Head of People/HR – 16mo maternity cover

Job Description

About the role

We’relooking for somebody to lead our People Ops department for a 16-month maternity cover contract, starting in October 2026.In this role,you’lllead a team of five to develop and deliver thePeople strategy for our fast-growing, scaling company.

Headquartered in Edinburgh, we have a team of 170+across the UK and US.You’llplay a criticalrolesitting on the Senior Leadership Team (SLT)andproviding strategic directionfor the People department.You’llensurethat we attract andretaintoptalent,andembed a culture of high performance. Wewantpeopleto consider their time atDayshapethe best part of their career and this role will be instrumental in shaping this.

Whatyou’lldo

You’llbe overall responsible for these areas, able to deliver both directly and through the People team:

StrategicLeadership

• Work as part of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to develop, communicate, and deliver onoverallcompany strategy

• Develop and driveourPeople strategy

• Provide thought leadership, counsel, and support to the SLT, People team, and wider community of people leaders atDayshape

Talent Acquisition & Management

• Develop and execute innovative strategies to attract and hire top talent for our growing team

• Build andmaintaina strong employer brand to attract andretaintop talent in a highly competitive market

• Provide effective onboarding, training, and development programs to ensure new hires feel at home quickly and existing colleagues develop their careers

EmployeeEngagement & Culture

• Cultivate a positive and inclusive company culture that aligns with our values and fosters employee growth and happiness

• Work with our People team to build upon our Investors in People (IIP) accreditation andimprove our employee value proposition

• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts across the organisation, supporting the DEI Board in their work

Performance Management & Reward

• Build on our existing performance management processes to ensure clear expectations, regular feedback, and effective performance reviews.

• Support managers and leaders in addressing performance issues, driving a high-performance culture

• Conduct regular market analysis to ensure our offeringsremainequitable

• Review our benefits offeringsas part of overallremunerationand compensation strategy

Compliance, Policies, and Employee Relations

• Ensure all People policies and procedures align with legal and regulatory requirements, regularly reviewing and updating these to reflect best practices and a progressive approach

• Handle employee visas and visa sponsorships,maintainingcompliance with immigration laws and regulations

• Manage employee relations to ensure a positive and collaborative work environment

• Address and resolve employee issues effectively and in line with our policies and best practices, providing mediation and support to employees and managers

Operational Excellence

• Manage People operations, including contract administration for employees and contractors, ensuring employee records are up to date, andproviding employee payroll information to the Finance team

• Provide regular update reports to the SLTand Boardto help with forward planning and decision making

• Manage supplier relationships and budgets, maximising the value they provide

• Manage multiple projects and ensurethe People team is being utilised effectively to deliver the most impact

About you

To succeed in this role, you will be passionate about company culture, attracting and developing talent, driving exceptional performance, and will thrive in a fast-paced environment. You will bebothstrategicallymindedand hands-on,able translate strategy into action and bring others on the journey with you to deliver excellence.

• Demonstrable experiencein an HR/People leadership role,driving and delivering on People initiatives

• Experience managing HR/People Ops in a scaling software company

• Previousexperience directly managing HR or People functions for global/overseas entities (ideallytheUS), including recruitment

• Experience developing and implementing successful talent acquisition and retention strategies

• Demonstrable experience of providing visible, inclusive, and collaborative leadership in the People and culture space

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills; able to connect with people individually and tocommunicate effectivelycompany-widewith authenticity

• Highly adaptable; ableto thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, and able to figure out a path through new challenges and opportunities

• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities

• A pragmatic approach, balancing the priorities of the organisation with the demands of our team

• Ableto handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion

• Strong knowledge of HR best practices and compliance regulations

Bonus points if you have

• HR degree, CIPD, or similar relevant qualification

Whatyou’llget

• Salary c. £65,000 – £70,000(FTE, pro rata for 20-30 hours per week)

• At least £1,000 per year to spend on professional and personal development

• 33 days’ holiday per year (including bank holidays), increasing by 1 day each year to a maximum of 40 days(FTE)

• Private healthcare

• Income protection and death in service cover

• Matched 5% auto-enrolment workplace pension scheme

• Access to wellbeing offerings, such as our Employee Assistance Programme and a dedicated counselling service

• Volunteering time – up to 20 hours a yeartoparticipatein volunteer work

• RegularAll Hands meeting for inspiration and over-communication

• Time out of the working week for team socials each month, with a mix of in-person and virtual options: past events include hiking, family BBQs, boardgamesand at-home cocktail classes!

• Genuinely nice, smart people to work with, who are excited about growing our company

Working Details

This is apart-time role (22.5-30 hours per week), falling within our usual office hours of09:00 – 17:30 from Monday to Friday.

We’reideally looking for someone in/around Edinburgh,thoughwe’reopen to the possibility of this being a remote role (as long asyou’rein the UK).We’remaking the most of hybrid working, so youwon’tneed to come into the office everyday (unless you want to!).

AboutDayshape

We’reDayshape-an award-winning software scale-up with big ambitions and the momentum to match. Trusted by Big Four and many other top professional services firmsglobally, our AI-powered resource management platform is helping organisations to achieve extraordinary results.

AtDayshape, our purpose is to improve people’s working lives, and our culture is an importantdriving force in helping us to do just that. We’rea friendly, inclusive, and ambitious team-driven by our values and a shared commitment to success. Ifyou’reready to join a fast-growing, high-impact companythat’sreimagining resource management, thenlet’stalk.

Join the team!

Equality of opportunity is more than just a responsibility: we believeit’sa huge advantage to welcome a variety of experiences and perspectives into the team. Diversity is a great asset and, as such, we strongly encourage applications from any background, including those returning to work after a career break.

This is your opportunity to really influence how we get things done, and howto shapeDayshape’sculture and success through our next stage of growth.We’redoing well, butthere’sslots more to doin order tomaintainthe high bar and pace thatwe’veset.

Everyone here is growing personally as the company grows, so if that sounds like somethingyou’dlike to be part of,we’dlove to see your application.

Please note the successful candidate for this role will be subject to background checks and will have an opportunity to declare anything to us beforehand.