At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead People Operations to enhance employee experience and streamline processes.
- Company: Join Cleo, a fast-growing unicorn revolutionising financial advice.
- Benefits: Competitive pay, equity options, flexible work, and generous leave.
- Why this job: Be part of a mission to change how people manage money globally.
- Qualifications: 2-3+ years in People Operations with payroll experience across multiple regions.
- Other info: Dynamic team culture with opportunities for growth and development.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 ÂŁ per year.
Join to apply for the People Operations Lead role at Cleo.
About Cleo: At Cleo, we're embarking on a mission to fundamentally change humanity's relationship with money. Imagine a world where everyone, regardless of background or income, has access to a hyper‑intelligent financial advisor in their pocket. That's the future we're creating. Cleo is a profitable, fast‑growing unicorn with over $200 million in ARR and growing over 2× year‑over‑year.
About the Role: We’re looking for a People Operations Lead to help us build and support a world‑class employee experience as we scale. In this role, you’ll play a key part in managing the full employee lifecycle, driving process improvements, and ensuring our people systems and workflows run smoothly across our global team.
Key Responsibilities:- Own the preparation and submission of accurate payroll data for the UK, US, EU, and our global EOR populations, collaborating closely with our Finance team to ensure each cycle runs smoothly.
- Review, identify, and implement automation opportunities across our processes, helping reduce manual work and improve efficiency.
- Manage and maintain day‑to‑day People Ops workflows, ensuring data accuracy, compliance, and smooth operations across the employee and contractor lifecycle.
- Support the wider People Operations team on operational and strategic projects, including process optimisation, tooling implementation, and documentation improvements.
- Jump in wherever needed, providing ad‑hoc support across the People Ops team during peak periods or for special initiatives.
- Be a systems super‑user, helping optimise our HRIS and People tools (we use Hibob & Rev People), ensuring clean, reliable People data and smooth integrations.
- Champion People compliance, maintaining documentation, contracts, right‑to‑work records, and supporting People Partners on sensitive or complex cases.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen People workflows, proposing improvements that enable seamless scaling and a consistent global employee experience.
- You have 2–3+ years of experience in People Operations and can demonstrate impact across processes and people systems.
- You have hands‑on experience with payroll, ideally across multiple geographies (UK/US/EU) and experience supporting contractor pay.
- You’re comfortable working with EOR providers and understand how to navigate multi‑country People setups.
- You’re a systems and workflow enthusiast, experienced in HRIS platforms (Hibob experience is a plus), with a track record of driving automation and improving manual processes.
- You’ve worked in a high‑growth, fast‑paced environment, ideally within tech or another scaling industry.
- You have strong Excel/Google Sheets skills, including formulas and process‑oriented problem solving.
- You’re highly detail‑oriented and reliable, with a strong commitment to accuracy, especially when handling sensitive and confidential information.
- You’re collaborative, adaptable, and eager to support wherever needed across the broader People and Operations functions.
- A competitive compensation package (base + equity) with bi‑annual reviews, aligned to our quarterly OKR planning cycles.
- Work at one of the fastest‑growing tech startups, backed by top VC firms, Balderton & EQT Ventures.
- A clear progression plan that encourages growth, leadership and ownership.
- Flexibility to support work‑life balance; we cover travel costs for remote collaboration.
- Global, distributed team with hybrid options for London office; travel supported.
- Company‑wide performance reviews every 6 months.
- Generous pay increases for high‑performing team members.
- Equity top‑ups for team members getting promoted.
- 25 days annual leave a year + public holidays (+ an additional day for every year you spend at Cleo, up to 30 days).
- 6% employer‑matched pension in the UK.
- Private Medical Insurance via Vitality, dental cover, and life assurance.
- Enhanced parental leave.
- 1 month paid sabbatical after 4 years at Cleo.
- Regular socials and activities, online and in‑person.
- We’ll pay for your OpenAI subscription.
- Online mental health support via Spill.
- Workplace Nursery Scheme.
- And many more!
Welcoming Everyone: We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio‑economic backgrounds. If there’s anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let us know.
People Operations Lead employer: cleo
Contact Detail:
cleo Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land People Operations Lead
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry, especially those who work at Cleo or similar companies. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insider info that could help you stand out.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by researching Cleo's mission and values. Show us how your experience aligns with their goals, especially around improving employee experiences and driving process efficiencies.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice common interview questions related to People Operations. Think about your past experiences and how they relate to payroll management, compliance, and workflow optimisation. We want to hear your success stories!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression and show us that you're genuinely interested in the role. Plus, it’s a great chance to reiterate your enthusiasm for joining Cleo.
We think you need these skills to ace People Operations Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the People Operations Lead role. Highlight your experience in payroll and people systems, and show us how you've made an impact in previous roles. We want to see how you fit into our mission!
Show Off Your Skills: Don’t hold back on showcasing your skills with HRIS platforms and automation. If you've got experience with Hibob or similar tools, let us know! We love a systems enthusiast who can drive efficiency.
Be Authentic: We’re all about collaboration and adaptability, so be yourself in your application. Share your journey and what excites you about joining Cleo. We want to get to know the real you!
Apply Through Our Website: For the best chance of getting noticed, make sure to apply through our website. It’s the easiest way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves!
How to prepare for a job interview at cleo
✨Know Your Numbers
As a People Operations Lead, you'll be dealing with payroll and data accuracy. Brush up on your knowledge of payroll processes across different geographies, especially the UK, US, and EU. Be ready to discuss how you've handled payroll in the past and any challenges you've overcome.
✨Showcase Your Systems Savvy
Cleo is looking for someone who can optimise HRIS and People tools. Familiarise yourself with Hibob and Rev People, if you haven't already. Prepare examples of how you've improved workflows or implemented automation in previous roles to demonstrate your systems expertise.
✨Be Process-Oriented
Highlight your experience with process optimisation and problem-solving. Think of specific instances where you've identified inefficiencies and proposed solutions. This will show that you're proactive and can contribute to Cleo's mission of improving employee experiences.
✨Emphasise Collaboration
Cleo values adaptability and teamwork. Be prepared to share examples of how you've worked collaboratively in fast-paced environments. Discuss how you've supported colleagues during peak periods or special initiatives, showcasing your willingness to jump in wherever needed.