Director of People and Culture

Aspire is a staff led mutual and social enterprise that exists to support people with learning disabilities in Leeds to live full and purposeful lives, in a city that values them and offers opportunities on an equal basis. We support over 700 people across the city in a variety of settings including short breaks and emergency respite, supported living where people have their own tenancies and daytime opportunities to engage in meaningful activities within their local communities.

Aspire are one year into an ambitious new 5-year strategy which seeks to ensure that the organisation can continue to provide quality support to the people of Leeds whilst developing a culture of renewed commercial / growth focus, and a drive to strengthen our culture, capability, and systems.

Our new Director of People and Culture will play a pivotal role in leading and implementing this transformation.

This is a critical new leadership role for Aspire as we realign our business and culture to thrive in the more commercially rigorous and operationally disciplined environment that is now incumbent on all social care providers. The Director of People and Culture will be responsible for building a resilient, engaged, and high-performing workforce while ensuring our culture remains as values-driven and inclusive as it always has done.

You will lead on our people strategy, workforce planning, leadership development, employee experience, training and development, health and safety and organisational culture — with a clear remit to strengthen and further remodel our people systems and practices.

- Lead the development and delivery of a forward-looking people and culture strategy aligned to Aspire’s existing strategy and growth priorities.

- Act as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to corporate planning and decision-making.

- Provide confident, visible and values-driven leadership during a time of cultural and financial change.

- Be curious and confident offering a more innovative approach to our People practices.

- Be the Trusted Advisor to the Senior Leadership team and CEO.

- Provide escalation advice and expertise as the most senior HR professional.

- Set and manage the HR and Resourcing budgets relevant to the operational needs of the organisation.

- A good level of financial literacy and experience of financial planning as a senior leader.

- Oversee workforce planning to ensure Aspire has the right skills, capacity, and leadership for future growth.

- Provide a cost-effective approach that matches the demand for our services and enables us to deploy the workforce efficiently across our different services.

- To drive the reduction in agency usage and develop financially sustainable cover options, maximizing the use of the bank team.

-Effectively manage the overseas worker population and visa compliance.

- Design and implement programmes to attract, retain and develop a high-quality, values-led workforce.

- Improve staff engagement, recognition and performance management systems.

- Drive culture change that supports appropriate pace, increased accountability, stronger performance, higher levels of innovation and high-quality person-centred practice.

- Further develop a culture of open and upward feedback at all levels of the organisation.

- Ensure the culture and HR service enable staff to work at their best to provide the customers that use our services an excellent experience.

- Develop a culture that empowers others to act and distributes leadership at the right level in the organisation.

- Ensure change is managed compassionately and inclusively.

- Review and ensure clear lines of responsibility and accountability across different roles and functions in the organisation.

- Ensure employment policies and practices that while legally compliant and equitable are aligned to Aspire’s needs for strategic development and growth.

- Maintain strong, collaborative and effective relationships with trade union and staff representatives.

- Lead sensitive workforce matters (e.g. change work, redeployment) with pace and energy as part of the business development process.

- Oversee the improvement of our HR and OD functions, ensuring operational excellence.

- Ensure resources are used efficiently and effectively to deliver a proactive HR service that adds value.

- Modernise Aspire’s people systems (e.g. digital HR, data dashboards) to improve insight and decision-making.

- Introduce robust HR metrics to track people performance aligned to a holistic approach to organisational health.

- Review the outsourced contracts and services to ensure best value and fit for Aspire to support future proofing the organisation.

This is an opportunity to make a defining impact on a respected organisation with a vital social purpose. You will be helping to ensure Aspire not only thrives within a challenging period for social care — but emerges stronger, fairer and more effective for the people we serve.This will suit a person with ambition and energy who thrives on the pressure of top-level leadership.