People Director

We build legal drafting technology for moments that matter — when the stakes are high, the documents are complex, and speed can’t come at the cost of control. Our platform helps legal teams move faster through contracts using automation, collaboration, and AI — without taking judgement away from the lawyers who own the risk. We believe technology should amplify expertise, not replace it. Avvoka is trusted by leading law firms, banks, and global enterprises, and we’ve grown through product strength and word of mouth alone. With headcount and revenue continuing to scale rapidly year on year, we’re now scaling from a product‑led success into a globally recognised legal‑tech brand. We’re at an inflection point: evolving how the world’s most sophisticated legal teams work — and building a company where thoughtful people can do the best work ofp> Why Join Us This is a rare opportunity to build the People leadership layer above an established People function. Avvoka already has a strong Head of People with a strong operational foundation. This role exists to transform the People function, adding seniority, strategic depth, and global experience to scale the people function. You’ll partner closely with the senior leadership team through from 80 employees through to 150+, while mentoring and developing the Head of People into a strategic thinker as the function scales from a hands‑on team into a global People organisation. If you enjoy building leaders, designing scalable systems, and guiding companies through inflection points, this role offers exceptional scope and impact. The Role We’re hiring a People Director to lead Avvoka’s People strategy at the executive level. The People Director will focus on company‑wide people architecture, leadership effectiveness, international expansion, and investor readiness, mentoring the Head of People whilst also co‑owning day‑to‑day People operations and delivery. The role remains hands‑on where it matters most — particularly at leadership, organisational, and international levels — but is primarily about setting direction, raising standards, and enabling scale. Department: People Reports to: Co‑founders Direct Reports: Head of People Working Hours: Generally 9:00–17:30 GMT, with 1 hour’s lunch break Compensation: Competitive, based on experience Start Date: Flexible — we’d love you to join soon What You’ll Do Own and evolve Avvoka’s long‑term People strategy in line with commercial and product growth. Partner with founders and leadership team on: Org design and scaling strategy Retention and leadership capability Cultural health as the company grows internationally Define the People roadmap required to scale the business to match its ambitious plans. International Expansion & Governance Lead People for international expansion, initially UK → US. Support the setup of international entities in partnership with Finance and Legal. Design globally consistent, locally compliant employment frameworks. Guide leaders through the challenges of distributed, cross‑border teams. Act as a coach, mentor, and strategic partner to the Head of People, supporting their growth into a scaled People leader. Provide senior guidance on complex People decisions, while empowering operational ownership. Set clear boundaries between strategic leadership and operational delivery. Raise the bar for People leadership across the organisation. Culture, Performance & Leadership Quality Ensure Avvoka’s values remain embedded as the organisation scales. Design leadership and performance frameworks that drive accountability and clarity. Support senior leaders in building strong, resilient teams. Act as a sounding board for the founders and exec team on sensitive people matters. Hiring Architecture & Talent Quality at Scale Build and oversee a scalable hiring function across technical and non‑technical roles, with clear role definition and consistent assessment standards. Partner with functional leaders to design fit‑for‑purpose hiring frameworks, from technical assessment to leadership evaluation. Set hiring governance and capability, including interviewer training and structured decision‑making. Continuously refine hiring processes to balance speed, quality, and candidate experience as the company scales. What Success Looks Like To ensure your application has the best opportunity of success, your CV could cover the below measures of success with quantifiable results (e.g. percentages, growth, reductions, impact) Successfully acting as an executive People leader responsible for a small team. Developing and mentoring a Head of People or similar role into a scaled leadership position. Designing People strategies that supported rapid growth across multiple geographies. Being hands‑on building new processes for an organisation that has traditionally been nimble and lean. What You’ll Bring The ideal candidate would have: Experience operating as a People Director or equivalent in an emerging software business. A track record of building People strategy above strong operational People teams. Experience guiding organisations through the recruitment scaling phase. Deep experience with international expansion, particularly UK and US employment models. A coaching mindset with genuine enjoyment of developing leadership. You’ve scaled organisations beyond 150 people. You’ve supported global teams. You’ve worked in legal tech, fintech, or complex B2B SaaS environments. Adaptability in dynamically evolving settings. A proactive, solution‑focused mindset with ownership. A collaborative spirit, supporting and mentoring others. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway — you might be just the candidate we’re looking for. Our Hiring Process CV Review: Our People team reviews all applications carefully. Screening Call (15m): A quick virtual chat with our People team to learn more about you and answer any initial questions. Stage 1 – Assessment Interview (30–45m): A virtual assessment interview with the Hiring Manager focused on your experience and approach. Stage 2 – Senior Interview (for senior roles): An additional conversation with members of the leadership team. Meet the Team: Where possible, we’ll invite shortlisted candidates to visit our WeWork Waterloo office to meet the wider team. We aim to make an offer to the successful candidate within a month of application, but this will vary by role and seniority. Benefits Flexible WFH allowance - flexible days in office based on operational requirements Private health insurance through VitalityHealth (post‑probation), including discounted gym memberships Access to WeWork amenities (coffee, community events, modern workspaces) Summer Fridays - finish early every other Friday in July and August Monthly socials and quarterly team events Annual learning and development budget Home office IT allowance 25 days’ annual leave plus public holidays Company pension scheme Right to request flexible working arrangements A collaborative, transparent company culture with real opportunities for growth We are an equal opportunity employer that celebrates diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences—including those from underrepresented groups—and are happy to provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities during the recruitment process. #J-18808-Ljbffr