At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead people strategy and talent acquisition in a fast-paced, flavour-driven environment.
- Company: Join Wingstop, a top-rated workplace known for its vibrant culture and delicious chicken.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, generous bonuses, equity opportunities, and enhanced holiday allowance.
- Other info: We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on our people and culture while driving growth in a dynamic setting.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in senior HR roles with experience in multi-market operations.
The predicted salary is between 85000 - 85000 £ per year.
Location: London Based – 4 days in office (Maple Street, London)
Reports to: People Director
Salary: Up to £85,000 + Bonus
About Us
At Wingstop, we’re not just in the chicken business - we’re in the flavour business. Creating memorable experiences for our customers and team is what we do best, and we’ve got the accolades to prove it (Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2024 & 2025 and Deliveroo’s Restaurant of the Year). But our mission remains simple: BRING THE FLAVOUR.
Role Overview
We are seeking a people leader who thrives in a fast‑scaling, high‑growth environment and is energised by building structure, capability, and culture in a business that moves at pace. This role requires someone London‑based with experience supporting multi‑market operations, and capable of building scalable, compliant, data‑driven people processes in a fast-growth environment. You will act as a strategic partner to the Senior Leadership Team while remaining hands-on enough to implement and optimise people systems, reporting, and compliance frameworks.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic People Leadership
- Develop and deliver the People Strategy aligned to Wingstop’s UK & Ireland growth plan.
- Partner with senior leadership team, and senior functional leaders as a trusted People advisor.
- Support organisational design and workforce planning across all markets.
- Talent Acquisition
- Lead the TA strategy for both restaurant and Central Support hiring, ensuring the function is fast, efficient, and scalable.
- Build talent pipelines and employer branding initiatives.
- Ensure recruitment processes are compliant, data‑driven, and consistent across regions.
- HR Business Partnering & People Operations
- Provide senior HR leadership across Central Support and Operations.
- Lead complex ER matters ensuring consistency, compliance, and risk mitigation.
- Oversee HR policies, handbooks, and processes across markets, ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation (and additional markets as expansion continues).
- Enhance HRIS capability, ensuring systems and data are accurate, secure, and optimised.
- Compliance, Governance & Risk Management
- Own all HR compliance, ensuring adherence to legislation across UK & Ireland (right‑to‑work, GDPR, onboarding/offboarding, working time regulations, audit readiness).
- Ensure HR policies are continuously updated in line with legislative changes.
- Partner with Legal and Operations to ensure robust people governance frameworks.
- People Analytics & Reporting
- Lead people analytics, creating dashboards and reporting packs for SLT, and the Board.
- Identify trends in hiring, labour planning, ER risk, and engagement to inform decision-making.
- Improve data accuracy and integrity, strengthening how people data is captured, stored, and analysed.
- Engagement, Reward & Benefits Strategy
- Support the Engagement, Reward & Benefits Strategy that strengthens culture, supports retention, and enhances the employee experience across Central Support and Operations.
- Develop a data‑led engagement framework, using insights from people analytics, listening tools, and workforce KPIs to shape action plans and drive continuous improvement.
- Own the Reward & Recognition Strategy, ensuring programmes are competitive, commercially responsible, performance‑aligned, and reflective of Wingstop’s culture and values.
- Regularly benchmark against the external market to ensure Wingstop remains competitive.
- Partner with Finance and senior leaders to model costs, forecast future needs, and ensure all initiatives deliver strong ROI and align to business performance.
Skills and Experience Required
- 7+ years’ experience in a large scale business at a senior HR level
- London-based HR leader with significant experience in multi-market HR leadership (ideally UK + Ireland, & wider EMEA).
- Proven ability to operate in multi-site, fast-growth environments.
- Strong background in people compliance, HR governance, policy frameworks, and risk management.
- Demonstrated expertise in people analytics, workforce reporting, KPI dashboards, and HR data integrity.
- Experience leading both HR and Talent Acquisition functions.
- Strong HR generalist knowledge with ability to manage ER, reward, talent and organisational development.
- Skilled in HR systems, HRIS optimisation, and using data to drive decisions.
- Commercially minded with the ability to challenge and influence senior leaders.
- Excellent communicator who builds trust quickly, with a pragmatic and solutions-focused approach.
Why Wingstop?
Wingstop UKI is committed to investing in and rewarding our people. Benefits include:
- Generous annual Bonus scheme: 30% base with stretch based on business performance
- Equity Programme: opportunity to invest into the business, starting within first 12 months (dependant on equity cycle).
- Enhanced Holiday allowance: Enjoy 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays & birthday (34 total)
- Enhanced Employer Pension Contributions
- Private Healthcare: Enhanced benefit from private health insurance provider Vitality for you plus spouse & dependants
- Family Support: Enhanced maternity and paternity leave for growing families
- Enhanced Sickness Benefit: Two weeks full pay, 12 month rolling
- EV Salary Sacrifice Scheme: available after 3 months of service
- Mileage: 0.45p unlimited!
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
We celebrate individuality and are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. As an equal-opportunity employer, we are committed to creating a supportive environment for all. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process to perform at your best, please let us know - we’re here to assist you. If this opportunity aligns with your skills and career goals, we encourage you to apply. Join us in bringing the flavour!
Head of People in London employer: WINGSTOP UK
Contact Detail:
WINGSTOP UK Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of People in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry on LinkedIn or at events. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company culture and values. At Wingstop, they’re all about flavour and experience, so show how you can contribute to that vibe!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your skills align with the role of Head of People. Highlight your experience in fast-growth environments and your knack for building strong teams.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the team.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of People in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for the role shine through! We want to see how excited you are about joining our team and contributing to our mission of bringing the flavour.
Tailor Your CV: Make sure to customise your CV to highlight relevant experience that aligns with the Head of People role. We love seeing how your background fits into our fast-paced environment and multi-market operations.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so make sure your skills and experiences are easy to spot. This helps us quickly see why you’d be a great fit for Wingstop!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at WINGSTOP UK
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into Wingstop's mission and values. Understand their unique approach to flavour and customer experience. This will help you align your answers with their culture and show that you're genuinely interested in the role.
✨Showcase Your Experience
Prepare specific examples from your past roles that demonstrate your ability to lead HR in a fast-growth environment. Highlight your experience with multi-market operations and how you've successfully implemented scalable people processes.
✨Be Data-Driven
Since the role involves people analytics and reporting, come prepared with insights on how you've used data to inform HR decisions. Discuss any dashboards or reporting tools you've created and how they impacted business outcomes.
✨Engage with Questions
At the end of the interview, have thoughtful questions ready for the panel. Ask about their current challenges in talent acquisition or how they measure employee engagement. This shows your strategic thinking and genuine interest in contributing to their success.