Head of Colleague Experience - Leeds / Hybrid

StepChange; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading charity organization is seeking a Head of Colleague Experience in Leeds, offering a hybrid work model. The role involves setting the strategic direction for colleague experience, advancing culture, engagement, and inclusion. As a pivotal senior leader, you will guide cross-charity programs that modernize workplace practices and ensure colleagues feel valued and supported. This position requires strong HR leadership and a transformational mindset to positively influence the organization's culture and effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Experience in culture, OD, engagement, ED&I and performance.
• Ability to lead complex, cross-charity people programmes.
• Strong relationship-building skills with senior leaders.
• Experience in improving the colleague experience through strategic thinking.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver a unified colleague experience strategy.
• Shape a modern, agile, high-performance environment.
• Set the direction for colleague engagement and communications.
• Champion workplace experience and support wellbeing.
• Lead, coach and develop your team.

Skills

Senior HR leadership experience

Transformation mindset

Strong influencing and relationship-building skills

Inclusive and innovative approach

Calm decision-making

Job description

Head of Colleague Experience - Leeds / Hybrid

Do you want to be at the centre of evolving our culture toward agility,collaborationand high performance?

Can you lead cross-charity programmes that modernise workplace experience, strengthen engagement and embed inclusive practices?

Are you driven by creating an environment where belonging, balance and purpose underpin how colleagues work and thrive?

As Head of Colleague Experience, you’ll set the strategic direction for how colleagues experience StepChange, across culture, performance, engagement, wellbeing, ED&I, communications and ways of working.

Reporting directly to the Chief People Officer, this is a pivotal senior role shaping the People & Culture transformation that will underpin StepChange’s next five years. Your leadership will be central to creating an environment where colleagues can do their best work, supported by modern systems, clear expectations, strong engagement and a culture that reflects who we are and who we aspire to be.

You’ll bring together culture, communications, ED&I, wellbeing and workplace experience into a unified strategy that is practical, modern and aligned to the needs of a transforming charity.

What You’ll Be Doing

You’ll lead strategic work across the organisation, including:

• Designing and delivering a unified colleague experience strategy that connects culture, leadership, ED&I, engagement, communications and ways of working into a coherent, future‑focused approach.
• Leading our culture evolution, shaping a modern, agile, high‑performance environment driven by clarity, accountability and collaboration.
• Setting the direction for colleague engagement and internal communications, ensuring colleagues feel informed, heard and connected to our purpose and goals.
• Embedding ED&I into the organisation’s DNA, moving beyond initiatives toward real behavioural and systemic integration.
• Championing workplace experience, partnering with Estates to shape digital and physical environments that support wellbeing, focus and collaboration.
• Providing strategic programme leadership, coordinating cross‑charity people initiatives and cultural change programmes.
• Partnering with the Chief People Officer and senior leaders, influencing organisational direction and tackling complex people‑related challenges.
• Leading, coaching and developing your team, building capability and confidence across the People & Culture function.

About You

You’ll be a strategic, senior People & Culture leader with the confidence and credibility to influence at scale. You’ll bring:

• Senior HR leadership experience, covering culture, OD, engagement, ED&I and performance.
• A transformation mindset, confident leading complex, cross‑charity people programmes that modernise organisational culture and ways of working.
• Strong influencing and relationship‑building skills, trusted by senior leaders and capable of guiding them through cultural and behavioural change.
• An inclusive, innovative approach, improving the everyday colleague experience through insight, creativity and strategic thinking.
• Calm, confident decision‑making, even in fast‑paced or high‑stakes environments.

You’ll thrive in this role if you value :

• Purpose — shaping the culture, systems and conditions that enable colleagues to deliver meaningful impact for clients and communities
• Belonging — building an inclusive,connectedand high‑trust environment where diverse perspectives influence decisions and culture
• Growth — driving organisational, leadership and cultural development, while continuing to strengthen your own strategic capability
• Balance — enabling modern, flexible ways of working that support performance, wellbeing and sustainable organisational effectiveness

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Belonging sits at the heart of our organisation. We want StepChange to be a place where everyone feels valued, respected and able to do their best work. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and life experiences. If you need adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.