Director of People and Culture

Director of People and Culture

Grade :   0 - Director

Hours :   Full time Permanent (37.5 hours per week). Flexible hours considered.

Responsible to :   Chief Executive Officer

Direct reports :  Head of Learning & Development, Head of HR, Volunteer Development Manager, Facilities and Events Manager

Key Interdependencies :   Executive / Senior Leadership Teams / Trustees / Safeguarding Advisor

Location :   ShelterBox HQ, Truro, Cornwall (A relocation package is available for the successful candidate if they require a move to Cornwall for this role).

Role Purpose

ShelterBox has changed a lot in the last five years, and the humanitarian sector is also evolving as we do, with a much stronger focus on partnerships with local organisations on the frontlines of aid delivery. Yet we still send staff and volunteers on visits to programme sites, often taking calculated risks to oversee how we can learn and improve humanitarian operations. Our people are led by strong values of service and dedication, without which we could not serve communities after disaster. We are now seeking to put stronger systems in place to ensure we are getting the best from our staff and volunteers, and that we as an employer are giving them the best possible experience as members of this international organisation.

ShelterBox is searching for an experienced senior people leader with a proven ability to lead through ambiguity and transformation, with a track record of embedding high-performance cultures and navigating complex change in mission-driven environments. The successful candidate will provide leadership to our excellent people team and help to develop and deliver an engaging and effective new organisational people strategy, which must reflect the complexity of a globally distributed organisation, ensuring cultural intelligence, equity, and inclusion are embedded across all people practices. The Director of People and Culture will also work closely with our 13 affiliate offices to ensure alignment in our strategic direction on people management.

This isn’t just about being a Director of People and Culture who has oversight of all aspects of the people function. This role is also about delivering visible and compassionate leadership as part of our Executive Team, consistently upholding and embodying our values of participation, learning, integrity and flexibility. The successful candidate will bring an assured presence with the ability to make decisions and influence at all levels, including Board and international affiliates. They will be a trusted advisor to the CEO and the Executive Team and be a visible, values-driven leader across the organisation.

You will be helping to build a new purpose-driven people strategy, embedding core values and our organisational mission. You will lead the team in driving our Employer Value Proposition : how we hire, train, develop and retain our people to meet the long-term aims and ambitions of the organisation. There will be a particular focus on training our future leaders and current managers in best practices, as well as establishing accountability for measuring performance and rewarding success.

You will oversee all aspects of the organisation’s HR, learning and development, EDI, and well-being functions and a significant proportion of our volunteering support. You will be responsible for leading a function which works collaboratively with other teams to meet the organisation’s overall people needs, and which recognises the critical importance of ShelterBox’s staff and volunteers in delivering the organisation’s ambitious plans.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, this role also reports to the Board of Trustees on a quarterly basis on all People matters. This role is also the Executive Team Lead on the Board’s People and Risk Committee.

The Director of People and Culture is also a member of ShelterBox’s Executive Team. This is our most senior management team, with overall responsibility for leading, planning and managing the work and development of the organisation. As a team, they are responsible for the delivery of 2025 plans as well as the implementation and development of longer-term strategy, and for ensuring that the wider organisational strategy delivers for the people we support.

The successful candidate will be starting a role within an exciting, supportive, and fast-evolving organisation. We are realigning our strategy to facilitate further growth in the face of mounting humanitarian needs. We look forward to welcoming candidates who share our passion and ambition to work towards a world where no one is left without shelter.

Duties will include but not be limited to :

• Together with the CEO, Executive Team and People Team, develop and embed a long-term people strategy to achieve ShelterBox’s overall strategic aims. Providing a clear future focused approach to redefine our Employer Value Proposition – including Reward, talent management and Performance Management approach.
• Strategically lead the people function, driving operational effectiveness, and ensuring staff and volunteer voices are represented across all levels of the organisation, including at Executive level.
• Partner with the executive team on workforce planning, risk management, and using people data to make informed decisions
• Lead the organisation to create and sustain a culture that drives employee engagement and satisfaction.
• Manage and support staff members through the challenges and opportunities of a new strategic implementation cycle, helping to sustainably scale up ShelterBox internationally.
• Develop engaging people policies that align with and support our employer value proposition and cultural identity, with the aim of creating a truly positive, purposeful, accountable and collegial culture and work environment.
• Oversee recruitment and talent retention strategies to ensure the organisation always has the workforce it needs.
• Working with Legal / Finance / Safety & Security / Safeguarding teams to ensure adherence to risk register, current legislation, and Charity Commission requirements.
• Driving a culture of Continuous Professional Development across the organisation.
• Oversight of timely completion of all external audit recommendations relating to people.
• Executive Sponsor for EDI and Wellbeing Working Groups with responsibility for reporting to Exec / Trustee teams and providing visible support for EDI and wellbeing initiatives.
• Develop strong working relationships with the Executive Team and Trustees, providing advice and guidance as needed. Production of regular reports, for review at People, Audit, Risk, & Compliance, and wider board meetings.
• Play an active part in the H&S steering group. Assist in developing, implementing, and ensuring the application of policies.
• Provide leadership and direction on volunteering at ShelterBox, working with the Volunteer Development Manager to implement a volunteer strategy that meets the needs of the organisation.
• Manage annual HR / L&D budgets. Ensure strict adherence to these budgets throughout each financial year.
• As part of the Crisis Management Team, ensure the right people processes and procedures are in place to support the organisation and our teams in the event of a crisis.

Other responsibilities :

How to Apply

Click on the 'Apply on website' button below to apply online. The closing date for applications is Sunday 27th July 2025.