Director of People & Culture

Norwich | Full-time | £76,232 p.a. plus benefits

An established education trust is seeking an exceptional Director of People & Culture to lead the development of a progressive, inclusive and high-performing people function across its family of schools. Reporting to the Chief Executive and based in offices on the outskirts of Norwich, this newly created Leadership Team role offers the opportunity to shape the culture, capability and employee experience of an organisation committed to the development and education of young people.

The opportunity

This is a rare opportunity to join an ambitious non-profit education organisation at a pivotal point in its growth. You will design and lead the People and Culture function, ensuring that the organisation has the policies, systems, insight and leadership support needed to recruit, retain and develop brilliant people from all backgrounds.

You will champion an outstanding employee experience, lead work on diversity, inclusion and engagement, and support leaders and managers to build diverse, high-performing teams. Working closely with the Board, Chief Executive, Executive Team, trustees, school governors, Head Teachers and other Trust leaders, you will play a central role in shaping an inclusive culture where colleagues feel supported to do the best work of their careers.

Benefits

Salary at scale point 51: £76,232 p.a. for 2026/27, with opportunity for performance-related pay progression.
29 days' annual leave.
Local Government pension scheme.
Investment in professional development and learning.
Flexible working hours, aligned to business needs and supportive of care or other commitments.
Cycle-to-work scheme.

Key priorities

Build and lead a modern People and Culture function, supported by effective HR systems, suppliers, processes and data.
Develop and implement people strategies that support organisational growth, wellbeing, performance and inclusion.
Lead organisation design and talent management, working with senior leaders to attract and develop brilliant people, and support Head Teachers and senior leaders to ensure organisational structures meet the needs of the Trust's educational and financial strategies.
Embed diversity, equity and inclusion across policies, processes, recruitment, engagement and everyday practice.
Create learning, development, leadership and management programmes that help colleagues grow professionally and personally.
Advise the Board and Executive Team on employment legislation, HR policy and compliance, ensuring appropriate employment policies and practices are in place and adhered to.
Lead reward strategy and implementation, working with the Remuneration Committee to ensure a competitive and values-led approach.
Lead annual and quarterly people planning and prioritisation, ensuring resources and budgets are aligned to agreed priorities.
Manage and develop the HR team, providing clarity, support and direction so they can deliver excellent service to schools and colleagues.

About you

You will be an experienced senior people leader, ideally operating at Director of People and Culture level or equivalent, with a strong track record of building people strategies, policies, systems and teams. You will bring deep HR expertise across employee relations, recruitment, restructuring, organisational design, talent development, culture, reward and compliance.

You will be confident advising Boards, executives and senior leaders, and will combine sound judgement with a collaborative, values-led approach. A commitment to diversity and inclusion is essential, alongside experience of creating inclusive working environments and supporting organisations to recruit and develop diverse teams. You will be CIPD Level 7 qualified or able to demonstrate equivalent professional experience.

Experience of developing or commissioning online learning and development programmes, or management development training programmes, would be an advantage.

How to apply

If you are a strategic, inclusive and people-centred leader who wants to make a lasting contribution to education, culture and organisational growth, we would be delighted to hear from you. Closing date is midnight on Sunday 6th September 2026. Please include your location on your CV - if you are considering your commute or relocation, please do include this information as part of your application.

Waddington Brown HR Recruitment

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Director of People & Culture