Director of people and culture

Location: Contracted to our Peterborough office with the flexibility for hybrid working

Salary: £70,000 – £80,000 depending on experience

Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Benefits: We want all our employees to feel valued and engaged and are committed to offering a positive working culture along with a good work-life balance. As well as ensuring we pay our employees fairly, we offer the following benefits: Flexible working, Generous annual leave, Private Medical Insurance, including dental and optical, Pension Scheme, Sick Pay, Death in Service, Employee Assistance Programme, Bike Loan Scheme, Cycle2Work Scheme, Eyecare, Discount Portal.

Be a part of an energetic and vibrant team who are driven by the desire to improve the lives of people living with kidney disease. Our vision is the day when everyone lives free from kidney disease.

Kidney disease affects one in ten people in the UK, yet it still doesn't get the attention it deserves. At Kidney Research UK we are determined to change that, and that means building the leadership, capability and culture that enable our people to do their best work.

We're looking for a director of people and culture who can connect strategic ambition with practical delivery, creating an environment where colleagues feel supported, take ownership and work together to make a greater difference for people affected by kidney disease.

The Role

• Lead an integrated People and Culture function spanning people strategy, leadership development, talent, employee experience, internal communications and HR services, reporting to our chief operating officer

• Shape and deliver a people strategy that connects workforce planning, organisational design, development and succession

• Build an inclusive, values-led culture grounded in trust, collaboration and psychological safety, bringing our values of Ambition, Bravery, Passion and Unity to life

• Lead our equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, turning commitments into practical action and measurable outcomes

• Develop fair and sustainable approaches to reward, recognition, wellbeing, performance management and employee voice

• Maintain strong HR operations, employment practice and people-risk management, using data and insight to inform decisions

• Provide trusted advice and constructive challenge to the Executive team, Board and relevant committees

• Lead, develop and inspire the People and Culture team

What We're Looking For

• Significant senior leadership experience across people strategy, culture and HR

• A track record of strengthening leadership and management capability and supporting organisational change

• Ability to translate strategic priorities into affordable, practical people plans

• Strong grounding in employment practice, employee relations, recruitment, reward, performance management, inclusion and wellbeing

• Confident use of people data and employee insight to shape decisions and demonstrate progress

• An approachable and inclusive leader who builds trust, listens carefully and challenges with confidence and care

• CIPD qualification or equivalent professional expertise and substantial relevant experience

• Experience within a charity, health, research, public-sector or similarly complex stakeholder environment is desirable

About Kidney Research UK:

Kidney Research UK is the leading charity in the UK focused on funding research into the prevention, treatment and management of kidney disease. Our vision is the day when everyone lives free from kidney disease and for more than 60 years the research we fund has been making an impact. But kidney disease is increasing as are the factors contributing to it, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity, making our work more essential than ever.

At Kidney Research UK we work with clinicians and scientists across the UK, funding and facilitating research into all areas of kidney disease. We collaborate with partners across the public, private and third sectors to prevent kidney disease and drive innovation to transform treatments.

Over the last ten years we have invested more than £71 million into research. We lobby governments and decision makers to change policy and practice to ensure that the estimated 7.2 million people living with all stages of kidney disease in the UK have access to the most effective care and treatment, and to make kidney disease a priority.

Most importantly, we also work closely with patients, ensuring their voice is heard and is at the centre of everything we do, from deciding which research to invest in to how we plan our priorities and our work across the charity.

Those patient contributions are vital, always helping us and our partners to understand what life is like with kidney disease, always ensuring we see the patient behind the treatment and always reminding us that behind every statistic and every number is a person – the patients and the carers who inspire our mission and push us forward to make a difference and change the future of kidney disease.

How to Apply

Please complete the online application form and submit together with your CV. Closing date: Monday 30 November 2026 at 12 noon. We may extend the closing date, but please apply as soon as possible.

Telephone interviews will be held week commencing 30 November 2026. Interviews will be held in person in our Peterborough office week commencing 7 December 2026.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone and encourage applications from all sections of the community. Please note we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role, so applicants must already have the right to work in the UK.

No agencies please.

You may have experience in the following: Director of People and Culture, People and Culture Director, HR Director, Director of HR, Head of People, Head of HR, People Director, Chief People Officer, Organisational Development, Employee Relations, Leadership Development, Culture Change, Charity, Charities, Third Sector, Not for Profit, NFP, etc.