People Operations Lead – 12‑Month Fixed‑Term (Maternity Cover)

About the role

We are seeking a People Operations Lead on a 12‑month maternity cover contract to manage the end‑to‑end employee experience. You will act as the central HR partner, ensuring compliance, supporting managers and driving key people initiatives across the business.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee the full employee lifecycle – onboarding, development, and off‑boarding.
• Provide day‑to‑day HR advice on employee relations and performance management.
• Maintain and update HR policies to ensure UK employment law compliance.
• Lead recruitment processes and support hiring managers throughout.
• Manage HR administration, employee records, payroll inputs and benefits administration.
• Produce HR metrics and reports to inform business decisions.
• Drive employee engagement, wellbeing and talent development programmes.

Required profile

• Proven experience as a People Operations Lead, HR Manager or Senior HR Generalist.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment legislation and employee‑relations handling.
• Excellent organisational and stakeholder‑management abilities.
• Ability to work autonomously, juggle multiple priorities and influence senior leaders.
• CIPD Level 5 or higher is desirable.

Required skills

• In‑depth understanding of UK employment law.
• Experience with HR policy development and compliance.
• Proficiency in managing HR administration and payroll processes.

What we offer

• Competitive salary (£55,000‑£60,000 per annum).
• Hybrid working – 4 days on site, 1 day remote.
• Generous holiday entitlement and pension scheme.
• Employee assistance programme and supportive team environment.