Location: Leeds (Hybrid)

Salary: up to £75K (DOE)

Cognisys isn’t your typical HR environment. We’re a young, fast-moving cybersecurity business that’s scaled from 30 to 70 people in just 12 months – and we’re on course to double again by the end of 2026. That pace brings excitement, complexity, and pressure. We know it. We embrace it. And we’re looking for a Head of People who has the energy, resilience, and creativity to help us harness it.

We’ve built an enviable profile in the GRC and Cyber sector, with clients including Volkswagen Audi Group, Deloitte, and Perplexity.ai. Our culture is unapologetically high-performance, ambitious and demanding. It won’t suit everyone – but if you thrive in a dynamic, scale-up environment and have successfully steered a business through hyper-growth before, this is where you’ll make your mark.

Cognisys specialises in Penetration Testing, GRC Consulting, and Managed Security services. We pride ourselves on our customer service, forward-thinking approach, and commitment to excellence. Our small but mighty team works with some of the best-known companies in the world, covering over 30 countries worldwide!

About the Role

This isn’t a back-office HR job. As our Head of People, you’ll shape how Cognisys attracts, develops, and retains the best talent in the industry while building the structures, culture, and processes to support rapid international growth. You’ll oversee everything from employee relations to learning and development, from engagement to performance management – with the freedom to innovate and the expectation to deliver.

You’ll need to balance hands-on work with strategic planning: one day running onboarding and ensuring our systems keep pace, the next, partnering with the CEO and SLT to advise on scaling culture and capability across multiple geographies.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee all HR administration and people programs across the employee lifecycle, driving continuous improvement in processes and systems.
• Manage the onboarding process, including preparing materials, conducting induction sessions, and ensuring onboarding checklists are completed.
• Administer the performance management cycle; plan appraisal timelines, and support employees and managers with completing their appraisals and evaluations.
• Oversee the salary review process and advise on salary adjustment decisions.
• Ensure day-to-day HR administrative tasks are completed on time and accurately, including maintaining employee contracts, sickness & absence, and training records.
• Maximise the accurate and efficient use of HRIS systems (HiBob, Team Tailor, plus others).

Requirements

• Someone who has successfully navigated the scale-up journey before – ideally in a tech or consulting business.
• The drive to challenge, not just support – we want someone who can question, steer, and set a high bar.
• A natural builder of systems and processes who can still roll up their sleeves when needed.
• Strong grounding in HR Leadership (CIPD Level 5 or equivalent), with experience across employee relations, compliance and engagement.
• A communicator who can bring clarity across teams in Leeds, London, NAMER, and beyond.

If you think you can deliver but don’t match the criteria above, please don’t be put off. We are very open-minded and focus on ability and attitude above skills.

What We Offer

• Annual Leave: 25 days per year, plus UK bank holidays.

• Additional Leave: 1 day of paid leave on your Birthday!

• Heath & Wellbeing: Access to Westfield Health Care Cash Plan and our Employee Mental Health and Wellbeing platform.

• Professional Development: £2,000 annual training budget to support your continued learning and career growth.

• Share Scheme: Eligibility to participate in our EMI share scheme after 18 months of continuous service (subject to company discretion).

• A dynamic and supportive work environment where customer care and innovation drive everything we do.

• Frequent team social events and celebrations.

• Refer a friend bonus scheme, up to £2,000!

Why Join Us?

This is not a corporate HR leadership role. If you’re looking for predictable, steady, and process-driven, this isn’t it. But if you want to lead HR in one of the UK’s fastest-scaling cyber businesses, where no two days are the same and your work directly shapes our future, we’d love to hear from you.

At Cognisys, you will be part of a collaborative and innovative team that values your input and shares support. You'll have the opportunity to work on challenging projects that make a real impact on our clients. We'd love to hear from you if you want to challenge, lead and innovate!

We're not just about the work; we're about the people. Join a team where innovation is celebrated and your contributions are valued. We foster a collaborative environment where fresh ideas thrive and professional growth is encouraged.

Applications

Please feel free to reach out to Dom, our Head of Talent Acquisition, if you would like any further information, to discuss accessibility requirements, or if you require this information provided in an alternative format – hiring@cognisys.co.uk

We welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds and can make various reasonable adjustments to accommodate individual needs.

NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES PLEASE!