Head of Culture

The Head of Culture is a high-impact Grade 6 role at the heart of the SFO's work to continue to develop and build an inclusive, engaged and high-performing organisation.

Working with the Chief People Officer, Head of People and senior leaders, the post holder will shape the culture, learning, engagement and inclusion agenda, supporting colleagues to deliver complex, sensitive and significant work in the SFO's mission to fight fraud, corruption and bribery.

This is an exciting opportunity to influence how the SFO delivers our strategic objectives. Delivering through people in defining the way that the SFO operates, learns and leads, while navigating the governance, scrutiny, security and operational sensitivity expected of a Civil Service law enforcement agency.

The post holder will deputise, alongside the Head of People, in the absence of the Chief People Officer.

As a Head of Culture you will be responsible for:

• Leadership and Management: Lead and develop the learning, engagement and inclusion team, setting direction and championing a professional, inclusive and values-led culture.
• Strategy, Cultural Reviews and Development: Translate the People Strategy into clear delivery plans, undertaking cultural reviews and designing targeted development programmes that strengthen culture, engagement, inclusion and performance.
• Build capability: Develop learning programmes to build the capability of leaders and managers across the organisation, working closely with stakeholders and external partners to create programmes which transform the capability of our people.
• Develop talent: Design and create career and learning pathways for key roles in the organisation, developing talent and building successional candidates. Lead the performance management process across the organisation, providing support, guidance and assurance.
• Stakeholder Management: Build trusted relationships with senior leaders, People Business Partners, Finance, Commercial, trade unions and external partners, influencing with credibility and sensitivity
• Executive Advice and Coaching: Advise, coach and support Executive Team members to integrate cultural development with performance management, ensuring leadership expectations, behaviours and accountability are embedded across the organisation.
• Commercial and Financial Management: Oversee learning, engagement and inclusion budgets, ensuring effective prioritisation, procurement, value for money and measurable outcomes.
• Learning Systems and Digital Solutions: Develop learning systems and digital solutions that improve access, compliance reporting and the quality of support for colleagues.
• Evaluation and Engagement: Analyse training, employee survey and engagement data to identify priorities, track progress and improve employee experience and organisational performance.
• Subject Expertise: Represent the portfolio across Civil Service and external networks, bringing insight into the SFO while ensuring approaches suit a secure, highly governed environment.

For more information about the role and for a full list of key responsibilities, please click on the link below.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Application Stage

As part of the application process, you will be required to provide:

A personal statement of no more than 1000 words attached to your CV that explains how your skills & experience meet each of the essential & desirable experience criteria as listed in the job pack.

Please note, desirable experience will only be taken into account if there is a large volume of applications & there is a need for further shortlisting for interview.

A supporting CV outlining your job history & qualifications, (including how you meet the essential technical criteria for the role)It will not be possible to provide feedback to applicants who are unsuccessful at the application stage.

Interview stage

Behaviours & experience as outlined in the job pack will be tested at interview.

Full details of the interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates in the invite to interview.

Closing date is 12pm (midday) on the 14th September 2026

Interviews are expected to take place in person on the 23rd September 2026 at the SFO Offices

All dates are indicative & subject to change. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. To be eligible you must meet the following residency requirements dependent of the level of security vetting required:

• SC: 5 years residency in the United Kingdom preceding this application.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.