HR Operations Manager

Zendbox is a fast-growing, tech-led eCommerce fulfilment and distribution business in Kent. We help ambitious brands scale by delivering smart, reliable warehousing and logistics solutions.

About The Role

We're looking for a confident, hands-on HR Operations Manager to lead and develop our people strategy at our Kent HQ. This is a true blend of strategic and operational HR in a fast-paced distribution environment, overseeing the full employee lifecycle from recruitment and onboarding through to performance, wellbeing, absence management and retention.

Key Responsibilities

• HR Leadership (Operational Focus)
  • Oversee day to day HR activities to ensure effective people processes across the business.
  • Support managers with organisational changes, staffing needs and people related decisions.
  • Contribute to initiatives that improve culture, engagement and team performance.
• Employee Relations (ER) & Absence Management
  • Lead on all ER matters including investigations, disciplinaries, grievances and policy updates.
  • Design and own a robust absence management framework across the business.
  • Use tools such as the Bradford Factor to monitor sickness and identify trends.
  • Support and coach line managers to confidently manage attendance, conduct return-to-work meetings and follow through on formal processes where needed.
  • Act as a trusted advisor to managers on complex people issues.
• Board Reporting & Metrics
  • Provide regular reports on key HR metrics including turnover, absence, engagement, ER activity, recruitment and DEI.
  • Use data to demonstrate impact, support planning and drive accountability across the business.
• Recruitment & Onboarding
  • Oversee end-to-end recruitment and employer branding strategy.
  • Work at pace to attract and secure the right talent for a fast-moving distribution environment.
  • Streamline and enhance onboarding processes for a seamless employee experience.
• Compliance
  • Ensure HR policies, processes and practices are legally compliant and up to date.
  • Keep the business informed and prepared for changes in employment law and HR best practice.
  • Oversee right-to-work checks, data protection compliance (GDPR), and all statutory reporting.
• Manager Development & Training
  • Develop and deliver training and support to build confident, capable line managers.
  • Equip managers to handle ER, performance and absence matters consistently and effectively.
  • Promote values-based leadership across the business.
• Performance & Development
  • Design and manage effective performance management frameworks.
  • Foster a culture of regular feedback, growth and accountability.
• Wellbeing & Benefits
  • Lead wellbeing and mental health initiatives.
  • Manage and optimise employee benefits to support attraction and retention.

Requirements

• Proven experience as an HR Manager or senior HR generalist in an SME environment (essential).
• Strong generalist background with hands-on expertise across ER, absence management, recruitment, L&D and engagement.
• Confident and decisive, with the ability to hit the ground running and make clear, pragmatic decisions.
• Commercially minded, with the ability to align people strategy with business needs.
• Skilled in coaching, influencing and supporting leaders at all levels.
• A practical, solutions-focused approach and ability to work autonomously.
• Familiarity with distribution, logistics, warehousing or other fast-paced operational environments.
• Comfortable using HR data and metrics (including Bradford Factor or similar tools) to drive action.

Benefits

• Competitive salary.
• Private healthcare and company pension.
• Employee benefits platform.
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays.
• Career development and the opportunity to grow with a fast-scaling business.
• Supportive, ambitious culture where you can influence how we do things.