Head of People Experience

Connells Group; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Connells Group is seeking a Head of People Experience to own and shape the colleague experience across the group, uniting DEI, employee experience design, engagement and talent management, including early careers.

The role blends strategic direction with hands-on delivery, collaborating with the People team and the wider business to make everyday work life fairer, more engaging and better aligned with long-term growth.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a DE&I, employee experience, colleague engagement, or talent and performance role, ideally spanning more than one of these areas.
• Track record of designing and delivering initiatives that improve the day-to-day experience of colleagues.
• Experience designing or running talent assessment, succession or performance management frameworks.
• Experience designing or delivering early careers programmes (graduate, apprenticeship or work experience schemes).
• Experience managing external partners or suppliers (e.g. survey or DE&I providers).
• Experience leading and developing a team.
• Experience working with data and insight to shape strategy and measure impact.

Responsibilities

• The Head of People Experience owns and shapes the colleague experience across the Group, bringing together diversity, equity and inclusion; employee experience design; colleague engagement; and talent and performance management, including early careers.
• The role combines strategic direction with hands-on delivery, working closely across the People team and the wider business to make everyday working life better, fairer and more engaging for every colleague, while building the talent pipeline and performance approach that supports the Group's long-term growth.
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: ensure DEI is a lived, visible reality across the Group grounded in data.
• Employee Experience Design: ensure key moments in a colleague's journey are designed to improve experience across the Group.
• Colleague Engagement: listen to colleagues and turn listening into visible change.
• Talent & Performance Management: build pipeline and performance discipline, identify, assess and grow talent, and early careers routes.

Job description

The Head of People Experience owns and shapes the colleague experience across the Group, bringing together four connected areas: diversity, equity and inclusion; employee experience design; colleague engagement; and talent and performance management, including early careers.

The role combines strategic direction with hands-on delivery, working closely across the People team and the wider business to make everyday working life better, fairer and more engaging for every colleague, while building the talent pipeline and performance approach that supports the Group's long-term growth.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

This area is about making sure DE&I is a lived, visible reality across the Group rather than a stated ambition, grounded in data and embedded into the moments that shape a colleague's experience.

Employee Experience Design

This area is about making sure the key moments in a colleague's journey are intentionally designed rather than left to chance, so experience improves consistently across the Group rather than in pockets.

Colleague Engagement

This area is about how the Group listens to colleagues and turns that listening into visible, meaningful change, rather than treating engagement as a once-a-year measurement exercise.

Talent & Performance Management

This area is about building the pipeline and performance discipline that gives the Group confidence in its future leadership and capability. It covers how we identify, assess and grow talent, how we measure and manage performance consistently across the Group, and how we build the next generation of colleagues coming through early careers routes.

This area is about building a capable, connected team that delivers across the whole People Experience remit.

Experience and Knowledge

• Proven experience in a DE&I, employee experience, colleague engagement, or talent and performance role, ideally spanning more than one of these areas
• Track record of designing and delivering initiatives that improve the day-to-day experience of colleagues
• Experience designing or running talent assessment, succession or performance management frameworks
• Experience designing or delivering early careers programmes (graduate, apprenticeship or work experience schemes)
• Experience managing external partners or suppliers (e.g. survey or DE&I providers)
• Experience leading and developing a team
• Experience working with data and insight to shape strategy and measure impact

Connells Group is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates, regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity status.