Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer
Contract: Permanent
Location: Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire and Euston, London
Salary: £155,000 – £174,000 (+ 15% PRP, capped at £25,000)
Hybrid working: Two days a week at the Wellcome Genome Campus, two days in Euston, and one day remote.
Main Purpose of the Position
This is a rare opportunity to shape a new national organisation from inception and design the People Function from the ground up. The Chief People Officer (CPO) is responsible for leading HDRS’s people strategy and building a high-performing, inclusive, and engaged workforce. The CPO will establish strong people foundations for the organisation, overseeing recruitment and resourcing, talent development, organisational design, total rewards, employee relations, and culture. The CPO will be instrumental in attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional talent across all disciplines and organisational levels to deliver HDRS’s ambitious mission.
Key Responsibilities
People Strategy & Culture
- Develop and implement a comprehensive people strategy aligned with HDRS’s business objectives and vision.
- Lead the establishment of HDRS’s organisational culture and values, ensuring an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing environment.
- Champion, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) across all levels of the organisation, ensuring representation and belonging for all colleagues.
- Build strong relationships with the Executive Team and Board, ensuring people strategies support overall business delivery.
Recruitment & Resourcing
- Oversee workforce planning and resourcing to support phased launch and scaling of HDRS services through 2027 and beyond.
- Establish an employee value proposition that attract the talent HDRS needs to deliver on its ambitions.
- Lead comprehensive recruitment and resourcing strategy to build HDRS’s team from the ground up.
- Ensure recruitment processes are fair, inclusive, and comply with relevant employment legislation.
Organisational Design & Talent Development
- Partnering across the C-Suite, design organisational structures and role frameworks to support efficient, agile delivery.
- Lead learning and development strategy including leadership development, technical skills training, and continuous professional development.
- Support career pathways and internal mobility to retain talent and develop future leaders.
Total Rewards & Employee Relations
- Develop and maintain competitive total reward strategies (salary, benefits, and wider employee value proposition) that support recruitment and retention objectives.
- Establish fair and transparent pay governance and policies, ensuring compliance with public sector pay principles and regulatory requirements.
- Establish HDRS first UK government annual pay remit and comply with annual requirements.
- Lead employee relations, addressing grievances, conflicts, and disciplinary matters with fairness and integrity.
- Support employee wellbeing and mental health initiatives, including flexible working arrangements and supportive policies.
People Operations & Systems
- Oversee a robust people operations function, including HR systems, processes, and governance (payroll, performance management, absence management).
- Lead people analytics and reporting to support data-driven people decisions and demonstrate the impact of people initiatives.
- Ensure compliance with employment law, GDPR, and other relevant regulations.