Head of People and Culture

Shape the Future of a Growing Regional Organisation

West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) is entering an exciting new chapter. As we evolve into a new regional Economic Development Vehicle (EDV), we are seeking an experienced and strategic Head of People & Culture to help shape our future organisation, culture and workforce.

Reporting into the senior leadership team, this is a pivotal role that will lead the People function and act as a trusted strategic partner to leaders across the business. You'll play a key role in ensuring our people strategy, organisational design and culture support our ambitious growth plans as we expand towards a workforce of approximately 200 employees.

This is an outstanding opportunity for a senior HR professional who is passionate about creating high-performing organisations, leading transformation, and building a positive employee experience.

About Us

West Midlands Growth Company is the region's investment promotion and destination management organisation.

Backed by the West Midlands Combined Authority, local authorities and leading regional universities, we bring together the strengths of the public, private and academic sectors to drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Our mission is simple: to attract investment, businesses and visitors to the West Midlands, creating jobs, strengthening the economy and improving quality of life across the region.

The Opportunity

As Head of People & Culture, you will:

• Develop and deliver a People & Culture strategy aligned to organisational priorities and future growth plans.
• Partner with the Leadership Team to provide expert advice on people, culture, organisational design and employment matters.
• Lead workforce planning, organisational development and change programmes.
• Build a high-performance culture that supports employee engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.
• Oversee recruitment, talent development, succession planning and retention strategies.
• Ensure robust employee relations, policy frameworks and legal compliance.
• Drive performance, reward and people governance frameworks.
• Lead and develop the People & Culture team, creating a trusted and high-performing function.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic People Leadership

• Develop and implement the organisation's People & Culture strategy.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on workforce, culture and organisational effectiveness.
• Lead workforce planning, organisational design and restructuring activity.
• Provide people insights, assurance and reporting to leadership and governance groups.
• Support WMGC's transition from its current operating model into a mature and resilient organisation.

Culture, Engagement & Organisational Development

• Embed organisational values and behavioural expectations.
• Define and champion a high-performance culture.
• Lead employee engagement initiatives and organisational development programmes.
• Support leadership and management capability development.
• Promote wellbeing, inclusion and a positive employee experience.

Talent, Recruitment & Workforce Planning

• Lead recruitment, onboarding and retention strategies.
• Ensure staffing plans align with business priorities and budgets.
• Develop succession planning and career development frameworks.
• Support organisational growth through effective workforce planning and structure design.
• Monitor recruitment progress and workforce risks across growth plans.

Employee Relations, Policy & Compliance

• Lead complex employee relations cases and organisational change activity.
• Ensure consistent application of people policies and procedures.
• Maintain compliant and commercially effective HR policies.
• Manage employment risks and relationships with external legal advisers.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation and governance requirements.

Performance, Reward & Governance

• Develop and maintain performance management frameworks.
• Lead reward, grading and benchmarking activity.
• Support workforce budgeting and strategic people planning.
• Deliver meaningful workforce data and analytics reporting.
• Manage People function budgets and resources effectively.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach and develop the People & Culture team.
• Establish clear priorities, standards and ways of working.
• Deliver a responsive, credible and customer-focused HR service.
• Build a strategic and operationally effective People function.

About You

We're looking for an experienced and commercially aware people leader who can balance strategic thinking with practical delivery.

Essential

• CIPD Level 7 qualification or equivalent senior HR leadership experience.
• Significant experience in a senior HR or People leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment legislation and HR best practice.
• Proven experience leading organisational design, change and workforce planning initiatives.
• Experience building organisational culture, engagement and management capability.
• Experience leading and developing HR or People teams.
• Ability to align people strategy with organisational goals and financial priorities.
• Excellent relationship-building, influencing and stakeholder-management skills.
• Strong judgement and credibility with executives and senior leaders.
• Commitment to inclusion, fairness, wellbeing and ethical leadership.

Desirable

• Degree qualification or equivalent professional experience.
• Ongoing professional development in employment law, leadership, change or organisational development.
• Experience with HR systems, people analytics or digital transformation.
• Experience in reward, grading or remuneration governance.
• Experience working within publicly funded, partnership-led or stakeholder-focused organisations.
• Experience supporting Boards, committees or governance forums.

Our Values

Trust | Trusted Delivery Partners

We do what we say we'll do. We work collaboratively and bring expertise, insight and accountability to everything we deliver.

Respect | Opinions Matter

We listen, value different perspectives and recognise the impact of our actions on others.

Leadership | We Lead by Example

We champion innovation, creativity and continuous improvement, empowering our people to deliver meaningful outcomes.

Wellbeing | Health, Growth & Inclusivity

We create an environment where everyone feels supported, valued and able to thrive both personally and professionally.

Diversity & Inclusion

West Midlands Growth Company is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can succeed. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are dedicated to attracting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce. We oppose all forms of unlawful discrimination and are committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all.

Join us and help build the future of economic growth in the West Midlands through great people, strong culture and inspiring leadership.