Head of People - Boutique PE/Asset Management

Overview:
The mandate calls for someone who combines strategic judgement with practical delivery: a credible adviser to senior leaders who is equally comfortable resolving a sensitive matter, strengthening management capability or improving the foundations of the people function.

The Mandate:
Build a people function that supports the business with clarity, discretion and commercial purpose. You will connect organisational priorities with the decisions that determine performance: whom the business appoints, how it develops its people, what it expects of its leaders and how it retains critical capability.

Responsibilities:

• Advise senior leaders on organisation design, workforce planning and succession.

• Lead recruitment, onboarding, development and retention across the business.

• Strengthen performance management and support managers in making clear, fair decisions.

• Oversee employee relations, people policies and core HR operations.

• Bring considered advice to compensation, benefits and reward decisions.

• Use people data to identify risks and inform leadership decisions.

• Shape and deliver a people strategy aligned with business priorities.

• Establish proportionate processes that support the firm as it evolves.

Required Experience:
You bring senior HR or people leadership experience within financial services, alongside a record of working directly with demanding stakeholders.

• You understand the balance a boutique requires: sound governance, responsive delivery and processes suited to the scale of the business.

• Broad ownership across the employee lifecycle.

• Strong UK employment practice and employee relations knowledge.

• Credibility advising senior leadership on sensitive people matters.

• Experience developing managers and improving organisational performance.

• The ability to move between strategic advice and hands-on execution.

• Discretion, independence of judgement and clear communication.

• CIPD qualification or equivalent professional experience would be welcomed.