People Operations Manager, UK

People Operations Manager, UK Overview

This role sits within the UK People function and acts as the local representative for employee-facing people operations. It is focused on delivering a smooth and compliant employment experience across the full employee lifecycle, while also helping to strengthen engagement, wellbeing, and the overall employee experience. The position works closely with managers, colleagues, and the wider People team, bringing local knowledge of the UK employment and cultural environment into a broader global people strategy.

What the role involves

• Act as the main People Operations contact for the UK, supporting employees and managers through the full lifecycle of employment with an emphasis on operational quality, compliance, engagement, and wellbeing.
• Own the end-to-end delivery of core people processes in the UK, including onboarding, payroll, benefits administration, and recurring cycles such as pay review and performance management.
• Manage the day-to-day running of onboarding, payroll, and benefits enrolment, working closely with payroll providers, benefits partners, and finance colleagues to ensure these processes run accurately and on time.
• Oversee people process controls so that internal policies, external regulations, and required controls are followed consistently.
• Partner with finance, systems, and other stakeholders to improve ways of working and introduce more effective processes that fit the organisation’s size and operating model.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of People policies, helping ensure they are applied appropriately and remain competitive in the market.
• Provide market insight to help shape policy choices and keep the company’s people practices attractive and relevant.
• Work with the wider People team and line managers to build management capability, improve leadership effectiveness, and support strong team performance.
• Coach managers and employees on performance issues and help resolve workplace concerns in a practical and constructive way.
• Support the ongoing development of the company culture by helping define how work gets done and by adapting that culture as the business grows.
• Contribute to local initiatives that improve engagement, retention, learning, and development.
• Handle employee relations matters in a way that is both legally compliant and commercially sensible, including informal disciplinary issues, grievances, absence management, termination matters, and larger ER programmes.
• Maintain accurate and reliable UK people data, keeping records clean and current and helping stakeholders use data to identify trends such as absence, leavers, sick pay, and engagement.
• Promote effective use of Workday and other HR systems among local users and help ensure the systems are used well.
• Own local people documentation, shaping it to reflect the company’s tone of voice and updating it as business needs change.
• Process and document joiners, leavers, and job changes accurately.
• Lead the People team’s involvement in UK-specific programmes and projects, including payroll governance, benefits renewals, integration work for UK acquisitions, and global engagement campaigns such as diversity and inclusion and mental health awareness.

Who you will work with

The role partners with a broad set of stakeholders across the business, including colleagues and managers in the UK and other regions where reporting lines cross borders, the wider People Operations team, People Partners, regional finance, employment counsel, Reward, Talent Acquisition, Training and Development, and the teams responsible for People Policy, Process, Systems, and Data.

Experience and skills needed

• Experience owning People Operations processes in a global organisation.
• Experience in a fast-paced organisation that is still maturing its processes and ways of working.
• A track record of working with managers to troubleshoot issues and create practical solutions to people-related challenges.
• Full lifecycle People Operations experience, including onboarding, payroll, benefits, and job changes.
• Experience working within a global HR team is preferred.
• Experience using HRIS platforms, with Workday preferred.
• Strong relationship-building ability and the credibility to earn trust across different stakeholder groups.
• A collaborative, team-oriented approach, with the ability to work effectively with others and a good sense of humour.
• Awareness of local country nuances, and the ability to work with local people teams and legal counsel to understand legislative and cultural context.
• Experience working with diverse workforces within one organisation and an understanding that different groups may have different motivations and needs.

Additional strengths that would be an advantage

• A strong interest in operational excellence and in creating great employee and manager experiences through technology.
• An approachable style and the ability to build credibility with colleagues at all levels.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong organisational habits.
• Clear, accurate, and engaging communication skills, both spoken and written.
• The flexibility to work effectively with a wide range of smart stakeholders who each have different priorities.
• Alignment with the company’s GamePlan values: thinking ambitiously and getting involved, doing the right thing while moving quickly and aiming high, and working together as one team.
• A collaborative mindset and a desire to work closely with the wider People team to deliver effective people interventions.

Working style and culture

The company describes itself as having an office-first culture, with a strong emphasis on collaborating, connecting, and learning together in person. Working arrangements vary by role and location, but for this position the expectation is to be in the Bond Street office three to four days each week. The organisation also says it offers a competitive salary, a broad benefits package, and a commitment to employee wellbeing and career growth.

The business says it aims to create an inclusive workplace where people feel they belong and can contribute meaningfully. Candidates who need support during the recruitment process because of a disability are encouraged to let the team know so assistance can be arranged.

Application information

Applicants are asked to provide standard application details, a CV, and a cover letter, along with information about their location, salary expectations, availability to start, and relevant experience with people operations and HR systems. The application also asks whether the candidate currently needs, or may need in the future, a visa or sponsorship to work in the UK, but the posting does not state whether sponsorship is offered.

Degree Requirement: Not Specified

Visa Sponsorship May be