People Director

Were Avvoka

We build legal drafting technology for moments that matter when the stakes are high the documents are complex and speed cant come at the cost of control.

Our platform helps legal teams move faster through contracts using automation collaboration and AI without taking judgment 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 weve grown through product strength and word of mouth alone. With headcount and revenue increasing by over 70% year on year were now scaling from a product-led success into a globally recognised legal-tech brand.

Were at an inflection point: evolving how the worlds most sophisticated legal teams work and building a company where thoughtful people can do the best work of their careers.

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.

Youll partner closely with the senior leadership team through Series A B 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

Were hiring a People Director to lead Avvokas 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.

Role Details

• Department: People
• Reports to: Co-founders
• Direct Reports: Head of People
• Location: London Waterloo / flexible WFH allowance
• Working Hours: Generally 9:0017:30 GMT with 1 hours lunch break
• Compensation: Competitive based on experience
• Start Date: Flexible wed love you to join soon

What Youll Do

1. Executive People Strategy

   • Own and evolve Avvokas long-term People strategy in line with commercial and product growth.

   • Partner with the CEO and leadership team on:

     * Org design and scaling strategy  * Leadership capability and succession planning  * Cultural health as the company grows internationally  

   • Define the People roadmap required to scale from Series A to Series B and beyond.

   • Ensure the People function is investor- and diligence-ready.

2. 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.

3. Leadership & Mentorship

   • 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.

4. Culture Performance & Leadership Quality

   • Ensure Avvokas 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 CEO and exec team on sensitive people matters.

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.
• Supporting leadership teams through Series A B transitions and investor processes.

What Youll Bring

The ideal candidate would have:

• Experience operating as a People Director or equivalent in a scaling business.
• A track record of building People strategy above strong operational People teams.
• Experience guiding organisations through Series A B growth.
• Deep experience with international expansion particularly UK and US employment models.
• Strong executive presence and the ability to influence at board and leadership level.
• A coaching mindset with genuine enjoyment of developing leadership.

Bonus points if:

• Youve scaled organisations beyond 150 people.
• Youve supported global remote-first teams.
• Youve worked in legal tech fintech or complex B2B SaaS environments.

Core attributes we value across all roles:

• Adaptability in dynamically evolving settings
• A proactive solution-focused mindset with ownership
• A collaborative spirit supporting and mentoring others

If youre excited about this role but your experience doesnt align perfectly with every qualification we encourage you to apply anyway you might be just the candidate were looking for.

Our Hiring Process

1. CV Review: Our People team reviews all applications carefully.
2. Screening Call (15m): A quick virtual chat with our People team to learn more about you and answer any initial questions.
3. Stage 1 Assessment Interview (3045m): A virtual assessment interview with the Hiring Manager focused on your experience and approach.
4. Stage 2 Senior Interview (for senior roles): An additional conversation with members of the leadership team.
5. Meet the Team: Where possible well 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

Equal Opportunities

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.