Head of People and Culture

We have a wonderful opportunity for an experienced Head of People and Culture to join a successful, exciting and growing business within the hospitality and leisure sectors.

• The ideal candidate is someone who can continue to grow, develop and progress to a more senior role within the business in the next 2 years.
• In this role you will support the Managing Director and Senior Leadership Team (as a member) in overseeing all people aspects of the organisation, including people strategy, recruitment oversight, performance management, employee relations, compliance, team leadership, learning and development, engagement and culture.
• You will work side-by-side with the fellow senior leadership team members, bridging the gap with the People function. It is a hands-on, commercially minded role where your eye for detail and strategic input will help shape decisions and drive the business forward.
• We are seeking an experienced and ambitious Head of People to lead a number of direct reports and have accountability for all People functions: strategy, recruitment, HR operations, performance, employee relations, culture and organisational development.

Key details

• Reporting to: Managing Director (MD)
• Location: South West London base + regular travel across London sites
• Working pattern: Full time. Primarily on-site across locations (typically 4 days per week) + some flexibility
• Team: 3 people (with scope to build as we grow)
• Salary & Package: Competitive / market leading (dependent on experience) + benefits

Job responsibilities

• Oversee People operations for a multi-site business in the leisure and hospitality space across London.
• Own the People operating rhythm - including an effective monthly People review (headcount, recruitment, retention, absence, ER themes, performance, risk) and clear actions aligned to SLT priorities.
• Act as the primary point of contact for day-to-day People governance and ensure the right issues are handled at the right level through a clear escalation model.
• Act as the lead People business partner to the SLT and Managing Director, providing practical advice and challenge on organisational health, leadership capability and people risk.
• Lead workforce planning and oversee recruitment performance across all functions, including direct oversight of the club recruiter and governance of hiring manager practices (role briefs, interview structure, decision discipline).
• Implement and embed a practical, operational performance and accountability framework (probation, 1:1s, feedback, capability processes), raising leadership consistency across sites.
• Lead, mentor and develop the People team, setting clear priorities and quality standards.
• Provide weekly and monthly insights to the SLT, surfacing risks and opportunities across retention, absence, engagement and performance.
• Develop and refine HR systems, workflows and controls to improve efficiency, consistency and compliance (HRIS optimisation, automation, reporting).
• Ensure compliance with UK employment legislation and company policies; oversee ER governance and lead complex or sensitive cases when required.
• Own and improve onboarding and induction across sites to ensure a consistent employee experience, faster ramp-up and strong retention in the first 90 days.
• Lead learning and development priorities (including compliance training), working with operational leaders to target capability gaps and improve performance outcomes.
• Support business growth and change (new sites, restructures, leadership changes) with clear planning, communications and people impact management.

Key person requirements

• Significant senior HR/People leadership experience with proven success in commercial, operational environments.
• Experience in an SME or growing business environment essential, with exposure to multi-site and shift-based teams (hospitality, leisure, retail or similar).
• Proven leadership experience managing and developing a People/HR team, including setting standards and holding others accountable.
• Deep working knowledge of UK employment law, with strong judgement in employee relations and risk management.
• Commercially minded approach, able to balance people outcomes with operational reality and deliver measurable improvements (retention, absence, time-to-hire, performance).
• Strong systems and process orientation, with demonstrated experience improving HR operations through automation, workflows and data reporting (HRIS experience essential).
• Exceptional communication skills, able to influence and coach leaders at all levels and build credibility quickly across sites.
• Highly self-motivated with a proactive, solutions-led approach to problem-solving and decision-making.
• CIPD Level 5+ desirable (or equivalent experience).

Benefits:

• Company events
• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Gym membership
• Work from home