Head of People
Exeter, England / Bristol, England
South West Water – South West Water - Corporate Services - People & Culture /
Permanent full-time /
Hybrid
Are you a strategic HR leader passionate about creating exceptional colleague experiences and driving cultural transformation?
Pennon Group is seeking a visionary Head of People to lead our People and Culture teams, shape our people strategy, and champion a workplace where everyone can thrive. Based in Exeter or Bristol with a Competitive salary and benefits.
About the Role
Reporting to the Director of People and Culture, this role is responsible for driving a colleague centric people agenda across their area of the business. Through the design and development of a Business Unit people plan, it will require the individual to work collaboratively with senior leaders to develop and implement HR initiatives that will align with those business objectives whilst supporting the overall Group People Strategy. The role will also develop strategies that will optimise talent across the business to drive overall growth and performance.
With best-in-class leadership this role will lead both the People and Culture teams in their business area and play a significant role as a member of the senior leadership team across the Pennon Group. Driving a positive workplace culture, improving colleague engagement so that we can meet our commitments to our customer and communities will be must.
What you'll be doing:
- Advocating the core Group Values - Be Rock Solid, Be You, Be the Future, fostering a culture of integrity and innovation.
- Implementing HomeSafe initiatives, ensuring the safety and well-being of all employees everyday.
- Providing exceptional leadership to the People and Culture teams, fostering a high-performance culture, developing the overall capability of the team.
- Developing a business unit engagement plan, aligned to our values creating the best place to work for colleagues.
- Delivering and supporting an improved colleague lifecycle experience and ensure all processes across People and Culture are as effective as possible.
- Leading the people change management aspects across the organisation to ensure any change initiatives are delivered successfully.
- Using HR data analytics to develop organisational, and department insights and drive actions to improve.
- Championing a performance culture and continuously review productivity and employee development making recommendations for improvements.
- Advocating diversity and inclusion initiatives to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace.
- Developing a business unit human capital workforce plan to ensure the business has the right skills and capabilities to meet current and future business needs, covering both resourcing and talent capabilities needs.
- Leading talent acquisition, development, and retention efforts to ensure we attract and retain the very best.
- Developing, supporting and implementing leadership development programs to build a pipeline of future leaders within the Group.
- Managing TU strategy for the area. Providing counsel and overseeing complex employee relations issues.
What we are looking for:
- Proven HR leadership experience in a large, complex organisation.
- Strategic thinker with a track record of delivering impactful People initiatives.
- Expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and organisational development.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills to influence at all levels.
- Passion for creating inclusive, engaging, and high-performing workplaces.
- Relevant professional qualifications (CIPD Level 7 or equivalent desirable).
Tuesday 9th September 2025
