HR Director

Who are Coolr?

We’re an independent social media agency and team of creatives, social experts, content publishers and change makers. Completely wired into popular culture, our work connects brands with their audiences h clients such as Burger King, Lidl, Deliveroo and Compare the Market (to name drop a few) our aim is to be the biggest social agency in the world.

The agency is growing at a rapid rate, but we’re only just getting started. In 2026, we have ambitious plans to truly become the stand‑out social agency in the UK, the US, and beyond. We have a strong platform for growth and have made great strides forward – now we really want to take things to the next level.

We’re looking for a hands‑on, people‑first HR Director to lead and deliver the people agenda at Coolr as we continue our rapid growth in the UK, US and beyond.

With 140 brilliant humans (and counting), this role owns both the strategy and the execution of everything people‑related. You’ll set the direction for our people function while remaining close to the detail, rolling up your sleeves, staying connected to the team, and making sure our people experience is genuinely excellent at every stage of the employee lifecycle.

This is a key leadership role, working closely with the senior leadership team to shape culture, capability and performance as the business scales. You’ll balance big‑picture thinking with day‑to‑day delivery, ensuring our people processes are robust, human, and built to grow with us.

No two days will look the same. One moment you might be advising leadership on org design or workforce planning, the next you’ll be coaching a manager through a tricky conversation or improving a core people process. Creativity doesn’t stop with our client‑facing teams, we’re looking for a thoughtful, commercially minded problem‑solver who can build a best‑in‑class people function that genuinely supports and empowers our team.

• Acting as a trusted people lead and core member of the leadership team, shaping and owning Coolr’s people strategy as the agency continues to scale.
• Being hands‑on across the full employee lifecycle, from on‑ and off‑boarding to employee relations, performance, probation, absence management and everything in between.
• Setting the direction for people processes, policies and tech as we grow, while staying close to the detail and continuously improving what’s already in place.
• Partnering closely with senior leaders and line managers to support decision‑making, build strong teams and develop leadership capability.
• Coaching, mentoring and constructively challenging managers at all levels, including having the tough conversations when needed.
• Working closely with Talent and Operations to ensure a joined‑up, end‑to‑end people experience that feels thoughtful, consistent and human.
• Spotting trends, using people data and insight to influence decisions, and proactively identifying where change or intervention is needed.
• Leading and delivering people projects across wellbeing, engagement, reward, performance and diversity & inclusion.
• Owning people best practice and consistency across international markets, supporting our growth in the UK, US and beyond (hands‑on international experience is a plus).

• CIPD Level 7 (or equivalent experience) preferred; CIPD Level 5 considered with relevant experience.
• Significant experience leading HR in a fast‑paced, high‑growth environment, with experience operating in a business of 150+ people. Agency or creative industry experience is a strong advantage.
• A genuinely hands‑on HR Director who enjoys being close to the detail while owning the bigger picture.
• Operationally excellent, with a love for clean processes, automation, documentation and scalable systems.
• Confident handling complex employee relations matters and advising at senior leadership level.
• Commercially minded, with the ability to balance people needs with business priorities.
• A warm, pragmatic and credible leader who builds trust quickly and isn’t afraid to challenge when needed.
• Comfortable working with ambiguity, making decisions at pace and providing clear opinions with incomplete…