The Head of People Services leads the strategy and delivery of the core people infrastructure that supports an excellent employee experience and enables business growth. Bringing together Reward, People Operations, Systems, Automation and Workforce Intelligence, the role ensures People Services are efficient, scalable, well-governed and data informed.

This is a broad and exciting role in a growing business, with the opportunity to shape how People Services evolves over time. Success in the role will come from focusing on areas of greatest impact, balancing priorities thoughtfully and using systems and automation in practical, smart ways to create capacity within a modest team.

As the business continues to grow, the scope of the role is expected to evolve further as specialist capability in People Systems and Workforce Intelligence develops.

Responsibilities 

Leadership and Strategic Direction

• Define and deliver the People Services strategy, using technology, data and process improvement to enhance efficiency, service quality and employee experience.
• Lead the reward roadmap, ensuring alignment with business priorities and organisational growth.
• Act as a senior adviser to executive and senior leaders on reward, workforce costs, people operations and people-related risk.
• Establish clear ownership and decision-making across People Operations, Reward and Employee Relations.
• Lead, develop and coach a high-performing specialist team, fostering accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Act as the People Team lead for operational delivery, ensuring key launches and annual people cycle activity are effectively planned, scheduled and aligned with the wider business agenda. 

Reward

• Own the organisation’s reward philosophy, frameworks and governance, ensuring consistent application and clear communication.
• Lead pay transparency, job evaluation and grading, benchmarking and reward governance.
• Oversee workforce cost modelling and scenario planning.
• Lead annual reward processes, including salary review and bonus planning.
• Act as an escalation point for reward implications arising from employee relations matters and organisational change. 

People Services, Systems and Risk

• Own the People Services delivery model, service standards and continuous improvement approach.
• Lead the development, implementation and optimisation of people systems and automation to improve efficiency and enable self-service.
• Ensure high standards of data integrity, reporting, compliance and operational governance across people processes.
• Oversee audit readiness, vendor performance and payroll data integrity.
• Work closely with People Partners and other stakeholders to ensure operational decisions align with reward frameworks, payroll controls and organisational risk. 

Workforce Intelligence

• Lead the people data and workforce intelligence agenda, ensuring insight supports effective decision-making and future planning.
• Oversee the prioritisation and delivery of reporting requirements.
• Build stakeholder confidence in using people data to inform action and business decisions.

Experience Required

• Proven experience in a senior People Operations, People Services and/or Reward leadership role.
• Strong understanding of reward, including pay frameworks, benchmarking, job evaluation and annual reward processes.
• Experience leading people systems implementation, optimisation and transformation initiatives.
• Strong analytical capability, with experience using workforce data and insight to support decision-making.
• Good understanding of governance, compliance, risk management and service delivery within a People function.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders within a fast-paced business environment.
• Experience leading and developing specialist teams within a changing or growing organisation.
• Commercially minded, pragmatic and able to balance employee experience with business needs. 

Skills, Attributes, Behaviours and Mindset 

Leadership Mindset

• Leads with clarity, accountability and a continuous improvement mindset.
• Comfortable balancing strategic priorities with operational delivery.
• Able to navigate complexity and ambiguity with composure and sound judgement.
• Pragmatic and solutions-focused, with a strong sense of ownership.

Influence and Impact

• Builds trust and credibility with senior stakeholders across the business.
• Uses insight, data and commercial understanding to influence decision-making.
• Balances governance and operational excellence with employee experience. 

Collaboration and Culture

• Thrives in collaborative environments where success is shared collectively.
• Builds strong partnerships across People, Finance and Operational teams.
• Champions scalable, efficient and people-centred ways of working. 

The Head of People Services leads the strategy and delivery of the core people infrastructure that supports an excellent employee experience and enables business growth. Bringing together Reward, People Operations, Systems, Automation and Workforce Intelligence, the role ensures People Services are efficient, scalable, well-governed and data informed.

This is a broad and exciting role in a growing business, with the opportunity to shape how People Services evolves over time. Success in the role will come from focusing on areas of greatest impact, balancing priorities thoughtfully and using systems and automation in practical, smart ways to create capacity within a modest team.

As the business continues to grow, the scope of the role is expected to evolve further as specialist capability in People Systems and Workforce Intelligence develops.

Responsibilities 

Leadership and Strategic Direction

• Define and deliver the People Services strategy, using technology, data and process improvement to enhance efficiency, service quality and employee experience.
• Lead the reward roadmap, ensuring alignment with business priorities and organisational growth.
• Act as a senior adviser to executive and senior leaders on reward, workforce costs, people operations and people-related risk.
• Establish clear ownership and decision-making across People Operations, Reward and Employee Relations.
• Lead, develop and coach a high-performing specialist team, fostering accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Act as the People Team lead for operational delivery, ensuring key launches and annual people cycle activity are effectively planned, scheduled and aligned with the wider business agenda. 

Reward

• Own the organisation’s reward philosophy, frameworks and governance, ensuring consistent application and clear communication.
• Lead pay transparency, job evaluation and grading, benchmarking and reward governance.
• Oversee workforce cost modelling and scenario planning.
• Lead annual reward processes, including salary review and bonus planning.
• Act as an escalation point for reward implications arising from employee relations matters and organisational change. 

People Services, Systems and Risk

• Own the People Services delivery model, service standards and continuous improvement approach.
• Lead the development, implementation and optimisation of people systems and automation to improve efficiency and enable self-service.
• Ensure high standards of data integrity, reporting, compliance and operational governance across people processes.
• Oversee audit readiness, vendor performance and payroll data integrity.
• Work closely with People Partners and other stakeholders to ensure operational decisions align with reward frameworks, payroll controls and organisational risk. 

Workforce Intelligence

• Lead the people data and workforce intelligence agenda, ensuring insight supports effective decision-making and future planning.
• Oversee the prioritisation and delivery of reporting requirements.
• Build stakeholder confidence in using people data to inform action and business decisions.

Experience Required

• Proven experience in a senior People Operations, People Services and/or Reward leadership role.
• Strong understanding of reward, including pay frameworks, benchmarking, job evaluation and annual reward processes.
• Experience leading people systems implementation, optimisation and transformation initiatives.
• Strong analytical capability, with experience using workforce data and insight to support decision-making.
• Good understanding of governance, compliance, risk management and service delivery within a People function.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders within a fast-paced business environment.
• Experience leading and developing specialist teams within a changing or growing organisation.
• Commercially minded, pragmatic and able to balance employee experience with business needs. 

Skills, Attributes, Behaviours and Mindset 

Leadership Mindset

• Leads with clarity, accountability and a continuous improvement mindset.
• Comfortable balancing strategic priorities with operational delivery.
• Able to navigate complexity and ambiguity with composure and sound judgement.
• Pragmatic and solutions-focused, with a strong sense of ownership.

Influence and Impact

• Builds trust and credibility with senior stakeholders across the business.
• Uses insight, data and commercial understanding to influence decision-making.
• Balances governance and operational excellence with employee experience. 

Collaboration and Culture

• Thrives in collaborative environments where success is shared collectively.
• Builds strong partnerships across People, Finance and Operational teams.
• Champions scalable, efficient and people-centred ways of working.