National Friendly Society seeks Head of People and Culture
Location: Bristol (hybrid)
Salary: circa £75,000 pa + exceptional benefits package
Contract: Permanent
Closing date: Midnight, Friday 28th August 2026
Lead People. Shape Culture. Influence Strategy.
Moon Executive Search is delighted to be partnering with National Friendly Society to appoint a new Head of People & Culture.
This is a rare opportunity to join a highly respected mutual organisation with a heritage spanning more than 150 years. Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the Executive Team and Board, you will lead the people agenda at a pivotal time for the Society, ensuring its culture, leadership capability and workforce strategy support continued growth and success.
As a member-owned business, National Friendly is driven by purpose rather than profit alone. Its values-led culture, commitment to colleagues and focus on delivering excellent outcomes for members make this a genuinely rewarding leadership opportunity.
The opportunity
This is a broad and influential role, combining strategic leadership with operational delivery. You will:
Develop and deliver the People & Culture strategy.
Act as the principal adviser to the CEO and Executive Team on people matters.
Lead succession planning, workforce planning and talent development.
Drive employee engagement, wellbeing and culture initiatives.
Support the Board and Remuneration Committee on organisational capability and people governance.
Lead the HR and Facilities functions, ensuring excellent service delivery across the organisation.
About you
You will be an experienced and commercially minded people leader with the credibility to influence at Executive and Board level.
We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:
Significant senior HR leadership experience.
Experience developing and implementing organisation-wide people strategies.
Strong knowledge of UK employment legislation and governance.
A track record of leading change, culture and organisational development programmes.
Experience advising leadership teams and Boards.
Ideally MCIPD or FCIPD status, with CIPD Level 7 or equivalent.
Experience within financial services, mutuals or other regulated environments would be advantageous but is not essential.
Why National Friendly?
National Friendly offers the chance to make a visible impact within an organisation that genuinely values its people. You'll have the opportunity to help shape the future of a trusted Bristol-based organisation while building a culture that enables colleagues and members to thrive.
How to apply
For a confidential discussion and to apply, please contact Vanessa Moon or Scott Bird via recruit@moonexecsearch.com quoting reference MC2794
Closing date is Friday 28th August 2026.
Disclaimer: National Friendly has retained Moon Exec Search to manage this campaign and are therefore unable to accept CVs from third party agencies. All CVs and expressions of interest received will be forwarded directly to Moon Exec Search for consideration.