About Southpaw
We're a diverse group of creators, producers, strategists and client service pros, all united by a passion for brilliant work and a challenger mindset. Now we’re looking for a People and Culture Manager to align our talent strategies with our company values.
We've driven brand growth for challenger brands across the beauty, premium drinks, lifestyle and entertainment sectors - helping them shift behaviours, build communities, spark conversation, and shape culture.
We are also part of the global and award-winning advertising group, Hakuhodo, headquartered in Tokyo.
The Role
We are looking for a People & Culture Manager to join us four days a week, working closely with our MD, Ops Manager, and Financial Controller to ensure Southpaw remains a great place to work and that our people agenda keeps pace with our growth.
This is a broad, hands‑on role covering the full people function - from day‑to‑day HR operations through to longer‑term priorities around talent, development and culture. You'll need to be comfortable managing both the detail and the bigger picture, and confident working with a high degree of autonomy in a small, busy agency environment.
What you’ll be doing
People & Culture
* Work with the MD and senior leadership team to evolve our people strategy as we grow
* Support and coach our managers to have better conversations, develop their teams, and handle the difficult stuff with confidence
* Lead on employee relations – being a calm, sensible, trusted voice when things get complicated
* Keep our HR policies up to date and compliant, and provide the training to the managers and employees to support them
* Oversee performance management and help us build a culture of honest, useful feedback
Recruitment & onboarding
* Lead on hiring – from briefing to offer, working with the hiring manager and office manager on the logistics
* Work on our employer branding to ensure we’re positioned to attract the best talent
* Make sure new starters land well and feel part of the team from day one
* Spot development gaps and build L&D approaches that work for a creative team
* Oversee our IPA CPD Gold accreditation, making sure we’re recognising and investing in learning across the agency
The Vibe – Culture & wellbeing
* Get stuck into The Vibe, our internal social committee, bringing ideas and energy to how we celebrate, connect, and have fun as a team
* Think proactively about awareness moments that matter – Mental Health Awareness Week, World Inclusion Day, IWD etc and make sure we mark them in ways that feel authentic
* Champion wellbeing in a way that’s practical, visible, and welcomed by the team
Employer Brand – Southpaw Social Club
* Work with our social media offering, Southpaw Social Club, to help tell our employer brand story – what it’s like to work here, who we are, and why people should want to join us
* Feed ideas and content angles into our social channels that showcase our culture and people
* Keep website jobs page updated and enticing
DEI & New Business Support
* Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion across everything we do – from how we hire to how we listen
* Help us build on what we’re doing well and be honest about where we can do better
* Help pull together people and culture information when it’s needed for new business pitches – credentials, team stats, culture narrative, policies etc
* We’re interested in exploring B Corp certification, and if you’ve got experience in this space – brilliant. If not, an appetite to learn and lead on it would go a long way
What we’re looking for
* Solid HR experience, ideally including time in a small or growing business where you’ve had to be resourceful and make things happen without a big team behind you
* A genuine generalist – comfortable moving between ER advice, recruitment, policy, and culture
* Creative, media, or agency experience would be a real plus – you’ll get the pace and the personalities
* A good understanding of UK employment law and how to apply it commercially in a growing agency
* Some experience with or curiosity about DEI, employer brand, and employee engagement beyond the usual survey and away day
* B Corp knowledge or experience could be a bonus
* CIPD qualification or on the journey to being CIPD trained
Why Southpaw?
* A team that’s talented, collaborative, and takes the work seriously without taking themselves too seriously
* Real variety – no two weeks will look the same
* The chance to shape culture and be part of the conversation at a growing, global‑connected independent
* Tunbridge Wells base with flexibility – Ideally this role will be onsite Monday to Thursday but there is some flexibility around this
* There could be some flexibility around the work pattern of this role – if you are looking for a 3‑day week or shorter days across 5 days please get in touch
We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.
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