People and Culture Manager

Why NKD?

Part of the ITA Group community of companies, NKD is a next-generation employee engagement agency based in London. We exist to make the world of work better, and we do it for some of the world’s most loved brands.

We're passionate about employee engagement, customer experience and brand cultures. We combine our expertise in strategic consulting, learning and development and creative communications to shift thinking, change behaviour and transform performance for some of the world’s most exciting brands.

We specialise in helping clients identify their unique people challenges. Our success is built on delivering practical and engaging people solutions across Learning and Skills Training and Leadership Development initiatives that actually make a difference.

What’s the role?

The People and Culture Manager plays a central role in designing and delivering people practices and strategies that advance NKD’s purpose and uphold our values. As a champion of workplace culture, you ensure employee engagement, talent development, and organisational wellbeing remain at the forefront.

You are an HR generalist at CIPD Associate or Chartered level, with the ability to combine people and culture strategies that create engagement drive performance with solid HR practice and governance, creating a workplace that feels human, connected, and where people flourish.

Reporting into NKD’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) you’ll work closely with leaders in the business, leading on ensuring we have the right people processes and systems that ensure that the NKD team and our clients have an effortless experience. You’ll be the custodian of our employee resource groups, known as our Culture Teams. You’ll also be a main contact for NKD’s extended team – our Associates – managing their processes and ensuring they too have a truly “NKD” experience.

As part of the ITA Group community of companies, you’ll work with ITA Group colleagues and be a go-to for our UK and Europe teammates, offering steer and guidance around regional HR law and best practice, policies, and people and culture strategy, as well as being on hand to offer any in-region HR support when required.

You’re able to influence, taking people on the journey to show them how and why we should do things the way we do at NKD, and ultimately, you’ll help to shape and create a progressive environment where people thrive, aligning people practices with NKD’s strategic objectives, and fostering a culture of diversity, inclusion, support, and opportunity.

Think of yourself as

› A trusted advisor: a go-to people-person, building strong relationships across NKD and ITA Group community of companies, supporting colleagues at all levels to reach their full potential.

› A proactive partner: constantly seeking out ways to improve the employee value proposition and working with leaders and colleagues to implement and embed.

› A culture advocate: serving as a role model for ways of working and behaviours to ensure our workplace remains inclusive, supportive, and inspiring for all – a genuine great place to work.

What’s involved?

Our NKD strategy is built on three pillars: our Family (the team), our Friends (our clients) and our Future (how we grow). The People and Culture Manager role contributes towards the NKD strategy in the following ways:

Our family

› A go-to person for team members at all levels for all things people and culture at NKD.

› Discreet and confidential when needed, creating a safe space for people and HR queries from leaders and team members alike.

› Able to act as the UK go-to for region-based HR advice and best practice, whether for specific needs or to work on groupwide projects.

› Support and coach people leaders on HR best practice, supporting them to manage their direct reports.

› Manage the full employee lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding to development, retention, and offboarding.

› Responsible for HR policies and procedures at NKD, ensuring these are accessible and easily understandable, reflect our culture, and are kept up to date in line with UK HR law and ITA Group practice where appropriate.

› Identify when new policies are needed, responding to industry changes as well as NKD business needs.

› Role model the NKD 4C behaviours and DEI commitments, ensuring NKD is place where people can be themselves and thrive.

› As a leader, you bring questions, ideas, and challenges to help make the world of work better.

› Work closely and in collaboration with the NKD team, the Strategic Leadership Team, clients, Associates, and third-party suppliers.

› Responsible for our HR records and data, following correct procedure for updates and record retention, including the management of key HR systems.

› Be the go-to person for our NKD Associates, leading on recruitment, onboarding, and upkeep of their files and records.

› Support with the design and delivery of learning and development initiatives, including our team Development Days, working with colleagues across the business to build the content using NKD’s content and expertise.

› Provide proactive employee relations support, including guidance on conflict resolution, grievance management, and fostering positive working relationships across teams.

› Share updates, best practices, and facilitate workshops and masterclasses on people management and HR policies.

› Lead on NKD’s staff surveys, including Great Place To Work, leading on the implementation and subsequent action planning from the results.

› Be the custodian of NKD’s Culture Teams, enabling collaboration between them and actively involved as a Culture Team member on the teams where appropriate or needed.

› Act as a driver of diversity, equity, and inclusion at NKD, ensuring that our policies and everyday practices genuinely enable a fair and inclusive workplace.

Our friends

› Keep the end in mind – creating a great place to work at NKD enables the team to deliver incredible solutions and service to our clients.

› Share NKD people and culture updates via our social media channels such as LinkedIn, showing our clients that we ‘practice what we preach’ at NKD.

› Represent NKD when clients, stakeholders and partner agencies are in the office.

› Stay up-to-date with client projects and our key accounts in order to support with anticipating people needs.

Our future

› Develop and drive talent management practices and strategies including workforce planning, succession planning, career pathways, and proactive skills development for all NKD colleagues (and Associates where appropriate).

› Day-to-day management of the NKD people and culture budget, as well as working with the CFO and COO and leadership team to shape the budget for the year head.

› Use systems and produce reports to drive conversations and future-focussed decisions.

Expertise

You will have experience in:

› HR practice at CIPD Associate or Chartered level, working in a lead generalist role – ideally in an agency or consultancy environment, though that’s not essential.

› UK employment law, HR policy and best practice – an understanding or European law and practice would also be advantageous but not essential.

› A role where you have needed to have excellent interpersonal, coaching and relationship-building skills.

› Handling sensitive issues with confidentiality and professionalism.

› Leading people and culture projects and initiatives with strong organisational and project management skills.

› Shaping and leading employee experience, wellbeing and development.

› Developing and implementing workforce planning and talent management strategies, including succession planning and skills development.

› Delivering HR initiatives, such as employee surveys, with the ability to work through results and shape subsequent actions based on the feedback.

› Conflict resolution, grievance management, and fostering positive employee relations across diverse teams

› Coaching and advising managers and teams on effective leadership, communication, conflict management, and performance management.

› Monitoring, analysing, and reporting key people metrics to inform strategic decision-making

› Managing HR databases and employee records.

› Operating effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, balancing multiple priorities and deadlines

› Working with leaders and senior stakeholders, presenting confidently and able to steer and challenge when needed.

› Roles that have required strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with attention to detail and a proactive approach

› Leading and championing diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and allyship ensuring fair and supportive practices for all colleagues.

› Working proactively and independently.

Our 4C behaviours

At NKD we:

Care passionately

› This means: do whatever it takes to get the job done brilliantly; help and take of each other; wildly celebrate success.

› As a leader this means: support others; guide others to thrive.

Connect easily

› This means: be interested in people; treat everyone with respect; be a friend.

› As a leader this means: collaborate across teams; think as one team and co-create.

Inspire confidence

› This means: share expertise generously; practice common sense; own and fix the problem.

› As a leader this means: energise others inside and outside NKD; talk optimistically about our success and opportunities.

Create incredible work

› This means: think of new ways to do things; find what we do fascinating; be proud of the work we hand over.

› As a leader this means: challenge our customers and teams; always balance quality, time and costs.

NKD is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you during the application or interview process, please let us know.

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People and Culture Manager