Director of People and Culture

Help Shape the Future of Catch22

At Catch22, we believe everyone deserves a good place to live, good people around them and a fulfilling purpose. These principles guide everything we do, helping thousands of people every year to build resilience, aspiration and brighter futures.

As we continue our journey towards Mission 2030, we are looking for an exceptional Director of People & Culture to join our senior leadership team and help shape the future of our organisation.

This is an opportunity to lead one of the most important agendas at Catch22: creating an environment where our people can thrive, perform at their best and make a lasting difference to the communities we serve.

As a member of the Mission Delivery Group (MDG), you will play a critical role in translating organisational ambition into sustainable delivery. You will champion a people-centred culture, strengthen leadership capability, drive organisational performance and ensure that every colleague, volunteer and leader feels connected to our purpose and equipped to succeed.

This is a role for someone who believes that culture is not something written on a wall. It is something lived every day through leadership, relationships and shared accountability.

About the Role

As Director of People & Culture, you will have overall responsibility for the organisation's people, culture and wellbeing agenda.

Working closely with executive colleagues, trustees and leaders across the business, you will develop and deliver a forward-thinking People and Culture strategy that supports organisational growth, operational excellence and positive social impact.

You will provide strategic leadership across:

• People operations and workforce planning
• Employee relations and organisational change
• Leadership development and talent management
• Wellbeing, engagement and inclusion
• Organisational development and culture
• Governance, risk and assurance across the people portfolio
• Strategic workforce insight and evidence-based decision making

You will oversee the entire colleague experience, from attraction and onboarding through to development, engagement, progression and recognition. You will ensure colleagues experience a consistent, inclusive and high-quality journey, while building the systems, frameworks and culture needed to make Catch22 a truly great place to work.

Alongside your direct leadership responsibilities, you will contribute as a senior organisational leader, supporting delivery across Mission 2030 and working collaboratively within a matrix model to strengthen organisational performance and delivery assurance.

What You'll Bring

We are looking for an inspirational and commercially minded leader who combines strategic thinking with a deep commitment to people and culture.

You will bring experience of leading a People or HR function within a complex organisation and will have a proven track record of building high-performing cultures, leading significant organisational change and delivering excellent people services at scale.

Most importantly, you will understand that great organisations are built through great leadership, strong relationships and a relentless focus on enabling people to succeed.

You will bring:

• Significant senior leadership experience within a People, HR or Culture function
• Strong knowledge of employment law, organisational development and change management
• Experience of leading people strategies that improve organisational performance and colleague experience
• A proven track record of influencing executive leaders, boards and key stakeholders
• Expertise in employee relations, trade union engagement, organisational change and TUPE
• Strong commercial and financial acumen
• Experience operating within complex, multi-site environments
• A passion for developing leaders, building capability and creating inclusive cultures
• Chartered CIPD qualification or equivalent senior-level experience

Why Join Catch22?

At Catch22, you will be part of an organisation that exists to create positive social change.

You will join a passionate, values-led leadership community committed to improving lives and strengthening communities across the UK. You'll have the opportunity to shape organisational culture, influence strategic direction and lead work that genuinely matters.

You'll be supported by talented colleagues, trusted with meaningful responsibility and given the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy through the people, culture and leadership of the organisation.

Together, we will build a workplace where people feel valued, included, empowered and inspired to do their best work.

Our Values

Our values are at the heart of everything we do:

Compassion - We care deeply about people and the difference we can make.

Collaboration - We achieve more when we work together.

Curiosity - We continually learn, improve and seek better ways of working.

Empowerment - We trust people, create opportunity and enable success.

If these values resonate with you and you are excited by the opportunity to shape the future of a purpose-driven organisation, we would love to hear from you.

Join us and help create a stronger society where everyone has good people around them, a purpose and a place to call home

Click here to view the Job Pack

Experience within the charity/third sector is not required; applicants who can demonstrate transferable skills from other industries are welcomed. We are particularly interested in the following:

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Chartered CIPD qualified (or equivalent experience) with up-to-date professional knowledge, including employment law.

• Strong financial and commercial understanding, including assessment of value, risk and long-term sustainability

• Strong understanding of people best practice, organisational development and change management.

• Clear knowledge of safeguarding and safer recruitment requirements, with experience operating in a regulated or high-risk environment.

• Exemplary influencing skills at all levels of an organisation, with the ability to maintain and extend stakeholder and customer relationships and to analyse and provide advice on complex issues

• Able to communicate clearly, logically and effectively both orally and in writing.

• Ability to lead change collaboratively and deliver impact

EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

• Senior leadership experience leading a People/HR function in a complex organisation.

• Proven track record of delivering high-quality people services at scale and across multiple locations.

• Successful experience of leading, motivating and developing people at all levels

• Substantial employee relations experience, including trade unions, TUPE, employment tribunals and complex casework

• Strategic thinking around marketplaces, audiences, organisations and stakeholders to effectively engage with

• Demonstrable experience of setting organisational direction, navigating ambiguity and advancing organisational culture and performance.

• Commercial awareness alongside a commitment to continuous learning and developing others

Salary & Benefits

• up to £84,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience
• 33 days annual leave (plus 8 public holidays)
• Approved workplace pension scheme with a matching employer contribution of 4%
• 3 x salary life insurance
• Employee Assistance Programme & GP helpline

Location

You will be based in our London office at Pear Tree Street or in Brasted, Kent. The role will also involve regular travel across our services and office locations.

Working Pattern

This is a full-time (37 hours per week) role, all flexible working arrangements will be considered.

Application

We will stop accepting applications at 5pm on Monday 26 October 2026, so please ensure that you have reviewed all information and completed your application by this time. Please note that, if we receive an overwhelming number of applications, we reserve the right to bring the application deadline forward. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as early as possible to avoid missing out.

This role requires a DBS check.

See the benefits of working for Catch22 here.

Unless otherwise stated, interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised.

We aim to review applications as quickly as possible. However, due to the volume of interest we receive, we may not be able to contact all applicants individually. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful this time.

At Catch22 we value equality, diversity and inclusion. We are wholeheartedly committed to the principle of equality of opportunity, both as an employer and as a provider of services. Diversity and Inclusion is part of what we do every day, working to deliver our vision to build a strong society where everyone has good people around them, a purpose, and a good place to live.

Catch22 is committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices; ensuring that every individual within the organisation has been safely and appropriately checked.

Please note, we will conduct an online search as part of our due dilligence checks for successful candidate(s). This will involve a search of all publicly available information online and in social media.

Catch22’s Commitment to Ban the Box

Catch22 is proud to have “Banned the Box”. This means that we do not ask for candidates to disclose criminal convictions at the application stage. Instead, we invite disclosures at interview stage, and encourage them at the offer stage. Please see our statement of commitment on hiring people with convictions for more information.