Senior People Operations Manager (12 Months FTC) in London

Salary: up to £74,000 per year (depending on experience)

Location: London (Hybrid)

Contract: 12 Month Fixed-Term Contract

Reporting to: VP People & Culture

Experience Level: Senior (5+ years' experience)

Position Summary

We’re looking for an experienced Senior People Operations Manager to join our People & Culture team on a 12‑month fixed‑term contract to cover maternity leave.

Responsibilities

• People Operations Leadership
  • Lead the day‑to‑day delivery of People Operations, ensuring a high‑quality, consistent experience across the employee lifecycle including the compensation review cycle.
  • Act as the most senior People Operations point of contact during the cover period, deputising for the VP People & Culture on operational matters where required.
  • Support P&C team members, providing direction, support, mentoring and quality oversight.
  • Own and improve People Operations processes, policies, and documentation, ensuring they remain fit for purpose, legally compliant, and scalable.
  • Work on employee relations casework, including complex or sensitive matters, escalating to the People Operations Lead or VP where appropriate.
  • Own employee onboarding and payroll administration processes, ensuring positive employee experience, accuracy and compliance.
  • Drive compliance with employment legislation and internal governance and compliance requirements, including ensuring compliant right to work check process.
  • Build strong, trusted relationships with senior managers and business leaders, providing confident and pragmatic HR guidance.
• Workday Ownership, HR Systems and Reporting
  • Act as the senior Workday subject‑matter expert for the business, owning the overall approach to system governance, configuration, and continuous improvement.
  • Lead and manage Workday across all relevant modules, including Absence, Performance & Goals, Recruiting, Compensation cycles.
  • Own the relationship with the wider Group Workday team, representing the business on system updates, testing, and cross‑group rollouts.
  • Lead the scoping, implementation, and embedding of new Workday functionality and process enhancements.
  • Set and maintain standards with the P&C Analyst for data integrity, reporting and audit processes, partnering with the VP People & Culture to ensure accountability for Group and Board reporting.
  • Develop and deliver Workday training and capability‑building across the business, including for senior stakeholders and managers.
  • Use people data and system reporting to surface insights, identify trends, and inform decision‑making.
  • Drive a culture of operational efficiency, proactively identifying opportunities to improve systems, processes, and the employee and manager experience.
• People & Culture Contribution
  • Contribute to and, where appropriate, lead on wider People & Culture projects and initiatives during the cover period.
  • Support the VP People & Culture in delivering against the People & Culture strategy.
  • Collaborate with the People Operations Lead to design and deliver learning content for managers and employees beyond Workday training, building broader people management capability across the business.
  • Support employee engagement activity, helping to maintain and strengthen the business as a great place to work.
  • Represent People Operations in cross‑functional forums and senior stakeholder meetings.

Requirements – Essential

• A strong track record in a People Operations, HR Operations, or HR Systems‑focused role, with demonstrable progression to a senior or lead level.
• Hands‑on Workday expertise, including configuration and business process management, with good working knowledge across modules such as Absence, Performance, Goals, Recruiting, and Compensation.
• Experience with employment law and managing complex employee relations cases with minimal supervision.
• Confidence operating as a senior HR point of contact and advising senior managers and leaders.
• Strong analytical skills and experience using people data to support decision‑making.
• Excellent judgement, discretion, and ability to manage sensitive matters professionally.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with a collaborative and proactive style and ability to partner with cross‑functional teams.
• Comfortable operating independently and driving change management.

Nice to Have

• Experience working in a SaaS, technology, private‑equity‑backed or high‑growth businesses.
• Exposure to HR strategy or organisational development work.
• CIPD qualification or equivalent experience.
• Experience managing or mentoring People Operations team members.
• Familiarity with process improvement methodologies.
• Experience using AI tools to improve productivity and efficiency in People Operations.