People Director

We are looking for a People Director to join Team OB in our Support Office.

This isn't your typical HR gig. As People Director, you'll be the driving force behind our people strategy – you'll need to be ready to roll up your sleeves, influence decision-making and work directly with our founders and wider leadership team to shape how we do things at OB.

You'll lead a brilliant people team covering everything from recruitment and employee relations to learning & development, EDI, and reward & payroll. But don't expect to hide behind policies and procedures – this role demands someone who can provide hands-on support and be the go-to trusted advisor for our Directors and Heads of Departments.

Reporting into the COO and being part of the Leadership team, you'll help steer the company's future direction while nurturing the culture that makes us who we are. This is a proper generalist role where you'll own the entire employee journey and lead company-wide initiatives that actually make a difference.

Our Support Office is based in Tolworth, near Chessington, only a 30-minute journey from London Waterloo. We offer hybrid working with a split of 3 days in the office and 2 days home working per week, and are open to having conversations about working flexibly.

A bit about us …

At Oliver Bonas (OB), our values of Work Hard, Play Hard & Be Kind are integral to everything we do. Collaboration, imagination, curiosity, and teamwork are key to our success, and everyone has their part to play in making OB a special place to work.

Having fun is key, and a playful and positive approach creates an optimistic environment. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we are serious about what we do.

Our team knows their stuff. They’re confident and creative and unafraid to challenge convention to find solutions, taking accountability for their actions, but always with kindness and humility.

More about the role …

An OB People Director will:

• Work with the leadership team to contribute to the overall business plan
• Develop and implement a People strategy covering all elements of the employee journey and supports the company’s growth plans and puts the values right at the heart
• Lead on workforce planning, organizational design and culture initiatives
• Provide direction to the senior people team to ensure they clear on their priorities to achieve the broader People strategy and plan to achieve it
• Champion diversity, equity and inclusion across all people practices
• Work with the HODs offering advice and support for them and their teams
• Act at a trusted advisor to the COO and Founder/MD to support them on the development of their team members and support with key people decisions
• Lead and advise on the resolution of complex disciplinary, grievance and HR- related issues, preparing for and representing the company in the event of an Employment Tribunal
• Work with the Head of People to ensure all people related policies and processes are compliant with current legislation
• Work with the Head of L&D to create performance management frameworks that drive results and engagement and provide career progression
• Oversee salary benchmarking, pay equity reviews, bonus schemes and ensure our benefits are competitive
• Annually review all supplier relationships and contracts including recruitment agencies, employment lawyers and system providers
• Oversee the HR System and support with any system changes
• Set People KPIs and work with the wider people team to ensure these are delivered on within agreed budgets
• Work closely with the COO, Financial Director and Talent & Acquisition Lead on key resourcing decisions
• Work closely with the Senior Payroll & Rewards Manager to ensure we are protecting the company against salary overspend and payroll errors and that our benefits are competitive
• Develop and realistic and achievable HR budget and manage this on an ongoing basis
• Identify process and resource efficiencies across the business to achieve greater effectiveness
• Lead, manage and develop the People team
• Coach and develop through feedback, progress chats, and appraisals to ensure all team members have clear and stretching development goals and are delivering their best work
• Build a strong team and motivate them to collaborate and support each other to achieve success
• Share all relevant company meeting information including the overall strategy with the team to ensure they understand their own contribution to this
• Build strong relationships across all departments and stores to ensure the most effective People support is provided by the people team
• Challenge any decisions that impact the welfare of all employees

Bonas Benefits:

• Generous employee discount up to 50% off all OB products
• Free access to our 24 hour employee assistance programme with Care First – offering financial, emotional and vocational support
• Flexible holiday – 33 days (including bank holidays) – increasing to 35 days with length of service
• Annual discretionary profit related bonus scheme
• Free membership for our Westfield Health Cash Plan or Private Medical
• Auto-enrolment into our pension plan
• Free access to our onsite gym
• Quarterly free lunch
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity Voice network and EDI team
• Mental Health First Aider support
• Education and support through 360L eLearning platform

What we look for:

• Proven track record as a People/HR Director within a medium or large sized multi-site organisation
• Authentic leader who can build trust and credibility quickly
• Skilled in leading and developing a team
• Comprehensive knowledge of employment law and compliance requirements
• Strategic thinking with ability to execute operational plans
• Strong commercial, strategic and operation skills
• Excellent communication skills at all levels
• Conflict resolution and problem-solving expertise
• Experience with HRIS systems and people analytics
• Membership of the CIPD (Chartered) – preferable

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at OB

At Oliver Bonas, our promise is to do our bit to make living a joyful experience and give cause for optimism. This promise is central to our work in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). To bring joy to others, we must first ensure everyone at OB feels valued, included and most importantly, can be themselves at work.

It is important to us that our brand reflects wider society and the communities in which we operate. As a result, we welcome all eligible applicants for this role however we are particularly interested in speaking to eligible candidates from the Black, Asian & Mixed Heritage communities.

Oliver Bonas is a Disability Confident Committed employer under the Disability Confident employer scheme.

To read more about our ED&I commitments, head over to the EDI page on our website: