1. Job Title: People Director 
2. Level & Responsibility: This is a Director level role directly managing five Practice Leads across core areas People Experience, People Operations, Talent Acquisition, Talent Resource, and learning and development. You will support their development and ensure the high-standard service of the People team.
3. Location & Hybrid Working: London and 2 - 3 days in the office each week.
   

The role

As People Director (FTC), you will lead a world-class people function that not only supports the business's strategic aims but champions and develops a world-class Employee Experience by crafting and delivering compelling candidate and employee experiences.

You will be responsible for owning and leading the business people strategy/budget, ensuring goals are achieved across the group, maintaining high levels of engagement and performance, and aligning with SMG’s wider strategic objectives.

Why SMG?

We are dedicated to supporting our employees to be the best version of themselves both inside and outside of work. We have an extraordinary culture built by exceptional people and it’s because of this that we’ve been recognised by Best Companies within the top 5 best Marketing & Media agencies to work for, with a World Class and Outstanding accreditation across the past 2 years. 

We are also dedicated to continuously reviewing and improving our benefits package to offer the best that we can for our people. We have a whole page dedicated to our benefits here, but here's some of our favourites...

💰 Generous discretionary bonus scheme

🧘‍♂️ £1,800 yearly wellbeing fund (on top of your salary!) towards your personal wellbeing and passions

🫶 4 additional Wellbeing Days - one to be taken each quarter, dedicated to focusing on your wellbeing

📚 £500 yearly “Uni Fund” towards learning and development

🎧 Free headspace subscription

🕐 4pm Friday finishes all year round

🥳 Two fully paid conferences a year at Summer & Winter, as well as a dedicated team that put on activities and celebrations throughout the year

Why you?

In line with our company values, within your role you'll want to stay honest, stay hungry, stay foolish, and most importantly, have fun! More specifically, you'll have / be:

- Experience in developing & implementing HR strategies that support businesses long term goals.

- Significant experience in similar role / environment (private sector, media/marketing/agency/professional services)

- Expertise in recruitment, performance management, L&D & succession planning.

- You will thrive under pressure and adapt to rapidly changing environments.

- You’ll have clear and effective communication skills with ability to influence.

- Knowledge of the UK and (developing) US employment law landscape including compliance and regulatory requirements

- Ability to understand the needs of employees and foster an inclusive and supportive environment.

-  Experience in building organisational capability and driving high performance across the group & your team.

- You’ll set and drive high standards & performance.

- You’ll build strong trusted relationships across all levels of the organisation.

- You’ll maintain confidentiality, upholding company values, and making fair decisions.

- You will handle sensitive issues with tact and professionalism.

P.s. we try really hard to make sure that we list only essential criteria here, BUT if you think you can do an amazing job, yet don't have every single thing on this list, we'd still love to hear from you.

What you'll be doing

We pride ourselves on creating challenging and exciting opportunities, meaning that no two days are the same. However, here's an idea of what your responsibilities will look like:

Strategic Leadership: Own the UK people team's budget and strategy, ensuring alignment with wider business goals.

Team Management: Lead and develop the people & culture team, setting clear objectives and fostering collaboration.

Workforce Planning: Oversee workforce planning and organizational design to ensure optimal structure and performance.

Talent Acquisition: Champion a world-class candidate experience and drive talent acquisition strategies.

Learning & Development: Lead the L&D agenda, setting priorities and curating a comprehensive learning offer.

DEIB: Work with resource groups to set the DEIB agenda and drive initiatives to increase diversity and inclusion.

Employee Relations: Provide internal counsel and support to the Executive Committee, overseeing TUPE activity and employee relations.

More information and resources to support you & your application...

• To find out more about our agencies and departments, click here.
• To find out more about our application & interview process and supporting you through this, click here.
• To find out more about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at SMG, click here.
• To take a look at our FAQ's, click here.

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