Head of Culture Job Description
Lead the design and delivery of your organisation’s people strategy, embedding inclusive behaviours and sustainable engagement across the business.
What does a Head of Culture professional do?
Senior people-leader responsible for culture strategy, engagement, diversity and change programmes across the organisation.
Head of Culture job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Head of Culture
About the role
[Organisation] is recruiting a Head of Culture to shape and deliver a cohesive culture strategy that supports our values and business goals. You will lead engagement and inclusion programmes, partner with senior leaders to translate cultural priorities into practice and build capability across managers and teams. This role is based in [Location] with [hybrid/remote] working and reports to [senior leader].
Key responsibilities
- Develop and own the organisation-wide culture strategy and roadmap, aligned to strategic priorities and measurable outcomes.
- Design and run employee engagement programmes, internal communications and recognition activity that increase retention and morale.
- Lead diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, setting objectives, tracking progress and advising on inclusive policies and practice.
- Partner with senior leaders and people managers to embed culture initiatives into business plans, performance frameworks and people processes.
- Define and report culture and engagement metrics; use qualitative and quantitative insight to prioritise interventions and demonstrate impact.
- Create learning and development interventions that build leadership capability and inclusive management behaviours.
- Manage a small team and external partners or suppliers responsible for culture, engagement and internal communications.
- Own budgets and project plans for culture-related programmes, ensuring timely delivery and value for money.
Essential skills and experience
- Proven experience leading culture, engagement or DEI programmes at a senior level within a complex organisation.
- Strong track record of designing measurable people programmes and using engagement data to inform decisions.
- Ability to influence senior stakeholders and coach managers to embed cultural behaviours.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience of internal communications and storytelling.
- Experience of leading small teams and managing external suppliers or consultants.
- Right to work in the UK.
Desirable
- Professional qualification in HR, organisational development or a related discipline (e.g. CIPD) or equivalent practical experience.
- Experience with change management frameworks and running cross-functional change programmes.
- Familiarity with people analytics or HR systems that support engagement measurement.
- Experience of international or multi-site organisations.
- Practical experience designing inclusive recruitment, progression or recognition practices.
What we offer
- Pension scheme (placeholder)
- Generous annual leave allowance (placeholder)
- Flexible / hybrid working policy (placeholder)
- Learning and development budget (placeholder)
- Private medical insurance or healthcare support (placeholder)
- Enhanced parental leave (placeholder)
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Head of Culture role?
A Head of Culture develops and implements the strategic approach to an organisation’s culture, employee experience and inclusion. They translate business objectives into people-focused programmes, lead engagement and DEI activity, advise senior leaders and measure the impact of culture initiatives. The role typically involves cross-functional partnership, project management and leadership of a small specialist team.
Purpose
Design and embed culture strategy that supports organisational goals and improves engagement, inclusion and retention.
Reporting
Typically reports to Head of People, Chief People Officer or an equivalent senior leader; works closely with executive team.
Team
Leads a small specialist team and frequently partners with HR, internal comms and business leads.
Location & working style
Often based at headquarters with hybrid working; scope may include multi-site or international responsibilities.
Typical Head of Culture responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Develop
Develop and own the organisation-wide culture strategy and roadmap, aligned to strategic priorities and measurable outcomes.
Design
Design and run employee engagement programmes, internal communications and recognition activity that increase retention and morale.
Lead diversity
Lead diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, setting objectives, tracking progress and advising on inclusive policies and practice.
Partner with senior leaders
Partner with senior leaders and people managers to embed culture initiatives into business plans, performance frameworks and people processes.
Define
Define and report culture and engagement metrics; use qualitative and quantitative insight to prioritise interventions and demonstrate impact.
Create learning
Create learning and development interventions that build leadership capability and inclusive management behaviours.
Manage a small team
Manage a small team and external partners or suppliers responsible for culture, engagement and internal communications.
Own budgets
Own budgets and project plans for culture-related programmes, ensuring timely delivery and value for money.
Head of Culture skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Proven experience leading culture, engagement or DEI programmes at a senior level within a complex organisation.
- Strong track record of designing measurable people programmes and using engagement data to inform decisions.
- Ability to influence senior stakeholders and coach managers to embed cultural behaviours.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience of internal communications and storytelling.
- Experience of leading small teams and managing external suppliers or consultants.
- Right to work in the UK.
Useful where relevant
- Professional qualification in HR, organisational development or a related discipline (e.g. CIPD) or equivalent practical experience.
- Experience with change management frameworks and running cross-functional change programmes.
- Familiarity with people analytics or HR systems that support engagement measurement.
- Experience of international or multi-site organisations.
- Practical experience designing inclusive recruitment, progression or recognition practices.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Head of Culture job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be specific about remit and authority
State which parts of the employee lifecycle and which sites or regions the role owns, and whether the role includes budget or hiring authority.
Use measurable outcomes
Outline the key metrics or success criteria you expect the candidate to influence (e.g. engagement score, retention, D&I targets).
Clarify the leadership context
Say who the role reports to, which executive forums they will join and which stakeholders they will influence.
Give examples of recent or planned initiatives
Briefly describe recent culture projects or current priorities so candidates understand the immediate focus.
Set expectations for the hiring process
Indicate likely interview stages and whether candidates will be required to deliver a short presentation or case study.
Head of Culture salary considerations
Salaries for a Head of Culture vary widely. When setting pay, consider organisational context rather than relying on a single market figure. Explain the main factors that will determine the appropriate salary for your vacancy.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Head of Culture candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What is the scope of the role?
Candidates want to know which teams, sites and parts of the employee lifecycle they will influence and whether responsibility is UK-only or global.
What budget and resources are available?
Experienced hires will ask about programme budgets, headcount and access to external partners or agencies.
Who does the role report to and who are the key stakeholders?
Clarity on reporting line and stakeholder relationships (executive sponsor, HRBP, comms) helps candidates assess fit and influence.
Which metrics will define success?
Candidates expect to know the KPIs they will be measured against, such as engagement scores, attrition rates or D&I targets.
What are the working arrangements?
State hybrid/home working expectations, travel requirements and any on-site commitments so candidates can judge practical fit.
Where to post a Head of Culture job
For a senior Head of Culture role, use a mix of broad UK job boards for reach and specialist HR or people-practitioner channels to target experienced candidates. Promote the vacancy via professional networks and leadership communities, and consider targeted outreach through DEI or organisational development groups for hard-to-reach talent.
Head of Culture job description FAQs
How long should a Head of Culture advert be?
Keep the advert concise but informative: a short summary (about 2–3 sentences), a clear responsibilities list, essential requirements and 3–5 selling points about the role or organisation.
Do I need a CIPD or specific qualification to recruit a Head of Culture?
A professional qualification can be helpful but is not universally mandatory. Prioritise demonstrable experience of culture, engagement and DEI delivery over specific certificates unless your sector requires them.
How should I assess senior candidates for this role?
Use a blend of behavioural interviews, examples of past programmes and a brief presentation or case exercise that shows strategic thinking, stakeholder influence and measurement approach.
Should I include salary in the advert?
Including a salary range improves transparency and can increase applicant quality. If you choose not to publish a figure, clarify factors such as seniority and benefits so candidates understand the level.
What makes a strong candidate for Head of Culture?
Strong candidates combine strategic thinking, practical delivery experience, stakeholder influence, data-informed decision making and visible commitment to inclusion and employee experience.
Use this Head of Culture template
Customise the advert to reflect your organisation’s priorities, add specific reporting and budget details, then publish the vacancy on sector-relevant channels to attract experienced candidates.
