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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead people operations, support managers, and drive strategic HR initiatives.
- Company: Join Octopus Money, a mission-driven company making financial advice accessible to everyone.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, bonuses, and flexible working options.
- Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team shaping the future of financial advice while enhancing employee experiences.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in HR, strong UK employment law knowledge, and experience in people operations.
- Other info: This is a hands-on role in a fast-growing scale-up environment.
The predicted salary is between 52000 - 64000 £ per year.
We’re looking for a People Operations Lead to help us build brilliant teams and a thriving culture as we scale. This is a critical role in our People function, responsible for both strategic planning and hands-on delivery. You’ll work closely with managers across the business, acting as a trusted advisor and coach on all things people: from supporting tricky team dynamics to ensuring effective people processes, navigating employment law, and driving leadership capability. You’ll also take the lead on people risk, by helping us to spot issues before they become problems, and play a key role in shaping and executing people plans when we acquire new businesses.
When it comes to the operational nuts and bolts (like year-end reviews, policies, and process improvements), you’ll make sure we’re not just compliant, but also consistent, fair, and effective. We’re a scale-up, so this is a hands-on, end-to-end role. The right person will bring a broad HR background, confidence navigating UK employment law, and the ability to move comfortably between high-level strategy and practical, everyday delivery.
Day to day you will work across 3 core pillars:
- People operations: Oversee day-to-day delivery of people operations across the people lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding, benefit and system administration, payroll, policy design, and people risk management. Improve and re-design the employee experience, identify opportunities for automation, and streamline workflows to enhance efficiency and the employee experience. Ensure compliance with UK employment law, maintaining strong governance and clear, accessible policies.
- People partnering: Be a trusted advisor to managers and leaders: providing hands-on support and coaching through team challenges, change, and key people decisions. Support managers with performance management, employee relations, and sensitive or complex people issues. Own and continuously improve our bi-annual performance development cycle, ensuring it supports growth, feedback, and clarity.
- Growth: Lead the people workstream for any business acquisitions including due diligence, cultural assessment, and people integration. Build scalable people plans to support business growth, ensuring we retain key talent, align teams to our mission, and maintain strong operational foundations. Collaborate with leadership to plan and manage organisational design, team structures, and headcount planning as we scale.
About You:
- A genuine desire to help people: You are motivated by our mission to make money advice accessible and understand the crucial role our internal team plays in achieving this.
- Collaborative and a great team player: You thrive in a team environment and can build strong relationships across the business to achieve common goals.
- Problem solver at heart with an analytical mindset: You enjoy tackling complex challenges and using data to identify solutions and drive improvements in people operations.
- Goal-driven and not afraid to get stuck in: You have a bias for action and are willing to roll up your sleeves to get things done, especially in a fast-growing environment.
- Sound technical and employment law knowledge: Familiarity with employment law and HR systems is essential. Experience with data manipulation and analysis tools is a big plus.
Knowledge Required:
- 5+ years of experience in a generalist HR role with proven experience working across: people partnering, M&A/integration, and people operations.
- Strong knowledge of employee relations best practices, including performance management, disciplinary procedures, and grievance handling.
- Demonstrable experience in managing people-related aspects of organisational change.
- Solid understanding of UK employment law and HR compliance requirements.
- Experience in people due diligence and integration planning in the context of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) would be an advantage.
- Experience with HR systems and proficiency in using data to analyse people trends, inform decision-making, and create reports.
- Some financial services knowledge, including FCA and other regulatory requirements such as SMCR is preferred.
In return for your contribution we offer a salary of £65,000 - £80,000 + bonus + benefits.
People Operations Lead employer: Octopus Money
Contact Detail:
Octopus Money Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land People Operations Lead
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the specific challenges and opportunities in the financial services sector, especially regarding UK employment law. This knowledge will help you demonstrate your understanding of the industry during interviews.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with current or former employees of Octopus Money to gain insights into their culture and people operations. This can provide you with valuable information that you can reference in your discussions with the hiring team.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare examples of how you've successfully navigated complex people issues in previous roles. Being able to share specific instances where you've made a positive impact will showcase your problem-solving skills and experience.
✨Tip Number 4
Stay updated on the latest trends in HR technology and data analysis tools. Highlighting your proficiency in these areas can set you apart, especially since the role involves improving processes and enhancing the employee experience.
We think you need these skills to ace People Operations Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in HR, particularly in people operations and partnering. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to navigate UK employment law and manage complex people issues.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your genuine desire to help people and align your values with Octopus Money's mission. Discuss how your background and skills make you the ideal candidate for the People Operations Lead role.
Showcase Problem-Solving Skills: Provide examples of how you've tackled complex challenges in previous roles. Highlight your analytical mindset and how you've used data to drive improvements in people operations.
Highlight Collaborative Experience: Emphasise your ability to work collaboratively across teams. Mention specific instances where you've built strong relationships with managers and leaders to achieve common goals in a fast-paced environment.
How to prepare for a job interview at Octopus Money
✨Show Your Passion for People
Make sure to express your genuine desire to help people and how it aligns with the company's mission. Share examples of how you've positively impacted team dynamics or employee experiences in your previous roles.
✨Demonstrate Your HR Knowledge
Be prepared to discuss your understanding of UK employment law and HR best practices. Highlight specific instances where you've navigated complex people issues or implemented effective policies that ensured compliance and fairness.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills and analytical mindset. Prepare to discuss how you've tackled challenges in people operations, using data to inform your decisions and drive improvements.
✨Emphasise Collaboration and Teamwork
Since this role requires working closely with managers and teams, be ready to share examples of how you've built strong relationships across different departments. Highlight your ability to be a trusted advisor and coach during times of change.
