People Manager (Standalone) in London

About Us

Turnkey Consulting is an independent risk and security consultancy that brings together people, protection, and performance to help organisations achieve Digital Enterprise Resilience. For more than 20 years, Turnkey has enabled the world's leading companies to understand and optimise their risk and security landscape through assessment-based road mapping, organisational empowerment, and expert application of market-leading technologies. Turnkey is headquartered in London with offices across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.

The Opportunity

People are at the heart of everything we do. We are looking for an experienced People Manager who enjoys the variety of a hands‐on generalist role and is comfortable being the go‐to person for all things People. This is a standalone role, meaning you will take full ownership of the day‐to‐day People function across the UK covering the full employee lifecycle from recruitment and onboarding through to employee relations, policy, payroll, and offboarding. You will also have the opportunity to support global recruitment and people initiatives, adding an international dimension to your role. This role suits someone who is comfortable working independently, managing a varied workload, and being the sole HR person. Experience in a consultancy or fast‐paced professional services environment is preferred but not essential.

Expectations of the Role

• HR Business Partnering
• Be the point of contact for all HR queries from managers and employees
• Support managers with ER matters including performance, absence, disciplinaries, and grievances — providing clear, practical guidance
• Lead and support the performance management cycle, including goal setting, reviews, calibration, and development planning
• Partner with leaders on reward and recognition, including salary reviews, bonus processes, and promoting a culture of appreciation aligned to company values
• Coach and support managers to build their confidence in handling people matters day‐to‐day
• Review, update, and maintain HR policies in line with current legislation and best practice
• Keep up to date with employment law to ensure the business remains compliant and consistent
• Recruitment & Talent
• Manage end‐to‐end recruitment for all vacancies — permanent, contractor, and the annual Analyst programme — including IR35 compliance where applicable
• Proactively source candidates using tools such as LinkedIn Recruiter and maintain an active talent pipeline
• Support global recruitment activity and international hiring as required
• Promote Turnkey's employer brand through candidate engagement and market presence
• HR Operations & Employee Lifecycle
• Manage all HR administration — contracts, onboarding, changes to terms, payroll preparation, and offboarding
• Coordinate new starter onboarding to ensure a consistent and positive first experience
• Maintain accurate records in PeopleHR and ensure data integrity for reporting purposes
• Plan and coordinate quarterly social events and employee engagement activity
• People Initiatives
• Use HR data and metrics to identify trends and flag people risks early
• Support HR projects and business‐driven initiatives as the business continues to grow
• Contribute to global people programmes where your coordination and input will add value

Who Are We Looking For?

We need someone who is happy working independently and comfortable being the sole HR person in the business. You will be:

• A proactive self‐starter who takes ownership and gets things done without close supervision
• Confident and professional, with a genuine respect for confidentiality
• Organised and detail‐oriented, able to manage competing priorities calmly
• Adaptable and resilient in a fast‐paced, changing environment
• A strong communicator across all levels, with the confidence to challenge and influence where needed
• Collaborative by nature, but fully capable of working independently day‐to‐day
• Solutions‐focused when dealing with sensitive or complex people matters

Skills & Experience

The following will be particularly relevant:

• Proven generalist HR experience, ideally within a consultancy or professional services environment
• CIPD Level 5 (or equivalent) with a solid working knowledge of UK employment law
• Hands‐on experience managing ER cases end‐to‐end and running full recruitment campaigns
• Experience in a standalone or small‐team HR role, comfortable owning the function independently
• Familiarity with HR systems and tools — PeopleHR and LinkedIn Recruiter experience desirable
• Exposure to global recruitment or cross‐regional working is an advantage
• Good influencing skills and the confidence to push back constructively when needed
• Experience leading through change or business growth is a bonus

Why Join Turnkey?

• Take full ownership of the HR function with real autonomy — this role is yours to shape
• Gain exposure to both UK and global people activity, broadening your experience
• Work closely with senior stakeholders with direct access to decision‐makers
• Be part of a friendly, collaborative team in a growing, ambitious consultancy
• Enjoy a varied workload — no two days will be the same
• Flexible, hybrid working from our London office

Salary

Up to £70,000 depending on a combination of factors including level of experience and expertise, in addition to an OTE bonus.

Benefits

• Pension: on joining, employees will be automatically enrolled in our workplace pension scheme
• Holiday Entitlement: employees receive 25 days per holiday year plus all statutory bank and public holidays in England and Wales
• Private Medical Insurance: employees will be enrolled on to the company BUPA healthcare scheme
• Insurances: Life Insurance and Critical Illness cover are provided to all employees
• Carbon Offset: Employees will be enrolled onto the company carbon offset scheme which is committed to offsetting at least 50% of all employee personal carbon emissions. All Turnkey employees are entitled to £40 worth of carbon credits each year, which can offset 7 tonnes of carbon. Options are available to increase carbon credit amounts which would be treated as a benefit in kind.

Location

Based in our London office with hybrid working.