Assistant Director of People and Culture

One Manchester; Manchester; On-site; GBP 77,000 - 94,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave

Flexible working

Pension 11.4% employer contribution

Medicash healthcare plan

Employee Assistance Programme

Perkbox discounts

Cycle to Work

Professional qualifications support

Job summary

One Manchester is seeking an experienced Assistant Director of People and Culture to lead the strategic and operational delivery of the People & Culture function, aligning people strategies with corporate objectives.

You will partner with the Executive Team to drive organisational development, workforce planning and talent management, champion HEART values and ensure the organisation remains an employer of choice.

Qualifications

• Degree-level education and CIPD Level 7 qualification (or equivalent experience).
• Significant senior leadership experience across HR and organisational development.
• Expertise in employee relations, talent management, workforce planning and organisational change.
• Experience of developing and leading high-performing teams.
• Strong influencing, communication and stakeholder management skills, including working with executive leaders, boards and trade unions.
• A collaborative and inclusive leadership style, with a genuine commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• The ability to translate strategy into practical, measurable outcomes that improve colleague and organisational performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of our People Strategy and Organisational Development Strategy.
• Partner with senior leaders to deliver organisational priorities and build a high-performing, inclusive culture.
• Provide expert advice on all aspects of HR, organisational development, employment law and workforce planning.
• Develop innovative approaches to talent attraction, succession planning, leadership development and colleague engagement.
• Lead organisational change programmes and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Oversee performance management, reward and recognition frameworks that support colleague and organisational success.
• Strengthen our employer brand and colleague experience from attraction through to onboarding and development.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation, regulatory requirements and professional standards.
• Use workforce insight and people data to inform strategic decision-making and improve organisational performance.
• Manage budgets, resources and risks effectively while delivering value for money.

Skills

CIPD Level 7

Senior leadership

Employee relations

Talent management

Workforce planning

Organisational change

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Equality & inclusion

Strategy translation

Education

Degree-level education

CIPD Level 7 qualification

Job description

Job title: Assistant Director of People and Culture
Contact type: Permanent
Salary: Up to £85,000 per annum, depending on experience
Working hours: 35 hours per week, full time
Location: Manchester – agile
Closing date: 21 October 2026

About us

At One Manchester, we’re building places people are proud to call home. We own and manage over 12,000 homes across central, south and east Manchester — but we’re more than just a landlord. We provide services, support and opportunities that help people and communities thrive.

Everything we do is shaped by our HEART values, our customers and our commitment to creating positive change across our city. We believe safe, affordable homes are the foundation for better lives, and we work together to deliver services that make a meaningful impact every day.

We’re continuing to evolve and improve how we work, making this an exciting time to join One Manchester. As we deliver the ambitions set out in our Corporate Plan, we’re looking for people who share our values and want to help create inclusive, connected and sustainable places where people can thrive.

We’re proud of our inclusive, customer-focused culture and the way our colleagues work together to make a difference every day. We’re looking for people who share our values, care about customers and enjoy working collaboratively to improve services and communities.

About the role

Reporting into the Executive Director of People & Governance you’ll lead the strategic and operational delivery of our People & Culture function, ensuring our people strategies, programmes and services support the delivery of our corporate objectives.

Working closely with the Executive Team and Senior Leadership Team, you will provide expert leadership across organisational development, workforce planning, talent management, employee relations, reward, engagement and culture. You will champion our HEART values, drive continuous improvement and ensure we remain an employer of choice.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead the development and delivery of our People Strategy and Organisational Development Strategy.
• Partner with senior leaders to deliver organisational priorities and build a high-performing, inclusive culture.
• Provide expert advice on all aspects of HR, organisational development, employment law and workforce planning.
• Develop innovative approaches to talent attraction, succession planning, leadership development and colleague engagement.
• Lead organisational change programmes and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Oversee performance management, reward and recognition frameworks that support colleague and organisational success.
• Strengthen our employer brand and colleague experience from attraction through to onboarding and development.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation, regulatory requirements and professional standards.
• Use workforce insight and people data to inform strategic decision-making and improve organisational performance.
• Manage budgets, resources and risks effectively while delivering value for money.

What we’re looking for

We’re after someone who has:

• Degree-level education and CIPD Level 7 qualification (or equivalent experience).
• Significant senior leadership experience across HR and organisational development.
• Expertise in employee relations, talent management, workforce planning and organisational change.
• Experience of developing and leading high-performing teams.
• Strong influencing, communication and stakeholder management skills, including working with executive leaders, boards and trade unions.
• A collaborative and inclusive leadership style, with a genuine commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• The ability to translate strategy into practical, measurable outcomes that improve colleague and organisational performance.

Why join us?

We know that great services start with great people. That’s why we’re committed to creating a workplace where colleagues feel supported, valued and able to grow. Alongside meaningful work and opportunities to develop, you’ll also benefit from:

• 27 days’ annual leave when you join us, rising to 30 days after three years’ service, plus UK bank holidays
• the option to buy or sell annual leave through our holiday scheme
• a genuine approach to agile and flexible working, dependent on the role
• an excellent pension scheme with an 11.4% employer contribution through the Smart SHPS DC salary sacrifice scheme
• supportive people policies that help you balance work and life
• Medicash healthcare cash plan membership, with Level 1 cover paid by us
• a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Perkbox, our benefits platform giving you access to hundreds of discounts, benefits and wellbeing resources
• a Cycle to Work scheme through Halfords
• access to Manchester Credit Union for affordable financial support, including loans, savings accounts and money guidance
• support to gain professional qualifications, with paid memberships fees for relevant professional bodies

Equality, diversity and inclusion