Head of Talent and Organisational Performancenew

About the role: We're seeking an exceptional Head of Talent Organisational Performance to lead St. James's Place's enterprise approach to organisational capability, talent, succession and performance. Reporting to the Director of Organisational Development and operating as a member of the Organisational Development Leadership Team, this role is at the heart of SJP’s preparation for future growth. This is a highly visible enterprise leadership role with regular exposure to Executive Committee members and Board governance forums. You will bring insight and experience to shape the strategy and supporting frameworks and governance to inform some of SJP’s most important decisions about leadership continuity, workforce readiness, organisational capability and succession risk. This role is broader than traditional talent management. Success depends on your ability to connect organisational strategy, workforce capability, talent development, succession governance and performance enablement to strengthen organisational effectiveness and long-term business performance. Supported by a small specialist team, and working closely with colleagues across the People function, you will deliver outcomes and drive change through your expertise, relationships and enterprise leadership and engagement in governance. What you'll be doing: Organisational Capability Define and evolve SJP's approach to organisational capability. Identify future capability requirements needed to deliver strategic priorities. Assess capability strengths, gaps and emerging organisational risks, translating insight into action. Oversee career frameworks and talent pathways that strengthen internal mobility and organisational resilience. Talent strategy governance Shape and implement SJP's enterprise talent strategy and philosophy. Establish governance frameworks that support consistent, evidence-based talent decisions. Build approaches that identify, develop and retain critical talent and leadership capability. Apply external research, behavioural science and emerging technologies to enhance talent outcomes. Executive succession and talent risk Own the enterprise succession planning framework across executive, leadership and critical specialist populations. Provide oversight of successor readiness, leadership pipeline strength and succession risk. Establish robust governance, assurance and reporting mechanisms for succession activities. Support GEC and Board discussions through high-quality insight and recommendations. Performance organisational effectiveness Shape SJP's enterprise approach to performance enablement and organisational effectiveness. Ensure alignment between business priorities, capability development and performance practices. Use insight and evidence to strengthen accountability and sustainable high performance. Identify opportunities to improve the organisational conditions that enable people and teams to succeed. Workforce intelligence insight Shape SJP’s workforce, talent and capability insight and how we use it across the organisation. Leverage people analytics, behavioural science and market insights to inform strategic decisions Translate workforce data into meaningful recommendations for senior leaders Use evidence to inform strategic people and organisational decisions Leadership stakeholder management Act as a trusted adviser to Executive Committee members, senior leaders and People Partners. Prepare high-quality reports and Board-level papers that are fluent, succinct and grounded in evidence. Build strong partnerships across the People function to deliver integrated organisational outcomes. Influence enterprise decision-making through expertise, challenge and insight. Contribute as a senior leader within the Organisational Development leadership team. About you: We're looking for a strategic and commercially minded leader with substantial experience operating at a senior level within talent, organisational development or workforce capability functions. Essential Criteria: Significant experience in a senior Talent, Organisational Development, Learning, or People leadership role. Proven track record of developing and delivering talent and organisational performance strategies that support business objectives. Significant experience in succession planning, talent management, and performance management. Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and challenge senior leaders and executive teams. Experience using people data, insights, and metrics to inform decision-making and measure effectiveness. Ability to influence senior stakeholders and governance forums without formal authority Experience operating within complex, highly regulated organisations Proven ability to lead and develop specialist teams. Excellent communication, facilitation, and advisory skills. Strong project and programme management capabilities, with experience delivering complex people initiatives. Relevant graduate or post-graduate-level qualification or equivalent professional experience. Desirable Criteria: Experience working in or with financial services organisations Chartered Member/Fellow of the CIPD or equivalent professional qualification. Knowledge of organisational effectiveness, workforce planning, and employee engagement methodologies. Experience designing and implementing talent review and succession frameworks. Experience supporting executive leadership and board-level talent discussions. Knowledge of psychometric assessment tools and leadership assessment methodologies. Experience managing external suppliers, consultants, and development partners. Understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles within talent and organisational development strategies. Experience implementing or optimising talent management and performance technology platforms.