'll Own

• Designing and delivering a global People & Culture strategy aligned to ambitious commercial growth
• Building an in-house People function capable of supporting a complex, international, multi-site operation
• Acting as a trusted partner to the COO and leadership team on organisation design, leadership capability and succession planning
• Creating development pathways, training frameworks and leadership programmes that enable people to grow as the business scales
• Protecting and evolving culture while maintaining pace, performance and cohesion across regions
• Introducing fit-for-growth systems, reward frameworks and people data that support decision-making
• Ensuring people initiatives are commercially grounded, pragmatic and operationally relevant

Who We're Looking For

You are a senior, commercially minded People leader who:

• Has built or scaled a People / HR function in a high-growth, global organisation
• Is confident operating in complex environments (manufacturing, product, supply chain, commercial)
• Understands how people strategy drives performance, speed and profitability
• Enjoys ambiguity, ownership and building from first principles
• Can influence credibly at the executive level while remaining hands-on and pragmatic
• Is passionate about culture and development - someone who works with clarity, pace and pragmatism - streamlining rather than adding complexity to process

Why This Role Is Different

• A rare opportunity to build a global People & Culture function from scratch
• Direct impact at the executive level during a critical international growth phase
• A values-led, entrepreneurial business that genuinely believes its people are central to its success
• The chance to shape the future of a market-leading global brand while retaining its energy, momentum and identity

If you're excited by growth, ownership and real impact and want to build something meaningful rather than maintain the status quo, we'd love to hear from you. Reach out for a confidential chat - shortlisting now, don't wait