Job Title: People and Culture Director
Directorate: Executive
Department: People
Reporting Line: Chief Executive
Direct Reports: Senior People Manager, Senior Reward Manager
Grade: 3
Grade Name: Director
Hours: 35 hours per week, Full Time
FTE: 1.0 (0.8FTE min)
Location: 5.7 The Loom, 14 Gower’s Walk, London, E1 8PY (Hybrid Working)
Review Date: September 2025
Salary: £85,000
Role Purpose
This is a senior leadership role at the Fairtrade Foundation, reporting to the Chief Executive and serving as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). The People and Culture Director will lead our work to strengthen and transform our organisational culture, ensuring it is values-led, inclusive, collaborative and fit for the challenges ahead.
As Fairtrade Foundation embarks on an ambitious period of strategic change to help build a future fit, fairer trading system, this role will drive, champion and deliver a people and culture agenda that celebrates progressive organisational principles, instils further trust and autonomy in our practice, nurtures high performance, builds employee engagement and ensures organisational effectiveness to deliver our mission. The post holder will work closely with the CEO, CFO, Leadership Team and Board to embed our values and drive meaningful culture change that aligns with our mission to make trade fairer for farmers and workers globally in our complicated, volatile world.
Leading a small, talented and forward-thinking People team, the Director will act as both strategist and hands-on practitioner – a ‘strategic doer’ who can shape vision while delivering practical solutions at pace and to a high standard. They will apply commercial insight to align people strategy with business performance, ensuring People initiatives contribute to organisational growth and sustainability. They will develop and implement a People and Culture strategy that attracts and retains talent, builds capable and inclusive leaders, fosters equity and wellbeing, and supports staff to grow and thrive.
The role demands strong partnering skills to influence and support leaders and managers across the organisation, fostering accountability for culture change and excellent people management and growth. It also requires the ability to design and deliver effective people processes and policies, that improve accessibility and minimise bureaucracy.
The successful candidate will also play a key role in shaping how the organisation harnesses digital and AI-driven tools to enhance employee experience, learning, organisational insight and the quality of our work. They will make essential contributions which support Fairtrade’s commitment to fostering an intentional and inclusive culture that reflects who we want to be as an employer, ensuring our learning and development, hybrid, flexible work practices, office presence and organisational approaches are aligned with our values.
The People and Culture Director will also collaborate actively with global Fairtrade system partners to align on shared people priorities and support system-wide initiatives that strengthen Fairtrade’s people practices and culture to further advance the delivery of our mission.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Organisational Development
Play an active role in the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to strategic planning and organisational direction. Develop and lead a future-focused People Strategy that defines and nurtures Fairtrade’s desired identity as an employer – within and beyond the UK – that is aligned with organisational objectives and maximises our ability to achieve sustained impact.
Working with the Chief Executive to lead the strengthening of leadership capability and embedding a performance-focused, tech-forward and future resilient environment.
Leading the planning and delivery of a high performing people function, supporting the FTF to deliver on strategic priorities and the organisational mission.
Review and regularly update Fairtrade’s operating model in terms of its people and HR systems with the CFO to facilitate decision-making, ensure clear accountability and improve operational efficiency within the charity.
Act as a key strategic advisor to the CEO and SLT on matters related to People, SLT performance and the operational efficiency of the management team.
Lead succession planning and talent development strategies.
With the Chief Executive lead and maintain effective Board relationships, providing reports and advice, and supporting the Nominations Committee (NomCo) and the People, Safeguarding and Remuneration Committee (PSRCo).
Staff Engagement and Employer of Choice
Champion a positive, inclusive, and impact-driven organisational culture that fosters high levels of staff engagement and wellbeing, positioning the organisation as an employer of choice and enhancing its ability to attract, retain, and empower diverse talent worldwide.
Lead initiatives to ensure Fairtrade Foundation is recognised as an employer of choice, delivering a compelling, values-led employee experience that attracts, retains and develops talented people.
People Operations & Change Management
Shape efficient, high quality operational HR / People delivery, leading end-to-end lifecycle management.
Drive adoption and effective use of digital and data tools including HRIS, e-learning platforms, digital onboarding and impact measurement to enhance people operations.
Drive & develop talent and succession planning strategies, with delivery of Learning and Development plans across teams aligned to organisational strategy.
Lead the development and implementation of People policies that ensure legal compliance, ethical standards and operational excellence.
Lead / Sponsor cross functional HR / People projects across key strategic areas including Reward, Change and Automation.
Lead effective relationships with union colleagues.
Working closely with the CEO and SLT colleagues, shape and drive our change management agenda and plans.
Represent the organisation externally, building partnerships and contributing to sector wide initiatives that advance people and culture practices.
Lead organisational change management, ensuring that change initiatives are people-centred, well-communicated, and embedded in ways that strengthen culture, engagement, performance and resilience.
People Team Leadership and Development
To enable and lead a highly effective and high performing team, to deliver strong customer service in a timely, fast-paced environment.
To support team members to both deliver and excel in their work, providing the trust, guidance and support so that they can succeed and grow professionally.
Safeguarding and Inclusion
Ensure the organisation meets its safeguarding responsibilities by regularly reviewing and improving policies, reporting mechanisms and training to maintain full compliance, awareness and ongoing learning across all employees.
Lead and Champion Fairtrade Foundation’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), embedding inclusive practices and behaviours throughout recruitment, performance management, learning, development, and wellbeing initiatives to make us a better, smarter organisation.
To promote a strong belief in the difference the People team can make; helping deliver sustainable organisational capability and performance.