At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead talent acquisition and build people processes from the ground up in a creative agency.
- Company: Exciting scaling marketing agency with a focus on culture and growth.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, 25 days holiday, and bonus opportunities.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team and make a real impact in a fast-paced environment.
- Why this job: Be the first dedicated People hire and shape an amazing workplace culture.
- Qualifications: 3-5 years in HR or Talent roles, with strong recruitment and people process experience.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 60000 £ per year.
About the role
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 Operations & Talent Manager (£55-60k + bonus) employer: Rocket SaaS
Join our dynamic marketing agency as a People Operations & Talent Manager, where you'll have the unique opportunity to shape our people function from the ground up. With a competitive salary, hybrid working options, and a culture that values creativity and collaboration, we are committed to fostering employee growth and satisfaction. Be part of a team that prioritises a strong employer brand and offers a genuine chance to make a meaningful impact in a fast-paced environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land People Operations & Talent Manager (£55-60k + bonus)
✨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 true self shine through. This role is all about culture and fit, so be genuine and share your passion for building great teams and processes.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your ideas! Since this is a greenfield opportunity, come armed with thoughts on how you’d shape the people function. Share your vision for attracting talent and enhancing employee experience – it’ll show you’re ready to take ownership.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We love seeing applications that come directly from our site. It shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of our team and helps us keep track of your application more easily.
We think you need these skills to ace People Operations & Talent Manager (£55-60k + bonus)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:Let us see your enthusiasm for the role! Share why you're excited about shaping a people function from scratch and how your experience aligns with our creative agency vibe.
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV speaks directly to the job description. Highlight your experience in people operations and talent acquisition, especially if you've built processes or managed recruitment at volume.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Use your cover letter to tell your story. Explain how your background makes you the perfect fit for this greenfield opportunity and how you can contribute to our culture and team dynamics.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of applications and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates!
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 creative approach and how they attract talent will help you align your answers with their vision.
✨Showcase Your People Skills
As a People Operations & Talent Manager, your ability to connect with others is crucial. Prepare examples of how you've successfully built relationships, resolved conflicts, or improved employee experiences in previous roles.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that ask how you'd handle specific situations, like managing a high-volume recruitment process or designing onboarding programmes. Think through your strategies and be ready to share your thought process.
✨Highlight Your Data-Driven Approach
Since metrics are key in this role, be prepared to discuss how you've used data to inform hiring decisions or improve people processes. Bring examples of how you've tracked hiring metrics and what impact it had on your previous teams.
