Head of Performance, Talent and Succession

St. James’s Place; Cirencester; Hybride; GBP 110 000 - 150 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

28 days annual leave plus bank/extra 5

Private medical insurance

Generous pension scheme

Enhanced parental leave

Protection benefits

EV salary sacrifice

Résumé du poste

St. James’s Place seeks a strategic Head of Talent & Organisational Performance to lead enterprise capability, talent, succession and performance. Reporting to the Director of Organisational Development, this role sits on the Organisational Development Leadership Team.

You will shape governance, workforce readiness and leadership continuity while aligning capability with business strategy. You’ll manage a small team and partner across People to deliver high-impact people initiatives in a

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in talent, organisational development or workforce capability
• Proven ability to develop and deliver talent and performance strategies aligned to business objectives
• Significant experience in succession planning, talent management, and performance management
• Strong stakeholder management and ability to influence executive teams
• Experience using people data and metrics to inform decisions
• Experience operating within regulated organisations
• Experience leading specialist teams and partnering across People functions
• Knowledge of organizational effectiveness, workforce planning and employee engagement methodologies
• Experience designing talent review and succession frameworks
• Experience supporting board-level talent discussions

Responsabilités

• Define and evolve organisational capability and talent pathways
• Own enterprise succession planning across leadership populations
• Shape performance enablement and organisational effectiveness
• Govern governance, reporting and insight for senior leaders
• Lead and develop the Organisational Development team and partner with the People function

Connaissances

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

People analytics

Talent development

Succession planning

Governance & reporting

Communication & advisory

Programme management

Change management

Formation

CIPD qualification (Chartered Member/Fellow)

Graduate or post-graduate degree

Outils

HRIS/HR analytics tools

Description du poste

Head of Talent and Organisational Performance

Are you ready tochart your own career path? With our refreshed strategy, we’re building on our rich heritage and transforming our business to be more scalable and efficient, unlocking the capabilities needed for future success.This includes significantly investing in technology, streamlining the way we work and creating an environment where colleagues feel engaged, empowered and accountable; where they can show up, speak up and perform - because we believe in the difference our work makes.

At a glance:

Location: Cirencester Office

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Employment Type: Permanent

Seniority: Mid-Senior Level

About the role:

We're seeking an exceptional Head of Talent & Organisational Performance to lead St. James's Place's enterprise approach to organisational capability, talent, succession and performance. Reporting to the Director of Organisational Development and operating as a member of the Organisational Development Leadership Team, this role is at the heart of SJP’s preparation for future growth.

This is a highly visible enterprise leadership role with regular exposure to Executive Committee members and Board governance forums. You will bring insight and experience to shape the strategy and supporting frameworks and governance to inform some of SJP’s most important decisions about leadership continuity, workforce readiness, organisational capability and succession risk.

This role is broader than traditional talent management. Success depends on your ability to connect organisational strategy, workforce capability, talent development, succession governance and performance enablement to strengthen organisational effectiveness and long‑term business performance. Supported by a small specialist team, and working closely with colleagues across the People function, you will deliver outcomes and drive change through your expertise, relationships and enterprise leadership and engagement in governance.

What you'll be doing:

Organisational Capability

• Define and evolve SJP's approach to organisational capability.
• Identify future capability requirements needed to deliver strategic priorities.
• Assess capability strengths, gaps and emerging organisational risks, translating insight into action.
• Oversee career frameworks and talent pathways that strengthen internal mobility and organisational resilience.
• Shape and implement SJP's enterprise talent strategy and philosophy.
• Establish governance frameworks that support consistent, evidence-based talent decisions.
• Build approaches that identify, develop and retain critical talent and leadership capability.
• Apply external research, behavioural science and emerging technologies to enhance talent outcomes.

Executive succession and talent risk

• Own the enterprise succession planning framework across executive, leadership and critical specialist populations.
• Provide oversight of successor readiness, leadership pipeline strength and succession risk.
• Establish robust governance, assurance and reporting mechanisms for succession activities.
• Support GEC and Board discussions through high-quality insight and recommendations.

Performance & organisational effectiveness

• Shape SJP's enterprise approach to performance enablement and organisational effectiveness.
• Ensure alignment between business priorities, capability development and performance practices.
• Use insight and evidence to strengthen accountability and sustainable high performance.
• Identify opportunities to improve the organisational conditions that enable people and teams to succeed.
• Shape SJP’s workforce, talent and capability insight and how we use it across the organisation.
• Leverage people analytics, behavioural science and market insights to inform strategic decisions
• Translate workforce data into meaningful recommendations for senior leaders
• Use evidence to inform strategic people and organisational decisions
• Act as a trusted adviser to Executive Committee members, senior leaders and People Partners.
• Prepare high-quality reports and Board-level papers that are fluent, succinct and grounded in evidence.
• Build strong partnerships across the People function to deliver integrated organisational outcomes.
• Influence enterprise decision-making through expertise, challenge and insight.
• Contribute as a senior leader within the Organisational Development leadership team.

About you:

We're looking for a strategic and commercially minded leader with substantial experience operating at a senior level within talent, organisational development or workforce capability functions.

• Significant experience in a senior Talent, Organisational Development, Learning, or People leadership role.
• Proven track record of developing and delivering talent and organisational performance strategies that support business objectives.
• Significant experience in succession planning, talent management, and performance management.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and challenge senior leaders and executive teams.
• Experience using people data, insights, and metrics to inform decision-making and measure effectiveness.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and governance forums without formal authority
• Experience operating within complex, highly regulated organisations
• Proven ability to lead and develop specialist teams.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and advisory skills.
• Strong project and programme management capabilities, with experience delivering complex people initiatives.
• Relevant graduate or post‑graduate-level qualification or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience working in or with financial services organisations
• Chartered Member/Fellow of the CIPD or equivalent professional qualification.
• Knowledge of organisational effectiveness, workforce planning, and employee engagement methodologies.
• Experience designing and implementing talent review and succession frameworks.
• Experience supporting executive leadership and board-level talent discussions.
• Knowledge of psychometric assessment tools and leadership assessment methodologies.
• Experience managing external suppliers, consultants, and development partners.
• Understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles within talent and organisational development strategies.
• Experience implementing or optimising talent management and performance technology platforms.

What's in it for you?

Whatever stage of life you're in, our benefits are designed to provide the support, flexibility, and peace of mind you need to thrive both at work and beyond.

In addition to our discretionary annual bonus scheme, which reflects both individual and company performance, you'll benefit from a market-leading benefits package tailored to support your wellbeing, financial security, and family life.

Our benefits include:

• 28 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase up to 5 additional days.
• Private Medical Insurance – company-funded cover for you and your immediate family
• Generous Pension Scheme – a non-contributory employer contribution of 10%, increasing with length of service up to 15%, plus the opportunity to increase this through salary sacrifice
• Enhanced Parental Leave – up to 26 weeks' full pay to support growing families.
• Protection Benefits – company-funded critical illness cover, income protection, and life assurance
• EV salary sacrifice scheme through Tusker

Reasonable Adjustments

We're an equalopportunities employer and want to ensure our recruitment process is accessibleand inclusive for all, if you require reasonable adjustment(s) at any stageplease let us know by emailing us at [e-mail]

Research tells usthat applicants (especially those from underrepresented groups) can be put offfrom applying for a role if they do not meet all the criteria or have been onan extended career-break.

As a businessregulated by the