Head of People Technology, Innovation and Operations

Overview

Hello there. We’re Zopa. We started our journey back in 2005, building the first ever peer-to-peer lending company. In 2020 we launched Zopa Bank. A bank that listens to what our customers don’t like about finance and does the opposite. We’re redefining what it feels like to work in finance. Our vision for a new era of banking puts people front and centre — we’ve built a business that empowers everyone to aim high, every day, to move finance forward. Find out more about our fantastic offerings at Zopa.com!

We’re incredibly proud of our achievements and none of it would be possible without the amazing team here. It’s not just industry awards we’re winning, we’ve also been named in the top three UK’s Most Loved Workplaces.

If you embrace unconventional challenges, are unafraid to think differently and are driven to make an outsized impact, you’ll thrive here at Zopa, so join us, and make it count.

We are looking for a technology-led People leader who is excited by digital transformation, automation and AI, and who sees operations as something to be simplified, scaled and increasingly self-served, not manually maintained.

You’ll enjoy designing modern solutions, experimenting with new technologies and personally getting hands-on with tools (including AI) to reduce operational effort while improving the Zopian experience.

Reporting directly to the Chief People Officer, this role will be pivotal in ensuring our People operating model is scalable, efficient and fit for the future. With HiBob recently implemented as our core HRIS, we are at the start of an exciting maturity journey - one that will see you and your team build a truly digital-first, industry-leading People technology & operations ecosystem.

This is a hands-on, builder-style leadership role, suited to someone who enjoys rolling up their sleeves to design, configure, test and iterate on solutions themselves, while also operating at a strategic level. You will personally engage with systems, data and AI-enabled tools rather than delegating all execution.

As a member of the People Leadership team, you’ll play a broader role in shaping and delivering our People Strategy, supporting Zopa’s continued growth and readiness for IPO. The role is based in our London office, with an expectation of being on site three days per week.

A day in the life...

• Set and own the vision and roadmap for People Technology & Digital Operations, deliberately designing out manual effort and building a scalable, self-service, digital-first operating model.
• Own and evolve the People Technology ecosystem, taking a product mindset to continuous optimisation, automation and integration across our systems (HiBob, Lever, Culture Amp, Monday.com etc). This includes hands-on exploration and deployment of AI-enabled solutions (e.g. CustomGPTs, workflow automation, intelligent knowledge bases) to materially reduce operational workload and elevate service quality.
• Lead the maturity journey of People Operations, implementing best-in-class policies, processes and service delivery models that are efficient, compliant and fit for a regulated, high-growth organisation.
• Partner with the Chief People Officer and People Leadership team to shape and deliver the People Strategy, translating strategic priorities into practical, well-executed operational and technology solutions.
• Enable data-driven decision-making in partnership with our People Analytics lead, ensuring leaders have access to timely, accurate insights to support workforce decision-making. Driving data-driven improvements across our operations service delivery model.
• Act as the People function’s AI/Automation champion, personally experimenting with, implementing and embedding AI-enabled tools and ways of working where they can improve decision-making, service delivery and operational efficiency.
• Ensure operational excellence and compliance, including governance, controls and documentation required to support audit readiness, regulatory expectations and future IPO requirements.
• Build, lead and develop a high-performing People Technology & Operations team, creating clear ownership, capability and career pathways while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Act as a senior stakeholder partner across the business, working closely with Technology, Finance, Risk, Legal and other functions to deliver joined-up solutions and seamless employee experiences.
• Oversee SMCR governance, and Risk Management for the People function including monthly, quarterly & annual risk & control reporting.
• Drive change and adoption, ensuring new systems, processes and ways of working are successfully embedded, well-communicated and positively experienced by Zopians.
• Own vendor and partner relationships, including contract management, performance, and value realisation across People technology and outsourced services.

About You...

• Significant experience leading People Technology and People Operations within a scaling technology-led or financial services organisation, with proven credibility partnering with senior leaders and executives.
• Demonstrable experience delivering people systems transformation, including the implementation, optimisation and adoption of modern HR platforms, with a strong focus on personally using and deploying AI-enabled tooling, automation and digital innovation (not just sponsoring it).
• Deep expertise in evolving People Operations maturity, moving teams towards high levels of self-service, effective knowledge management and simplified processes, while actively removing unnecessary complexity and red tape.
• A strong analytical and data-driven mindset, with proven experience using people data and insights to influence decision-making, improve outcomes and manage risk.
• Proven programme and change leadership capability, successfully leading large-scale, cross-functional initiatives from design through to delivery and adoption.
• Experience building, leading and coaching high-performing teams in a growth environment, developing capability, ownership and confidence as the organisation scales.
• A collaborative and trusted leadership style, with the ability to build strong relationships and credibility across Zopa and with key stakeholders in Technology, Finance, Risk and Legal.

At Zopa we value flexible ways of working. We value face-to-face collaboration and a good work-life balance. This hybrid role requires you to come to our London office 2-3 days a week. You'll also have the option of working from abroad for up to 120 days a year! But no matter where you are, we’ll make sure you’ve got everything you need to thrive, both in your work and home life, from day one.

Diversity Statement

Zopa is proud to offer a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds leads to better products for our customers and a unique company culture for our people. We are made up of nearly 50 nationalities, have a DE&I forum made up of Zopians wanting to make a difference and we are proud of our culture where everyone can bring their full self to work. Our approach to DE&I is reflected in our hiring process so please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.