We're looking for a People Director

iwoca's People Director will be responsible for ensuring iwoca is hiring, developing and retaining the people we need to achieve our business goals, and those people truly love being part of iwoca.

They will build a world-class People function that drives our next phase of growth.

You'll be a commercially astute leader, who is the most senior people leader in the business. You will shape the people strategy, act as a key strategic partner to the business, and safeguard our culture as we scale.

About us

Imagine a world where every small business has the power to thrive. That's the world we're building at iwoca. Small businesses aren't just statistics - they're the heartbeat of our communities, the character of our high streets, and the engine of our economy. Since 2012, we've revolutionised how these businesses access finance, turning what was once a lengthy, frustrating process into something remarkable: funding that's fast, flexible, and actually works for modern businesses.

Our impact speaks for itself: we've provided billions in funding to more than 150,000 businesses across Europe, making us one of the continent's leading fintech innovators. But we're just getting started. Our mission? To empower one million businesses with the financial tools they deserve.

We combine cutting-edge technology and data science with genuine human understanding to make finance feel less like a barrier and more like a superpower. Whether it's managing cash flow or seizing unexpected opportunities, we ensure businesses get the funds they need - often within minutes.

Your mission

As People Director, you will:

• Define and drive the strategy for all People teams, continuously improving how we attract, retain, develop, and reward talent across iwoca
• Make commercial decisions on People investment, benefits, office space, and policies, optimising cost and value with the courage to adjust spend dynamically in response to our fast-changing business and community needs
• Act as a guardian of our culture, ensuring it remains distinctive and vibrant as we scale and expand our scope
• Mentor and develop your People Operations team (currently 14) to build a high-performing function that supports the company's growth ambitions
• Balance day-to-day delivery of operational people processes with strategic initiatives that enhance efficiency and quality across the People function

Lead projects including:

• Analysing recruitment data to refine strategies and improve talent acquisition effectiveness
• Reviewing and evolving performance management processes to keep them relevant and impactful
• Owning iwoca's Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy to meet commitments to customers and lenders
• Shaping a competitive employee benefits proposition that delivers real value for money

Requirements

• At least 10 years' senior management experience, with a proven record of driving organisational performance and cultivating a healthy, high-performing culture. You take a clear, strategic approach to achieving results.
• Ideally, you will have held senior leadership roles in both People Operations and a commercial function, giving you direct experience of where a People team can and should add value.
• Proven experience in high-growth tech scale-ups, having scaled organisations typically from around 500 to 1,000 people. Sector background isn't important, what matters is that you've worked across different company sizes, cultures, and challenges, and can apply those lessons thoughtfully to iwoca's growth.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills to thoroughly understand problems, evaluate options, and justify optimal solutions. You structure your thinking clearly and communicate your ideas effectively to ensure well-informed, outcome-driven decisions across all areas of people operations.
• A first principles" approach to people strategy, capable of innovating and tailoring solutions specifically for iwoca.
• Commercial acumen to make informed decisions on where to invest, ensuring maximum value from benefits, office space, and other people-related expenditures
• Excellent project management skills, able to scope, deliver, and gain stakeholder buy-in on complex initiatives
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, able to build trust and influence effectively at all levels, with the gravitas to engage senior leaders and manage diverse viewpoints
• Humility, empathy, sound judgement, and emotional maturity, coupled with a servant leadership mindset
• A strong commitment to personal growth and the development of others
• Familiarity with UK and German employment law is highly desirable, given the cross-market scope of the role

The salary

We expect to pay from £110,000 - £150,000 for this role. But, we're open-minded, so definitely include your salary goals with your application. We routinely benchmark salaries against market rates and run quarterly performance and salary reviews.

The culture

At iwoca, we look to hire smart, passionate, humble individuals with a growth mindset. We prioritise a culture of learning, growth, and support, and invest in the professional development of our team members.

We value thought and skill diversity and encourage you to explore new areas of interest to help us innovate and improve our products and services.

Our friendly and inclusive environment, combined with our flexible work policies, ensures that you'll have the perfect balance between work and life, empowering you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The offices

We put a lot of effort into making iwoca a brilliant place to work:

• Offices in London, Leeds, Berlin and Frankfurt with plenty of drinks and snacks
• Events and clubs, like bingo, comedy nights, yoga classes, football, etc.

The benefits

• Medical insurance from Vitality, including discounted gym membership
• A private GP service (separate from Vitality) for you, your partner, and your dependants.
• 25 days' holiday, an extra day off for your birthday, the option to buy or sell an additional five days of annual leave, and unlimited unpaid leave
• A one-month, fully paid sabbatical after four years.
• Instant access to emotional and mental health support.
• 3% Pension contributions and share options.
• Generous parental leave and a nursery tax benefit scheme to help you save money.
• Cycle-to-work scheme and electric car scheme.
• Two company retreats a year, we've been to France, Italy, Spain, and further afield.

And to make sure we all keep learning, we offer:

• A learning and development budget for everyone.
• Company-wide talks with internal and external speakers.
• Access to learning platforms like Treehouse.

Useful links:

• Glassdoor
• Kununu
• Trustpilot