We’re not hiring HR to manage paperwork.
We’re hiring a people leader to help build the company.
We are scaling fast, and our people function needs to scale with us.
This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can build structure without bureaucracy, move at pace without losing judgement, and help shape a culture where people can do excellent work.
You will work closely with the COO and wider executive team to lead the execution of our people and growth strategy. You will own the day-to-day people function, but this is much broader than administration. You will help build the systems, culture, processes, and employee experience that support our next phase of growth.
Location and Working Pattern
UK-based role.
Hybrid, with a minimum of one day per week working from our office in Edinburgh or our office in Dagenham.
We are open to a full-time appointment or a pro rata 4-day week.
What You Will Do
You will lead the people function across the business, balancing strategic input with practical delivery.
Your role will include:
- Partnering with the COO and executive team to shape and deliver a people strategy that supports growth, performance and an outstanding employee experience across all sites
- Leading and evolving the full employee lifecycle
- Building scalable people-centred systems, processes, and governance that support a growing multi-site organisation
- Driving recruitment strategies and developing strong external talent partnerships to attract exceptional people
- Creating and implementing engaging onboarding experiences that help colleagues feel welcomed and set-up for success
- Developing our training systems and implementing a comprehensive Learning Management System that supports continuous growth and career progression
- Working collaboratively across the business to align training with our wider quality, digital, and AI goals
- Owning occupational health initiatives and collaborating with colleagues to promote a healthy and safe working environment
- Maintaining robust UK HR governance across all sites, including employment law, right-to-work, and immigration compliance
- Partnering with operational leaders to support confident, consistent and compassionate people leadership
- Leading the development of reward, recognition and progression frameworks that motivate and retain high performing teams.
- Using people data, insights, and AI thoughtfully to continuously improve the effectiveness of the people function
- Championing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that help create a culture where everyone feels respected, represented, valued, and able to succeed
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role means helping us build a people function that is trusted, commercially minded and people-first.
Within 6–12 months, you will have:
- Become a trusted partner to the COO, executive team, managers, and colleagues
- Taken clear ownership of the day-to-day people operations
- Enhanced recruitment, onboarding, training, and employee lifecycle processes to help attract, retain and develop exceptional talent
- Strengthened HR governance, policies, immigration compliance, and people-focussed risk management
- Developed a clear and achievable roadmap for learning, development, and LMS implementation
- Helped managers feel more confident, capable and supported in leading their teams
- Improved and introduced occupational health, health and safety and wellbeing initiatives to support a healthier workplace culture
- Identified and delivered practical improvements to make the business more agile, efficient, and scalable
- Helped promote a culture that balances performance, care, inclusion, accountability, and continuous improvement across all sites
About You
You are a balanced, personable, and pragmatic HR leader who enjoys building as much as managing.
You are comfortable in a scaling business where not everything is fully defined. You can navigate complexity, make sensible decisions, and bring structure without slowing the business down.
You will bring:
- Strong UK HR expertise and sound employment law knowledge
- Experience in scaling, or fast-moving organisations
- A hands-on, “roll up your sleeves” mindset
- The ability to move quickly while balancing risk and pragmatism
- Excellent judgement and clear decision-making
- A compassionate, credible, and direct communication style
- A creative, solution-focused approach to challenges
- Strong systems and process thinking
- Confidence using technology and AI considerately and critically
- The ability to work closely with operations, leadership, and managers across the business
Experience and Qualifications
We expect you to have:
· CIPD Level 5 qualified as a minimum, ideally Level 7, or able to demonstrate equivalent senior UK HR experience
· At least 5 years’ HR experience, including strong generalist capability
· Experience supporting organisational growth, change, and scaling
· Experience improving or implementing HR, training, LMS, or wider people systems would be advantageous
Please note you must have the right to work in the UK at the time of application. Please note that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
Why Digital Odour Technologies (dot)?
This is a chance to build, not just maintain. You will help shape how the company grows, how managers lead, how people develop, and how our culture scales. You will be joining at an exciting stage, with the opportunity to make a visible and lasting impact across the business.
At dot, we develop cutting-edge solutions at the intersection of science, technology, and health. From pioneering hardware/software products to specialised contract research services, our work spans three core verticals: pest control, animal health, and human health.
We are a mission-driven team passionate about solving real-world problems through science-led innovation. Our culture is grounded in our core values – integrity, innovation, impact, partnership, and responsibility – which guide how we work together, support our clients and partners, and uphold our responsibility to the communities and ecosystems impacted by our work.
Whatever your role at dot, you’ll be part of a collaborative, forward-thinking environment that values scientific excellence, creative problem-solving, and a shared commitment to making a meaningful difference.
Pay: £60,000.00 per year
Application question(s):
- Have you previously held a senior standalone or lead HR/People role within a small or scaling organisation?
- Are you comfortable working in a highly hands-on role where you are expected to both shape strategy and directly deliver day-to-day HR operations?
- Have you implemented or significantly improved HR systems, training/LMS platforms, or people processes within an organisation?
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in London
