People and HR Director
il y a 3 jours
Leeds
People & HR Director Hands-On | Scale-Up Operator | Hiring, Organisation & Performance Company Overview We are a growing data technology business in the Customer Data Platform (CDP), analytics & data activation space. We have 55+ staff and partner with leading UK and international brands to transform how they understand and monetise their data. Our proprietary CDP platform, Horizon, enables clients to gain deep customer insight and activate data to drive measurable commercial outcomes. XCM delivers a full solution across data, technology, people and partnership, offering a high-touch, “white glove” service that differentiates us in the market. Following recent investment, we are entering a critical phase of growth and scaling the business significantly across product, platform, delivery and commercial functions. Our growth is guided by three strategic pillars: World-Class Technology, Deep Expertise, and Exceptional Relationships. Reporting to: CEO Works closely with: CTO, Leadership Team and Talent Manager Location: North of England (preferred), with regular travel required. Hybrid working (circa 50/50 home, office & travel). Role Purpose This is a critical leadership hire for XCM and will play a central role in determining how successfully we scale. The primary purpose of this role is to build and manage the organisation required to support XCM’s next phase of growth - ensuring we attract, hire, develop and retain highquality talent, whilst building a high-performance, accountable and well-managed culture. This role balances both talent acquisition alongside the current Talent Manager and broader people leadership, ensuring the business scales effectively without losing performance, structure or culture. Core Focus • Translate growth plans into a clear, prioritised and realistic hiring roadmap, • Define and enforce a high talent bar aligned to XCM’s strategic pillars, • Support leadership in designing a scalable organisational structure, • Establish clear performance expectations and accountability Key Responsibilities Hiring & Talent • Take ownership of hiring outcomes (speed, quality and consistency), • Ensure high-quality hiring decisions through clear evaluation frameworks, • Challenge hiring decisions where standards are not met Organisation Design & Leadership Support • Partner with CEO on team structure and role definitions, • Ensure organisation design supports delivery against the strategic pillars, • Identify gaps, overlaps and inefficiencies and drive improvements Performance, Retention & People Management (Primary Focus) • Support managers in managing, developing and retaining their teams, • Ensure underperformance is addressed clearly and effectively, • Identify, develop and retain high-performing individuals, • Build a culture of accountability, feedback and continuous improvement Employee Experience & Culture • Ensure the organisation scales without losing clarity, engagement or culture, • Build clear communication, feedback and engagement mechanisms, • Support leadership in maintaining a consistent, high-performance culture, • Identify retention risks and proactively address them Essential Experience • Experience scaling a business (circa 50 → 100+ employees), • Experience in hiring across engineering, commercial and delivery functions, • Experience in a client-facing, supplier-led technology or services business, • Exposure to ARR-based business models with multiple clients, • Experience working closely with founders and senior leadership, • Strong hands-on involvement in both hiring and people management, • Experience supporting multi-location or distributed teams Strongly Desired • Experience in CDP, data, martech or SaaS environments, • Experience working in businesses delivering a blend of technology and services, • Experience operating in client delivery environment What Success Looks Like (First 6–18 Months) • XCM scales from circa 60 to 85+ employees with consistently high-quality hires, • Hiring is structured, efficient and predictable, • New hires ramp quickly and contribute effectively, • Clear organisation structure supports growth and decision-making, • Leadership team strengthened with high-calibre hires, • High levels of employee engagement, performance and retention Why This Role Matters at XCM • XCM is entering a critical scaling phase following investment, • The quality of hiring and people management will directly determine success, • Scaling without structure risks performance, delivery and culture, • This role is central to building a high-performing, scalable organisation Closing Statement This is an opportunity to take real ownership and build a high-performing organisation in a scaling, investor-backed technology business, working directly with the CEO and leadership team.