Director Of People Operations

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Director of People Operations to join Deep. This individual will be responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing our policies, talent management, and workforce planning.  Culture is very important to us and the role holder will help to drive our values throughout the organisation ensuring we have an environment of safety, respect, innovation, and continuous learning. This role is pivotal in aligning human capital strategy with Deep’s mission, fostering a productive and safe workplace, and promoting a high-performance , inclusive culture at Deep.

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement people strategies that align with the business goals and collaborate with executive leadership to shape company culture and foster a positive work environment.
• Talent Acquisition & Development: Oversee recruitment and selection process for engineering, technical and operations roles and drive talent development programs, including onboarding, mentoring, training and succession planning, with a focus on technical skillsets in engineering, diving and manufacturing.
• Employee Relations & Compliance: Ensure compliance with all applicable employment laws, safety regulations, and industry standards, particularly those relevant to marine engineering, diving, and manufacturing operations. Also, develop and maintain policies related to health, safety, and employee well-being, especially for employees working in challenging environments.
• Performance Management: Drive a culture of performance ensuring people managers are adept at managing performance, manage the review process and identify gaps and facilitate corrective actions and performance improvement plans. Also work closely with line managers to establish clear OKR’s that align with project timelines and operational goals.
• Compensation & Benefits: Develop competitive compensation strategies, tailored to attract and retain employees in our sectors, and provide effective oversight of benefit programs, including health, pension, and speciality benefits suited to employees.
• Change Management & Organisational Development: Support organisational restructuring, change management, and cultural transformation initiatives, ensuring seamless integration across projects and teams. Lead employee engagement efforts to enhance productivity, job satisfaction, and career progression.

What you will need 

• Bachelors Degree in Human Resources, Business Admin, or related field – Master’s degree in HR is advantageous
• Previous HR leadership within marine engineering or a similar technical/industrial environment/advanced manufacturing is highly desirable
• Extensive experience within HR leadership roles and ability to lead a team and manage complex HR initiatives
• Sound understanding of technical recruiting and development talent for engineering and technical roles
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to manage sensitive issues effectively and build effective and strong relationships across departments
• Posses the ability to plan strategically and execute tactically to meet the evolving needs of the marine engineering workforce.
• In-depth understanding of employment laws, safety regulations, and employee relation practices relevant to industrial and/or marine environments

What’s in it for you

Salary – Highly competitive

Bonus – Performance related bonus scheme

Annual Leave – 25 days, plus statutory holidays

Private Healthcare – Able to add family members at an extra cost

Working Hours – Monday to Friday

Lunch – Free lunch and breakfast provided onsite alongside snacks

Cycle scheme – Redeemable for bikes and related equipment

Social events – Monthly & quarterly social events

Who are we

DEEP is accelerating deep sea exploration and preservation through the development of new technologies which enable humans to operate for longer periods of time and radically advance how humankind can access, explore and inhabit underwater environments.  DEEP completely transforms what we are capable of underwater – and will increase our understanding of life on this planet!

Our planet’s oceans hold answers to some of the most significant challenges facing humanity today, and yet they are almost completely unknown and unexplored. At DEEP, our mission is to radically open up access to the oceans through pioneering new technologies. These will empower scientists and researchers to fully understand the impact of our current way of life on the oceans and find new ways for us to protect our seas, their inhabitants and ourselves.

Working at DEEP

We are an expert team of highly experienced engineers, operations, and safety experts, with a funding model that allows us the freedom to think long term and pursue our mission without traditional restraints. We want to drive progress at the forefront of deep-sea innovation and discovery to become stewards of the oceans and reshape our relationship with our planet.

As an organization with multi-generational objectives and revolutionising humankinds' relationship with the ocean the values we work to each day are critical:

Be Curious – Make a better way, and ask why not? Answers are easy, questions are hard – Find original questions and be a curiosity catalyst!

Be Exceptional – It will take the most intelligent, talented and creative people on the planet working together to achieve the vision. Get it done, be relentless in your pursuit of excellence and demand excellence from everyone.

Be Fearless – No one has done this before! Impossible things must be done the first time. We are the team and going first!

Be Good – Cultivate passion and thrive together. Be safe, we take intelligent risks, but we will never compromise on the safety of our team – ever!

At DEEP, we celebrate and embrace diversity and inclusion and strongly believe that the best innovations come from diverse perspectives. We invite applicants from all backgrounds to join us in creating technology that makes a meaningful impact on humanity, our oceans and planet.