People and Culture Manager

Job Title: People and Culture Manager
 Reference number: CF26-26
 Location: Edinburgh or Glasgow (Hybrid)
 Salary: Band E, £44,087 – £50,726 per annum
 Post Type: Permanent, Full-time (35 hours per week)
 Closing Date: 24th June 2026
 Interview Date: Week commencing 6th July 2026

Make a real difference for children and families across Scotland

Children First is Scotland’s national children’s charity. We stand up for every child because every child deserves a safe and happy childhood. By joining us, you’ll play a key role in helping us build a workforce that can deliver life-changing support to children, young people and families.

We are looking for an experienced People and Culture Manager to help shape an engaged, inclusive and high-performing organisation where colleagues can thrive and where, together, we can make a lasting difference.

About the role

This is a key leadership role within our People Team. You’ll lead the delivery of people strategies and practices that support organisational success and create a positive colleague experience from recruitment through to development and retention.

Working closely with leaders across the organisation, you will:

• Provide expert advice and guidance on complex people matters
• Lead high-quality HR service delivery and continuous improvement
• Shape workforce planning, recruitment and retention approaches
• Drive a positive, inclusive and values-led culture
• Use people data and insights to inform decision-making

You’ll balance strategic thinking with hands-on leadership, ensuring our people practices meet both current and future needs.

What you’ll bring

We’re looking for a passionate and experienced People professional who thrives on building strong relationships and making a real organisational impact.

You’ll bring:

• Significant experience in a senior HR / People role
• Strong knowledge of employment law and HR best practice
• Proven experience managing complex employee relations matters
• Experience developing and implementing people strategies
• A track record of influencing and coaching stakeholders at all levels
• Confidence using data and insights to drive improvements
• Experience supporting culture, engagement, wellbeing and DEI initiatives
• Excellent communication, coaching and relationship-building skills

It would be great if you also have:

• CIPD Level 5 (or equivalent)
• Experience in the charity, public or third sector
• Experience with HR systems and process improvement

Why join us?
At Children First, our values guide everything we do:

• With love: we put children first
• With purpose: we transform children’s lives together
• With strength: we do whatever it takes

We offer a supportive and flexible working environment along with:

• 40 days annual leave (including public holidays)
• Flexible and hybrid working
• Pension scheme
• Health and wellbeing support, including counselling services
• Access to Westfield Health and lifestyle benefits
• Blue Light Card discounts
• A Fair Work accredited workplace

Our commitment to inclusion
We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace where everyone feels they belong. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.

Apply now
If you’re passionate about creating great colleague experiences and want to play a key role in improving outcomes for children and families, we’d love to hear from you

FULL JOB DESCRIPTION:

Role Summary​

The People and Culture Manager plays a key leadership role in creating the conditions for colleagues to thrive so that Children First can deliver the best possible outcomes for children, young people and families. The role leads the development and delivery of people strategies, policies and practices that support an engaged, capable and values-led workforce.
 
Working closely with leaders across the organisation, the People and Culture Manager provides expert advice, guidance and challenge on people matters, ensuring that employment practices are legally compliant, relational in approach and aligned with Children First values. 
 
The role has responsibility for shaping a positive employee experience across the colleague lifecycle, from attraction and recruitment through to development, wellbeing and retention.
 
The post holder leads the continuous improvement of people systems, processes and workforce insights, using data and evidence to support organisational decision-making and workforce planning. They play a central role in fostering a culture where colleagues feel valued, supported and empowered to make a difference for Scotland's children.
 
The People and Culture Manager contributes to organisational effectiveness by balancing strategic thinking with operational leadership, ensuring that people practices support both current priorities and future organisational needs.
 
Key Results Areas
 
1. People Strategy and Organisational Impact

• Develop and implement People/HR strategies aligned to organisational priorities
• Support workforce planning to ensure capability for current and future needs
• Contribute to organisational effectiveness through strategic people leadership

2. HR Service Delivery and Operations

• Lead a high-quality, consistent HR service across the organisation
• Develop and continuously improve HR processes and systems
• Embed and optimise HR Information Systems (HRIS)
• Provide expert HR advice and guidance on complex issues

3. Recruitment, Retention and Workforce Planning

• Oversee attraction, recruitment and onboarding processes
• Ensure effective workforce planning tools and practices are in place
• Support retention through engagement, development and culture initiatives

4. Employee Relations and Professional Practice

• Lead on complex employee relations matters (disciplinary, grievance, capability, change)
• Ensure legal compliance and best practice across all HR activity
• Build strong, constructive relationships with Trade Union Representatives

5. Performance, Learning and Development

• Develop and maintain effective performance management frameworks
• Support learning and development strategies and workforce capability building
• Enable managers to lead high-performing, engaged teams

6. Culture, Engagement and Wellbeing

• Foster a positive, inclusive and values-led organisational culture
• Lead wellbeing initiatives supporting mental, emotional and physical health
• Promote engagement and a strong employee experience

7. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

• Champion DEI across all people practices
• Embed inclusive policies and behaviours
• Support the organisation’s commitment to anti-racism and belonging

8. People Data, Systems and Continuous Improvement

• Develop and utilise people metrics and insights to inform decisions
• Lead reporting, workforce analytics and performance data
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation in people practices

9. Stakeholder and Partnership Working

• Build trusted relationships with leaders and managers
• Influence and coach stakeholders at all levels
• Support collaborative working internally and externally

Need to Have	Need to Show	Need to Know	Need to Be	Core Values
CIPD Level 5 qualification or equivalent professional experience.   Significant experience in HR, People or People and Culture leadership role.   Experience of managing complex employee relations cases and organisational change activity.   Experience of developing or implementing people policies, processes or initiatives.   Experience of using workforce data, reporting or people insights to support decision making.   Experience of supporting managers through people-related challenges and decision making.	Ability to build trusted relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.   Strong coaching, communication and advisory skills.   Ability to lead projects and drive continuous improvement.   Ability to interpret data and translate insights into meaningful actions and recommendations.   Ability to balance organisational needs with a relational and values-led approach.	Current employment law and HR best practice.   Employee relations processes and approaches, including disciplinary, grievance, capability and organisational change.   Principles of workforce planning, performance management and organisational development.   Equity, diversity and inclusion principles and their practical application within the workplace.   Wellbeing, engagement and culture development practices.	Collaborative and relationship-focused.   Approachable, supportive and emotionally intelligent.   Resilient and confident in managing complex and sensitive situations.   Proactive and solutions-focused.   Organised, adaptable and able to manage competing priorities.   Committed to learning, improvement and innovation.	With Love – demonstrates compassion, empathy and respect in interactions with colleagues and stakeholder   With Purpose – focuses on achieving positive outcomes and improving experiences for colleagues and ultimately children and families.    With Strength – demonstrates courage, accountability and professionalism when addressing challenges and making decisions.   Demonstrates commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace where everyone feels they belong.   Builds positive relationships and works collaboratively to achieve shared goals.   Acts as a positive role model for Children First values and behaviours.