Job Description
Interim Associate Director, People, International
The Associate Director, People will play a critical leadership role in shaping and driving the people agenda during a period of significant growth and transformation. The successful candidate will bring a strong HR generalist background and proven experience operating within fast-paced, high-growth, and high-change environments.
This role requires a strategic thinker who is equally comfortable being operationally hands-on, supporting leaders and employees through growth, organisational change, and evolving business needs while embedding a positive and engaging working environment.
Key Responsibilities
HR Strategy & Leadership
- Deliver a scalable people strategy aligned to business growth objectives.
- Partner closely with senior leadership to support organisational design, workforce planning, and change management initiatives.
- Act as a trusted advisor to managers and leadership teams on all people-related matters.
- Lead and support the business through periods of rapid growth, transformation, and continuous change.
Culture & Working Environment
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performance culture across the organisation.
- Champion employee engagement, wellbeing, and a positive working environment where individuals feel supported and empowered.
- Drive initiatives that enhance employee experience, communication, and team connectivity.
- Promote company values and behaviours that support innovation, accountability, and teamwork.
Talent Acquisition & Development
- Lead recruitment strategy to attract and retain high-performing talent.
- Strengthen employer branding within the beauty, retail, and consumer sectors.
- Oversee onboarding, performance management, succession planning, and talent development initiatives.
- Build leadership capability through coaching and development programmes.
Employee Relations & HR Operations
- Manage all employee relations matters with professionalism and fairness.
- Ensure HR policies, procedures, and practices remain compliant with UK employment legislation.
- Develop and improve HR processes, systems, and infrastructure to support business scalability.
- Support managers with performance, absence management, disciplinary, and grievance matters.
Change Management & Organisational Growth
- Lead HR support through periods of organisational change and business transformation.
- Help embed structure, clarity, and effective communication during change initiatives.
- Build resilience and adaptability across teams within a fast-moving environment.
Reward, Data & Compliance
- Support compensation and benefits reviews to ensure market competitiveness.
- Use HR data and insights to drive informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
- Monitor employee engagement, retention, turnover, and recruitment metrics.
Essential
- Proven experience in a senior HR leadership role within a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
- Strong HR generalist background across the full employee lifecycle.
- Demonstrable experience managing within high-change and evolving business environments.
- Strong understanding of UK employment law and HR best practice.
- Commercial mindset with the ability to align people strategy to business objectives.
- Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational delivery.
- Experience building and improving HR frameworks, processes, and culture.
Preferred
- Experience within beauty, fashion, retail, e-commerce, or consumer sectors.
- CIPD qualification preferred.
- Experience supporting multi-site or international teams advantageous.
- Positive, approachable, and highly collaborative.
- Resilient and adaptable within changing environments.
- Strong emotional intelligence and relationship-building capability.
- Hands-on, proactive, and solutions-focused.
- Passionate about creating a supportive and engaging employee environment.
- Comfortable operating within ambiguity and rapid growth.
What We Offer
- Opportunity to shape and lead the people agenda within a high-growth beauty business.
- A supportive, collaborative, and entrepreneurial culture.
- Career progression and high visibility within the leadership team.
- Competitive salary and benefits package.
- Flexible/hybrid working environment.
Top of Form
Interim Associate Director, People, International
The Associate Director, People will play a critical leadership role in shaping and driving the people agenda during a period of significant growth and transformation. The successful candidate will bring a strong HR generalist background and proven experience operating within fast-paced, high-growth, and high-change environments.
This role requires a strategic thinker who is equally comfortable being operationally hands-on, supporting leaders and employees through growth, organisational change, and evolving business needs while embedding a positive and engaging working environment.
Key Responsibilities
HR Strategy & Leadership
- Deliver a scalable people strategy aligned to business growth objectives.
- Partner closely with senior leadership to support organisational design, workforce planning, and change management initiatives.
- Act as a trusted advisor to managers and leadership teams on all people-related matters.
- Lead and support the business through periods of rapid growth, transformation, and continuous change.
Culture & Working Environment
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performance culture across the organisation.
- Champion employee engagement, wellbeing, and a positive working environment where individuals feel supported and empowered.
- Drive initiatives that enhance employee experience, communication, and team connectivity.
- Promote company values and behaviours that support innovation, accountability, and teamwork.
Talent Acquisition & Development
- Lead recruitment strategy to attract and retain high-performing talent.
- Strengthen employer branding within the beauty, retail, and consumer sectors.
- Oversee onboarding, performance management, succession planning, and talent development initiatives.
- Build leadership capability through coaching and development programmes.
Employee Relations & HR Operations
- Manage all employee relations matters with professionalism and fairness.
- Ensure HR policies, procedures, and practices remain compliant with UK employment legislation.
- Develop and improve HR processes, systems, and infrastructure to support business scalability.
- Support managers with performance, absence management, disciplinary, and grievance matters.
Change Management & Organisational Growth
- Lead HR support through periods of organisational change and business transformation.
- Help embed structure, clarity, and effective communication during change initiatives.
- Build resilience and adaptability across teams within a fast-moving environment.
Reward, Data & Compliance
- Support compensation and benefits reviews to ensure market competitiveness.
- Use HR data and insights to drive informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
- Monitor employee engagement, retention, turnover, and recruitment metrics.
Essential
- Proven experience in a senior HR leadership role within a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
- Strong HR generalist background across the full employee lifecycle.
- Demonstrable experience managing within high-change and evolving business environments.
- Strong understanding of UK employment law and HR best practice.
- Commercial mindset with the ability to align people strategy to business objectives.
- Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational delivery.
- Experience building and improving HR frameworks, processes, and culture.
Preferred
- Experience within beauty, fashion, retail, e-commerce, or consumer sectors.
- CIPD qualification preferred.
- Experience supporting multi-site or international teams advantageous.
- Positive, approachable, and highly collaborative.
- Resilient and adaptable within changing environments.
- Strong emotional intelligence and relationship-building capability.
- Hands-on, proactive, and solutions-focused.
- Passionate about creating a supportive and engaging employee environment.
- Comfortable operating within ambiguity and rapid growth.
What We Offer
- Opportunity to shape and lead the people agenda within a high-growth beauty business.
- A supportive, collaborative, and entrepreneurial culture.
- Career progression and high visibility within the leadership team.
- Competitive salary and benefits package.
- Flexible/hybrid working environment.
Top of Form
