At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead our people function, shaping culture and processes from the ground up.
- Company: Exciting marketing agency on a growth curve, ready to innovate.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, 25 days holiday, and bonus opportunities.
- Other info: Be the first dedicated People hire and drive our agency's success.
- Why this job: Own a unique role and make a real impact on our team and culture.
- Qualifications: 3-5 years in HR or Talent roles, with strong recruitment and people process skills.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 60000 £ per year.
We're a scaling marketing agency on an exciting growth curve; and we're building the people function to match. This is a rare greenfield opportunity: you'll be our first dedicated People hire, shaping the culture, processes, and talent pipeline of a creative agency from the ground up. This is a genuine 50/50 role. Half your time will be spent attracting and hiring exceptional talent across strategy, creative, account management and data; the other half building the people infrastructure that helps our team thrive once they're through the door. If you've been waiting for the chance to own something completely, then this is it.
Responsibilities
- People operations
- Design and own the entire employee lifecycle — onboarding, probation, performance, offboarding
- Build our people processes largely from scratch: policies, handbooks, templates, and tooling
- Act as the first point of contact for all team members' relations matters
- Partner with leadership on org design, headcount planning, and workforce strategy as we scale
- Own our HRIS / people tooling (selection, implementation, and ongoing management)
- Lead on pay benchmarking and benefits review, ensuring our total reward offering stays competitive
- Instruct payroll on all changes: new starters, leavers, salary adjustments, and benefit changes including salary sacrifice schemes
- Manage the annual bonus and pay review cycle — processing awards based on KPI data provided by managers, issuing letters, and maintaining accurate records
- Maintain meticulous compensation records, ensuring data integrity across systems
- Act as the primary liaison between the business and our payroll provider, resolving queries and ensuring timely, accurate processing
- Oversee our employee experience programme, driving initiatives that build culture and belonging across a hybrid, international team
- Support our social committee, helping them plan and deliver events that bring people together
- Talent acquisition
- Own end-to-end recruitment across all disciplines — strategy, creative, content, account management and data/tech
- Manage a high-volume pipeline of 20–50 hires per year, balancing quality with pace
- Build and maintain a strong employer brand that attracts top agency talent in a competitive London market
- Source proactively — LinkedIn, referrals, communities, events
- Define roles, write compelling job specs, and run structured interview processes
- Own candidate experience from first contact to signed offer
- Track and report on hiring metrics: time-to-hire, source quality, offer acceptance rates
About you
- You'll likely have 3–5 years of experience in a People, HR, or Talent role — ideally within an agency, creative, or fast-paced scale-up environment
- Proven experience managing full-cycle recruitment at volume, across varied role types
- Hands-on experience building or significantly improving people processes — not just inheriting them
- Solid understanding of UK employment law and HR best practices
- Experience coordinating payroll, processing compensation changes, and maintaining HR records to a high standard
- Genuine passion for the craft of hiring — you care about candidate experience and the quality of every hire
You'll stand out if you
- Have agency or creative industry experience and understand what great talent looks like in this world
- Have led a people function solo before and know what it means to be the first and only
- Have experience supporting employees across multiple countries or jurisdictions
- Are data-literate and use metrics to tell a story and drive decisions
- Are a confident, empathetic communicator — as comfortable in a board-level conversation as a 1:1 with a nervous new joiner
- Have experience mediating conflict and handling sensitive ER situations with care and confidence
What we offer
- Competitive salary (£55,000‑60,000 + bonus)
- Hybrid working — flexible blend of office (London) and remote
- 25 days holiday + bank holidays
- The chance to shape a people function — and a culture — that you're proud of
People & Talent Leader - Greenfield Growth, Hybrid in London employer: Rocket SaaS
As a rapidly scaling marketing agency, we offer a unique opportunity for the People & Talent Leader to shape our culture and processes from the ground up. With a competitive salary, hybrid working arrangements, and a commitment to employee growth, you'll play a pivotal role in attracting top talent and building a thriving workplace. Join us in creating an environment where creativity and collaboration flourish, and make a lasting impact on our team and culture.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land People & Talent Leader - Greenfield Growth, Hybrid in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online communities, and don’t be shy about reaching out on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on a job opportunity.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your personality! When you get to the interview stage, let your authentic self shine through. This role is all about culture and fit, so being genuine can really set you apart from the competition.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those tricky questions! Research common interview questions for People & Talent roles and practice your responses. Think about how your experience aligns with the responsibilities listed in the job description.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up! After your interview, send a quick thank-you note to express your appreciation for the opportunity. It’s a nice touch that keeps you top of mind and shows your enthusiasm for the role.
We think you need these skills to ace People & Talent Leader - Greenfield Growth, Hybrid in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for People:When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for building a people function shine through. We want to see that you genuinely care about creating a great workplace culture and supporting team members throughout their journey with us.
Tailor Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in HR or talent roles, especially if you've worked in a creative or agency environment. We’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running, so connect your past achievements to what we need in this role.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and make it easy for us to see how your skills align with our needs. A well-structured application will definitely catch our eye!
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Rocket SaaS
✨Know the Company Inside Out
Before your interview, dive deep into the agency's culture, values, and recent projects. Understanding their growth curve and how they operate will help you tailor your responses and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of their journey.
✨Showcase Your People Skills
As a People & Talent Leader, your ability to connect with others is crucial. Prepare examples of how you've successfully built relationships, managed conflicts, or improved employee experiences in previous roles. This will demonstrate your capability to shape the people function effectively.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that ask how you'd handle specific situations, like designing onboarding processes or managing high-volume recruitment. Think through your past experiences and be ready to discuss how you would approach these challenges in this new role.
✨Highlight Your Data-Driven Approach
Since metrics are key in this role, be prepared to discuss how you've used data to inform decisions in talent acquisition or people operations. Share specific examples of how you've tracked hiring metrics or improved processes based on data insights.
