Head of People and Culture

The Head of People and Culture is a pivotal leadership role at TES, responsible for bringing to life our People and Culture Strategy while ensuring alignment with our Board’s strategic vision. As TES evolves, this role is essential in building a compliant, resilient, inclusive, and high-performing organisation.

Working closely with the Board, this individual will translate high-level directives into day-to-day operational excellence—leading a high-performing People team, embedding cultural transformation, and ensuring every people process supports TES’s growth and purpose.

The role demands strategic thinking, commercial acumen, and hands-on expertise across employee relations, audits, learning and development, and digital enablement. As TES moves into its next chapter, the Head of People and Culture will also play a lead role in shaping the organisation’s approach to AI adoption, future-readiness, and ethical compliance.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Strategic Leadership & Implementation

  • Deliver the TES People & Culture Strategy, ensuring KPIs align with business objectives

  • Act as a key advisor and partner to the Board, converting strategic priorities into operational actions

  • Cultivate internal and external partnerships to support culture, inclusion, and commercial outcomes

• Commercial & Operational People Management

  • Lead workforce planning, talent pipeline development, and succession strategies

  • Ensure data-led, cost-effective and risk-conscious decision making

  • Use insights from audits and reporting to drive continuous improvement

• Culture, Engagement & Capability Building

  • Foster an inclusive, engaged culture through surveys, feedback loops, and leadership programmes

  • Build and implement management and leadership development frameworks

  • Act as a cultural architect, embedding TES values across the employee lifecycle

• Employee Relations & Compliance

  • Independently manage complex, high-risk ER cases

  • Maintain gold-standard compliance across audits, safeguarding, GDPR, and statutory frameworks

  • Ensure HRIS protocols and legal requirements are consistently upheld

• People Team Leadership & Governance

  • Inspire and lead a values-led, performance-focused People team

  • Ensure excellence in HR systems, data integrity, and reporting cycles

  • Govern team effectiveness through strategic planning and accountability

• Technology and Digital Enablement

  • Serve as a subject matter expert on HR tech systems, including HRIS and LMS platforms

  • Use advanced Excel and analytics tools to create dashboards and drive decisions

  • Lead on system upgrades, integrations, and the digital optimisation of People processes

• AI Transformation Leadership

  • Represent People and Culture in cross-functional AI working groups

  • Partner with IT, Legal, and senior leaders to create safe, ethical AI policies

  • Identify opportunities to enhance HR processes and learning through AI

  • Guide cultural and capability shifts to prepare for AI integration

You’re an experienced and confident senior HR leader, ready to take ownership of the full People and Culture portfolio within a dynamic, values-led organisation. With the ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels, you’ll be trusted to make high-stakes decisions independently while championing culture, compliance, and innovation.

You Bring:

• Qualifications & Experience

  • CIPD Level 7 (or equivalent)

  • Proven experience in senior HR leadership, with strong ER and compliance credentials

  • A track record of working with Boards or Executive Teams to deliver change

  • Experience leading through audits, regulatory reviews, and organisational risk scenarios

• Skills & Strengths

  • Advanced skills in Excel, data analytics, and reporting dashboards

  • Strong understanding of HRIS, LMS, and compliance systems

  • Ability to convert data into insights that inform strategy

  • Comfortable leading HR tech implementations or system upgrades

• Leadership & Culture Fit

  • A coaching mindset with the ability to build and motivate high-performing teams

  • Values-led decision-making and a deep commitment to inclusion

  • Experience in a regulated or socially responsible environment

Join TES and contribute to our mission of ensuring safety, compliance, and excellence in the rail industry. Apply today and help us enhance the journey for our employees and clients alike.