Job: People & Culture Director Location: East Kent / Office-Based / Occasional Travel Employment type: Permanent, Full-time Salary: £65,000 - £80,000 DOE Are you already at People Director level and looking for your next challenge ? Or, are you a s enior HR Business Partner or Head of HR, ready to step into your first HR Director role and shape people strategy at the Executive board level ? Do you thrive in operational (manufacturing) environments where culture, capability, sustainable growth and workforce transformation really matter? Sirius Search is partnering with a well-established manufacturing organisation based in East Kent, which forms part of an international group, to appoint a People & Culture Director. This is a pivotal, senior leadership role, reporting directly into the Managing Director and managing a small HR team. The role plays a critical part in aligning local people strategy with wider group priorities, while ensuring a strong, values-led culture at site level. The role As People & Culture Director, you will take full ownership of the people agenda, designing and delivering a future-focused people strategy aligned to long-term business objectives. You will act as a trusted adviser to the leadership team, providing strategic insight across workforce planning, organisational capability, succession, leadership development and cultural transformation. Key areas of focus will include: Designing and leading the organisation’s People & Culture strategy Advising the Leadership Team on all people-related matters, using data and insight to influence decision-making Long-term workforce planning aligned to future skills and business needs Building and embedding succession planning and internal leadership pipelines Championing a high-performance, inclusive and values-led culture Leading organisational change through people-centred approaches Using people analytics to identify trends, risks and opportunities Acting as an external ambassador for the business and employer brand Developing effective and constructive relationships within a unionised environment Providing strategic oversight of talent, reward, engagement, wellbeing and DEI Ensuring strong governance, compliance and ethical people practices Coaching and supporting senior leaders to enable strong people management About you This opportunity will suit either an established People & Culture Director or a senior HR professional ready to step into their first Director-level role. You are likely to bring: CIPD Level 5 (minimum) or equivalent professional qualification Strong employment law knowledge Experience operating in a complex, operational or industrial environment A proven ability to influence at board and executive level Demonstrable experience working within a unionised setting Expertise in organisational design, culture shaping and workforce strategy A commercial, strategic mindset with high emotional intelligence Confidence using people data and analytics to drive decisions A collaborative, credible and values-led leadership style Why this role? This is a high-impact leadership opportunity within a globally backed organisation, offering the chance to shape people strategy locally while contributing to wider group objectives. You’ll have genuine influence, visibility and the scope to make a meaningful, long-term impact. Benefits: 25 days holiday BH X 5 DIS Bupa Medicash EAP Discretionary bonus up to 10% Working hours 9am to 5pm with some flex required If you believe you can bring meaningful impact to this People & Culture Director role, send your CV to Cressida Courtney or apply online today.