People Partner

Oak North is a leading commercial digital bank, built by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. Founded in 2015, we support lower mid-market businesses — those with revenues between $1m and $100m — by providing fast, flexible debt finance and personalised banking services. To date, we have lent over $16bn to businesses globally, directly contributing to the creation of 56,000 jobs and 34,000 new homes.

We began operating in the US in mid-2023 and have since lent over $700m to US businesses. In March 2025, we announced an exciting milestone: the acquisition of Community Unity Bank (CUB), an FDIC-insured community bank based in Birmingham, Michigan, which marks a significant step in our US expansion.

This is a rare opportunity to join early and have real ownership over how we build People in the US. As we establish our American operation across New York and Michigan, this is the first dedicated People hire on the ground — you won't be inheriting a playbook, you'll be writing it.

We are looking for a commercially minded, hands-on People Partner to support our US business. Reporting into the Senior Director, People Partnering, based in the UK, you will be the primary HR contact for our US employee population across New York and Michigan, partnering closely with senior leaders to deliver an exceptional employee experience and drive business performance. This is a generalist role - you will need to be comfortable operating at both a strategic and operational level.

• Be a genuine commercial partner to US leaders — understanding the growth agenda, embedding yourself in the business, and shaping people strategies that directly support Oak North's US expansion.

• Build trusted relationships quickly across New York and Michigan, becoming the go-to for leaders navigating anything from org design to team performance.

• Use data and insight to get ahead of risks and opportunities, bringing proactive insight led recommendations.

• Manage employee relations matters end-to-end, including performance management, investigations, and separations, in line with US employment law.

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of federal and state employment legislation across New York and Michigan, and ensure policies and practices are compliant.

• Partner with legal counsel as required on complex or sensitive ER matters.

• Maintain accurate HR records and ensure compliance with at-will employment frameworks and applicable state-specific requirements.

• Support the delivery of Oak North's performance cycle, including calibration and year-end processes, ensuring consistency across the US population.

• Partner with managers to build capability, provide coaching on feedback and development conversations, and embed a high-performance culture.

• Identify high-potential talent and support succession planning in partnership with the global People team.

• Partner with the L&D team to embed Oak North's learning strategy on the ground in the US — spanning Manager Capability, Performance & Growth, Employee Lifecycle, and AI & Future Capability.

• Act as a culture carrier for Oak North's values and ways of working as we establish our US presence, ensuring the experience in New York and Michigan feels authentically Oak North.

• Drive employee engagement across the US population — running listening mechanisms, interpreting data, and working with leaders to take meaningful action.

• Champion belonging and inclusion within the US team, connecting local initiatives to the global People agenda.

• Help support with the onboarding experience for US hires, ensuring a smooth and engaging start.

• Manage offboarding processes, including exit…