Salary:
£100,000 - £140,000
Location:
Hertfordshire
Contract Type:
Fixed Term Contract
Our client is a rapidly scaling SME with ambitious growth plans and a strong leadership team.
Chief People & Culture Officer – High-Growth SME
Location: Hertfordshire
Timeline: Design, lead and deliver a full people strategy over the next 18-24 months
About the Company
Our client is a rapidly scaling SME with ambitious growth plans and a strong leadership team committed to building a truly exceptional workplace. As the business continues its expansion, there is a need for an experienced people leader who can design, implement, and embed a comprehensive people strategy that will underpin sustainable growth, capability development, and a high-performing culture.
The Opportunity
This is a newly created executive role, offering the rare chance to shape the entire People & Culture function from the ground up. Reporting directly to the CEO, the Chief People & Culture Officer will act as a strategic partner to the senior leadership team, ensuring the organisation is equipped with the talent, structures, and culture required for its next stage of evolution.
You will play a pivotal role in professionalising the HR function, rolling out a people roadmap for the next 18-24 months, and building a culture that supports innovation, accountability, and long-term success.
Responsibilities People Strategy & Organisational Design
1. Develop and execute a holistic people strategy aligned with the company’s scale-up objectives.
2. Lead organisational design work, ensuring the right structures, capabilities, and leadership frameworks are in place.
3. Build and embed a high-performance culture rooted in shared values, trust, and accountability.
Talent Acquisition, Development & Retention
4. Design and implement a modern talent attraction strategy to support rapid growth.
5. Introduce robust learning and development programmes, leadership training, and succession planning.
6. Create clear career pathways, performance frameworks, and capability development tools.
Employee Experience & Culture
7. Lead initiatives to elevate employee engagement, wellbeing, and internal communication.
8. Foster a diverse, inclusive, and values-driven culture across the organisation.
9. Introduce scalable people processes, technology, and policies that strengthen the employee lifecycle.
HR Infrastructure & Compliance
10. Build the HR function, implementing best-in-class processes, systems, and governance.
11. Ensure compliance with UK employment law and evolving people-related regulations.
12. Support the CEO and leadership team with workforce planning, reward strategy, and organisational risk.
Leadership & Stakeholder Partnership
13. Act as a trusted advisor to the CEO and Board on all people matters.
14. Coach senior leaders, enhancing their people management capability.
15. Partner with operational teams to ensure people strategy directly supports business performance.
Candidate Profile
16. Proven senior HR leader (CPO, People Director, Head of People) with experience in a scaling SME or fast-paced growth environment.
17. Strong background in building or transforming a People & Culture function.
18. Commercially minded, strategic, and able to balance long-term planning with hands-on delivery.
19. Demonstrated success in designing and implementing people strategies over 12-36 month horizons.
20. Excellent communication, influence, and stakeholder management skills.
21. Passionate about creating great places to work and developing high-performing teams.