HR & Business Operations (People & Ops Lead)
Fast-Growing Autonomous Systems Company
KEY POINTS
*Office based role in Paddington, London
*Senior, hands-on People & Operations role
*Opportunity to build the People & Ops function from the ground up
*Work directly with the COO and leadership team
*Clear pathway to Director / C-suite level
*Salary up to £80,000 depending on experience
ABOUT THE CLIENT
We’re supporting a fast-growing autonomous systems company that is building the operational foundations to scale rapidly and sustainably.
The business is engineering-led, mission-driven, and operating in a highly technical environment. As the company grows, they are now looking for a senior People & Operations leader to design, implement, and own the people and business infrastructure that will support the next phase of growth.
This is a builder role, ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity and enjoys creating structure where none exists yet.
THE ROLE - MANAGER, HR & BUSINESS OPERATIONS
As Manager - HR & Business Operations, you will take ownership of the company’s people function and core business operations, ensuring the organisation runs smoothly, compliantly, and with a strong, values-driven culture.
This is a hands-on, hybrid role (roughly 70% People / 30% Business Operations) where you’ll operate both strategically and tactically - building systems today that are designed to scale 10x over the coming years.
You’ll work closely with the COO and senior leadership, acting as a trusted partner and freeing leadership time by owning HR and operational execution end to end.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
People Leadership
*Design and implement the full employee lifecycle: hiring, onboarding, performance management, development, and offboarding
*Champion company culture, engagement, and values
*Develop and own HR policies, compliance frameworks, and employee relations
*Act as a trusted advisor to managers on people matters
Business Operations
*Establish and document company-wide processes (approvals, spend management, project tracking)
*Support headcount planning, budgeting, and workforce reporting
*Design and implement operational workflows, data collection, and dashboards
*Select, implement, and own HR and operational tools
Execution & Growth
*Build scalable systems that enable growth without chaos
*Act as the bridge between leadership, HR, and teams
*Identify and resolve operational bottlenecks before they impact delivery
*Ensure HR and operational risks are eliminated or proactively managed
ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE
*Proven experience building HR and people processes from scratch
*Strong understanding of UK employment law, contracts, compliance, and ER
*Experience owning or running: *Hiring and onboarding processes
*Performance reviews and career frameworks
*HR policies and payroll processes

*Comfortable partnering with Finance and Legal
*Hands-on, detail-oriented mindset with strong operational judgement
*Experience in a startup, scale-up, or high-growth environment
WHAT’S ON OFFER
*Opportunity to define and own the People & Ops function at a fast-growing UK technology startup
*Real influence over how the company scales
*Clear pathway to Director or C-suite level
TO APPLY
Please apply via this advert or email directly.
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