Head of People

iRockweb; Farnborough; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Bonus linked to performance

27 days holiday plus bank holidays

Job summary

iRock School of Music is seeking a Head of People to join the Senior Leadership Team and shape the people strategy as the business grows. You will lead a small team, embed a high-performance culture, oversee recruitment, performance, and governance, and ensure the organisation has the right talent and structure for continued success.

This role combines strategic oversight with hands-on delivery in a fast-moving, people-intensive environment across the UK.

Qualifications

• Significant People/HR leadership experience.
• Senior leadership level influence and challenge to leaders.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver People priorities within the strategic plan.
• Lead and develop the HR Business Partner and Recruitment Manager.
• Set organisation-wide performance, leadership and culture approaches.
• Guide recruitment strategy and employee experience.
• Provide governance and risk oversight for People policies and compliance.
• Define People metrics and use data to guide SLT decisions.

Job description

About The Role

At iRock School of Music, we’re on a mission to transform the way children experience music education. Through high-energy, band-based sessions in primary schools across the UK, we give thousands of children each week the chance to play, perform, and feel part of something bigger. But what truly sets us apart is our people. Our team of passionate musicians and educators don’t just teach, they inspire confidence, nurture creativity, and create unforgettable moments for every child they work with.

If you’re looking for a role where your love of music meets real purpose, where no two days are the same, and where you can make a lasting impact while doing what you love, iRock could be the perfect stage for you.

Salary: Competitive - Dependant on Experience

Bonus: Annual Bonus linked to both Company and Individual Performance

Holiday:27 days, plus bank holidays

Contract: Full-time , permanent

Location: Farnborough Office

Closing Date: 30th October 2026

About the Role

As our Head of People, you will sit on the Senior Leadership Team and lead the People function at an exciting stage of iRock’s growth. Our people are at the heart of what we do, and you will shape the environment in which brilliant people can thrive, deliver exceptional performance and grow with the organisation.

You will own and deliver the people priorities within our strategic plan, ensuring People is a visible driver of iRock’s success. This includes building a high-performing and engaged organisation, strengthening leadership capability, protecting our culture as we grow and ensuring we have the people and structure needed to achieve our ambitions

This is an ambitious strategic leadership role that remains close to the detail. You will lead a small team, turn ambition into action and bring energy, commercial judgement and high standards to the people opportunities and risks that come with a fast-growing, people-intensive organisation.

What You’ll Be Owning

• People strategy and organisational capability: Own the People roadmap within iRock’s strategic plan, advising the SLT on organisational structure, leadership capability and the workforce needed to support growth.
• Lead the People team: Provide strategic direction, coaching and support to the HR Business Partner and Recruitment Manager, with clear ownership and accountability for delivery within their respective areas.
• Performance, leadership and culture: Set the organisation-wide approach to performance, leadership and culture, enabling managers and the People team to embed it consistently across iRock.
• Recruitment and the employee journey: Set the strategic direction for recruitment and the employee experience, supporting the Recruitment Manager and HR Business Partner to lead delivery within their respective areas.
• People governance and risk: Provide senior oversight of People policies, employee relations and compliance, acting as an escalation point and ensuring significant risks are understood and managed effectively.
• People insight and strategic impact: Define the measures that matter, use People data to guide SLT decisions, and hold the function accountable for progress against the strategic plan

About You

• Significant People/HR leadership experience, ideally within a growing, multi-site or people-intensive organisation.
• Confident operating at senior leadership level, influencing and constructively challenging leaders when needed.
• Proven experience of turning People strategy into measurable improvement.
• Strong experience across performance management, employee relations, recruitment and leadership development.
• Experience leading and developing a People team, with clear standards and accountability.
• Strong commercial judgement, with the ability to balance the needs of our people with the needs of the organisation.
• Comfortable using People data and insight to make decisions, prioritise action and measure impact.
• Practical, hands‑on and comfortable operating in a fast-moving organisation where priorities evolve as we grow.

Recruitment Statement

This role requires the applicant to be a UK national or be resident in the UK with a right to work visa already in place. iRock embraces diversity and equal opportunity. This advert is not intended to discriminate on the grounds of a person's gender, marital status, race, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation. We are committed to fair treatment; therefore, every candidate will be assessed only in accordance with their merits, qualifications, and ability to perform the duties of the job.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Due to the nature of the position, any offer of employment for this role will be subject to a satisfactory Enhanced DBS and other vetting checks and is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. It is an offence to apply for this role if you are barred from working in a regulated activity. Ex-offenders with spent conviction will be considered on an individual basis and the nature of their offence will be taken into account in the recruitment decision.

Throughout the recruitment process, iRock collects and processes a range of personal data relating to job applicants. We are transparent about how this data is collected, used, and stored and are committed to compliance with data protection obligations.

For more details on our recruitment policies, visit iRock Recruitment Policy.

About Us

Founded in 2016 by father-and-son team John and Josh Franklin, iRock School of Music was built on a simple belief: music has the power to unlock confidence, creativity, and potential in every child. What began in a garden shed has grown into an award-winning organisation, recognised for bringing exciting rock and pop band experiences to thousands of children in hundreds of primary schools across the UK.

At iRock, we do more than teach music, we create experiences that leave a lasting impact. Every week, tens of thousands of children take part in our energetic band sessions, developing teamwork, resilience, and self-belief alongside their musical skills.

Our culture is at the heart of everything we do: fun, honest, supportive, and inspiring. We value ownership, innovation, and doing things properly, and we’re proud to be an award-winning team that inspires both the children we teach and the people who work with us.

As part of our Office Team, you’ll play a vital role in supporting our mission. Helping to create the systems, processes, and experiences that enable our Band Coaches and schools to deliver exceptional opportunities for children across the UK. Your work behind the scenes will have a direct impact on the moments that inspire confidence, creativity, and lasting memories for the children we reach every week.