Head of People

Lead the people agenda for the professional body shaping the future of housing

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) is the independent voice for housing and the home of professional standards. As a membership organisation and registered charity, we support more than 19,000 housing professionals across 20 countries, championing better housing through professional excellence, learning, and influence. Our purpose is clear: to support housing professionals to create a future in which everyone has a place to call home.

As we continue to evolve and deliver our strategic ambitions, we're looking for an outstanding Head of People to join our Senior Management Group (SMG) and help shape the next chapter of our organisation. This is a rare opportunity to influence organisational strategy, strengthen leadership capability and ensure our people are equipped to deliver our ambitious corporate objectives. Working closely with the Director of finance, commercial and corporate services and the Executive Team, you'll play a pivotal role in building an organisation that's fit for the future.

What you'll be here to achieve

Leading a small, dedicated People team, you'll develop a modern, responsive and commercially aware People service that empowers managers and creates the conditions for colleagues to perform at their best. You'll strengthen leadership capability, ensure CIH has the talent, skills and organisational capability needed for future success, and lead organisational change that enables colleagues and the organisation to thrive.

About you

You'll be an experienced senior HR leader who enjoys operating at both strategic and operational levels. Comfortable working with executive leaders and influencing across the organisation, you'll bring credibility, commercial judgement and the confidence to challenge constructively while building trusted relationships.

You'll have a proven track record of leading change, developing leaders and delivering people strategies that improve organisational performance. You'll believe that exceptional organisations are built through outstanding leadership, empowered people and a culture of accountability.

Experience within a membership body, charity, not-for-profit or purpose-led organisation would be advantageous, but above all we're looking for someone who shares our commitment to making a meaningful difference through people.

Why join CIH?

At CIH, collaboration, mutual respect and a shared commitment to excellence are at the heart of how we work together. You'll join a supportive SMG that recognises the strategic value of its people and the role that effective leadership plays in organisational success. You'll have the opportunity to shape our people agenda, develop a talented team and make a lasting contribution to an organisation with a clear social purpose.

If you're looking for a role where your ideas will shape organisational strategy, your leadership will strengthen organisational capability and your work will make a lasting difference, we'd love to hear from you.

Next steps

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Sue Leppington, Director of finance, commercial and corporate services, by email at sue.leppington@cih.org.

To apply, please visit the CIH Careers page at https://www.cih.org/about-us/careers/.

Closing date: noon on 27th July 2026

Interviews: Week commencing 3rd August 2026

We encourage early applications and reserve the right to close the vacancy before the advertised date should sufficient applications be received.

The Chartered Institute of Housing is committed to building a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and will happily discuss any reasonable adjustments needed throughout the recruitment process.