Head of People Operations in Bolton

Chelsea Football Club is building something special—and our people are at the heart of it. We’re on an exciting journey to modernise, innovate, and create a truly world-class employee experience. As our new Head of People Operations, you’ll help shape the culture, elevate how we support our people, and lead meaningful transformation across the club. If you want to be part of a team that’s brave, ambitious, and truly united behind a shared vision, this is your moment.

JOB PURPOSE

Lead the strategic direction and operational excellence of the People Operations function, while serving as a key member of the HR Leadership Team to shape and deliver the overall people strategy. Ensure seamless delivery of people services while driving transformation initiatives that enhance employee experience, manage risk, and drive organisational effectiveness.

PLAY YOUR PART (Main Responsibilities):

• Leadership & Strategy
  • Design and implement People Operations strategy aligned with organisational goals.
  • Shape and champion culture, engagement, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the organisation.
  • Drive transformation from traditional HR to modern people experience function.
  • Establish and maintain service excellence standards, including clear metrics for success and continuous improvement.
  • Lead continuous improvement and innovation initiatives.
  • Develop and deliver data-driven insights to inform the broader people strategy and drive decision-making.
  • Support major organisational change initiatives, including restructures, mergers, or large-scale cultural transformations.
• Operational Excellence & Risk
  • Oversee end-to-end People Operations, including employee lifecycle management, payroll, and HR systems, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
  • Maintain the HR system as the single source of truth for all people data, ensuring data accuracy, integrity, and compliance with GDPR and organisational policies.
  • Direct compliance and risk management strategies, embedding a culture of governance and accountability.
  • Lead technology enhancement projects, including the implementation of automation and system upgrades to improve efficiency.
  • Establish robust governance frameworks, audit protocols, and incident response plans for people-related issues.
  • Ensure business continuity plans are in place for critical people processes, such as payroll and data management.
  • Monitor and report on key risk indicators to mitigate potential disruptions and ensure legal compliance.
  • Design and implement a people risk management framework to proactively address risks and ensure compliance.
  • Partner with Risk & Compliance on enterprise risk management.
• Employee Experience & Process Innovation
  • Champion initiatives that elevate the employee experience through streamlined processes, continuous optimisation, and automation.
  • Define and implement service level agreements and performance metrics to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery.
  • Promote the use of self-service platforms and robust knowledge management systems to empower employees and managers.
  • Ensure cohesive integration across HR, Payroll, and system platforms to deliver a unified service experience.
  • Lead transformation programmes that modernise People Operations, embedding a people-first, experience-led approach.
  • Enhance operational efficiency by redesigning workflows, systems, and processes to support seamless employee interactions.
  • Support Stakeholders and People Partnering team with ongoing continuation of quarterly review process and driving and improving process digitally and ensuring process is clear and reflects performance across the club.
  • Partner with the People Operations Manager and Group Payroll Manager to align process improvements with strategic business goals.
  • Oversee the development and sustainability of self-service tools and automation solutions to drive scalable service delivery.
• Data & Insights
  • Champion the use of data analytics to provide actionable insights into workforce trends, risks, and opportunities.
  • Oversee the creation of accurate and comprehensive reports on key metrics, including turnover, engagement, and compliance.
  • Use analytics to identify areas for improvement, enhance employee satisfaction, and support strategic decision-making.
• Team Development and Cross Functional Collaboration
  • Establish and nurture high-performing teams across all People Operations disciplines.
  • Strengthen functional expertise by developing deep capability within specialised teams.
  • Cultivate a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement throughout the People Operations function.
  • Champion cross-functional collaboration and promote knowledge sharing to drive alignment and operational excellence.
  • High level stakeholder management and ability to influence and support commercial decisions and effectiveness.
  • Collaborate closely with the Head of People Partnering, Head of Talent Development, and ED&I Lead to co-lead the People Team Management Committee, ensuring departmental objectives are strategically aligned with the overarching people strategy and club vision.

DO THE RIGHT THING (Our Expectations):

• To demonstrate and live by the club’s values; Here to Win, Be Brave, Do the Right Thing, Play Your Part, Many Teams, One Club and Proud to Be Chelsea.
• To adhere to the club’s policies and procedures, including Health & Safety, Financial Authorisation, Confidentiality and GDPR.
• To act as an ambassador for diversity, equality, and inclusion, and demonstrate a positive commitment by treating others fairly in line with our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy and reporting any acts of discrimination through appropriate channels.
• To create a safe environment and act to protect all young people and vulnerable adults that are either in your care or attending club premises, and report any concerns to the Safeguarding Lead.
• To report any misconduct or suspected misconduct to the HR Department.

HERE TO WIN (Measures of Performance):

• Delivery of People Operations Strategy aligned with organisational goals, including measurable progress on transformation, culture, and DEI initiatives.
• Operational Excellence through achievement of SLAs, increased efficiency, and risk mitigation across payroll, systems, and employee lifecycle processes.
• Enhanced Employee Experience, demonstrated by improved satisfaction scores, faster service delivery, and adoption of self-service tools.
• Insight-Driven Decision-Making using accurate HR data and analytics to inform strategy, identify risks, and drive improvements.
• Leadership of High-Performing Teams, with strong collaboration across HR functions and evidence of capability development and retention.
• Successful Implementation of Innovation Projects, including automation, system upgrades, and process redesigns that deliver tangible impact.

PROUD TO BE CHELSEA (Person Specification):

• Knowledge
  • Strong understanding of UK employment law, people operations across the full employee lifecycle, HR metrics, GDPR, and DEI integration.
  • Desirable: HRIS implementation, future-of-work trends (e.g. flexible working, AI), reward/benefits benchmarking, and knowledge of the football sector.
• Qualifications
  • Essential: CIPD Level 5 or equivalent experience.
  • Desirable: CIPD Level 7/Fellowship, project management (e.g. PRINCE2, Agile), coaching/mediation accreditation, and evidence of ongoing CPD.
• Experience
  • Proven senior-level experience leading People Operations strategy and delivery, including complex ER cases, team leadership, systems/process development, and change projects.
  • Desirable: Background in scale-ups, multi-site or high-profile environments, payroll/reward oversight, and fast-growth organisations.
• Skills & Behaviours
  • Strong leadership, communication, stakeholder management, and HR systems skills.
  • Skilled in interpreting employment law, data analysis, problem-solving, and balancing strategic and operational priorities.
  • High integrity, emotional intelligence, and decision-making ability.
  • Desirable: Advanced Excel/data visualisation, tech implementation, ATS/onboarding tools, coaching, facilitation, and change/project management.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: At Chelsea we recognise that the diversity of our people is one of our greatest strengths and we are taking positive action to ensure our existing colleagues and job applicants can fully be themselves and bring their own unique experiences and perspectives to Chelsea FC. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. If you need reasonable adjustments made to the recruitment process, please reach out to your recruiter, who will be able to advise and support you.

Chelsea FC is fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children, young people and adults at risk (vulnerable groups). We therefore require all successful applicants to complete a DBS Check prior to starting employment. Depending on the role, successful applicants may also be required to undergo other child protection screening where appropriate.

This Job Description is not intended to be exhaustive; the duties and responsibilities may therefore vary over time according to the changing needs of the Club.