Head of People

Who you are

• Significant experience in a senior People Partnering role, with a proven ability to translate business strategy into people priorities and deliver measurable business outcomes
• Strong understanding of business drivers, commercial priorities and organisational challenges, with the ability to connect people decisions to business performance, growth and operational effectiveness
• Demonstrable experience supporting international expansion and scaling businesses across multiple markets, including building organisational capability, navigating different employment and regulatory environments, and adapting people practices to enable sustainable growth
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships with senior executives, influence strategic decisions, provide constructive challenge and act as a credible advisor on complex people and organisational matters
• Ability to interpret workforce data, people metrics and external market insights to identify emerging risks, challenge assumptions and develop evidence-based recommendations
• Sound understanding of employment practices, employee relations and people-related risk, with the judgement to balance commercial objectives, regulatory obligations and fair employee outcomes
• Understands the business model, its priorities and challenges, and brings a pragmatic, outcome-focused perspective to people decisions
• Connects the bigger picture with practical execution, focusing on the actions that will make the greatest difference
• Takes initiative and full ownership of delivering outcomes, with a hands-on, sleeves-rolled-up approach
• Brings external perspectives, challenges established thinking and anticipates emerging organisational and talent needs
• Works effectively across business and functional boundaries, drawing on specialist expertise and contributing to the success of the wider People team
• Demonstrates integrity, fairness and sound judgement, role-modelling Starling’s values and supporting a culture of trust, inclusion and accountability
• You may be put off applying for a role because you don't tick every box. Forget that! While we can't accommodate every flexible working request, we're always open to discussion
• So, if you're excited about working with us, but aren't sure if you're 100% there yet, get in touch anyway

What the job involves

• We are looking for an experienced and commercially minded Head of People to support Engine, Starling Group’s fast-growing, international software-as-a-service business
• Partnering closely with Engine’s CEO and Senior Leadership Team, you will play a key role in shaping the People's agenda for a business of approximately 450 colleagues, supporting its continued growth, organisational effectiveness and international expansion
• You will be a trusted advisor and constructive challenger to senior leaders, helping them make better decisions about their people, organisational structures, leadership capability and talent. You will translate business priorities into practical, forward-looking people plans that strengthen performance, build organisational capability and support sustainable growth
• As part of the wider Starling People Partnering function, you will work closely with our specialist People teams to deliver integrated solutions, balancing Engine’s distinct commercial and cultural needs with the wider Group’s strategy, frameworks and values
• This is a highly visible individual contributor role requiring strong judgement, independence and the ability to operate confidently with senior stakeholders
• Strategic business partnering: Act as a trusted partner to Engine’s CEO and leadership team, understanding the commercial strategy and translating business priorities into a clear, actionable people agenda. Provide constructive challenge and influence key decisions
• Performance and accountability: Coach and challenge senior leaders on their leadership impact, decision-making and team effectiveness, helping them build a high-performance culture
• Talent and succession: Identify critical capabilities, talent and succession risks, working with leaders and specialist teams to strengthen leadership pipelines, internal mobility and long-term organisational capability
• Culture and engagement: Help shape and embed Engine’s distinctive culture and employee value proposition within Starling Group, using engagement insights and employee feedback to identify opportunities for improvement
• Enable Global Growth: Support rapid international mobilisation by developing and implementing People policies and practices that meet regulatory and legislative obligations globally
• Risk and employee matters: Provide sound judgement on sensitive and complex people matters, working with People Advisory, Employee Relations and other specialist teams to ensure fair, consistent and commercially appropriate outcomes
• Group collaboration: Work collaboratively across the People function, contributing Engine’s perspective to Group-wide people priorities and ensuring that Group frameworks are applied effectively and pragmatically within the business

Benefits

• Time off: 25 days holiday, plus your birthday as an extra freebie. You can also opt out of bank holidays and take them when works for you!
• Health insurance: Private health insurance with Vitality Health, one of the UK's leading private medical insurers
• Pension scheme
• Paid volunteering leave: We encourage all our employees to give back. You can take up to 16 hours paid leave a year, specifically to help causes meaningful to you
• Gym & cycle to work schemes: We offer discounted gym memberships and cycle to work schemes through salary sacrifice
• Perkbox: For a wide range of retail, entertainment and leisure discounts (as well as cash back) at a huge variety of businesses