Interim People Operations Manager

Gofractional; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing leave

Flexible working hours

Discounts for wellbeing

L&D budgets

Wellbeing policy

Parental leave (16 weeks)

Socials and snacks

Job summary

Gofractional is seeking a People Operations Manager to lead and shape global people strategy across 140+ staff in Australia, UK, and US. You will manage a small team, partner with the CEO, and drive critical HR initiatives with hands-on execution.

The role is hybrid based in Sydney and fixed-term for 14 months, with potential for extension. You will champion high performance, data-driven decisions and scalable people processes.

Qualifications

• Strong People/HR leadership experience across a global business.
• Generalist HR expertise with knowledge of Australian employment law; UK/US experience is a bonus.
• Proven ability to partner with Executive and senior leaders on strategic people initiatives.
• Hands-on operator who delivers complex projects from planning to execution.
• Highly organised with sharp attention to detail and multi-priority management.
• Data-driven approach using insights and metrics to inform decisions.

Responsibilities

• Shape and deliver our global people strategy in partnership with the CEO and Executive team.
• Lead and develop the People team and ensure strong day-to-day operations.
• Oversee organisational structure and talent reviews to support growth.
• Drive high performance, engagement and development across the business.
• Oversee recruitment and support leaders to attract and hire top talent.
• Use people data and metrics to measure success and inform decisions.
• Own OKR processes and drive leadership development and capability-building.
• Lead AI training and enablement across the company.

Skills

People leadership

HR generalist

Data-driven

Executive partnership

Operational execution

Organisational skills

Job description

People Operations Manager

Work Arrangement: Hybrid, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Contract: Full-time, 14-month fixed-term contract, from early November 2026 to mid-December 2027

Reporting: Directly to the CEO

The Role

Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the Executive team, you'll lead a team of two and take ownership of People Operations across our 140-person global business, spanning Australia, the UK and the US. We're looking for someone who combines strong HR and People experience with a genuinely hands-on, operational and execution-focused approach.

You'll ensure the People function runs smoothly day to day while leading company-wide projects that have a meaningful impact on how we work and grow. We're a fast-moving business, so you'll need to be comfortable balancing multiple priorities and adapting as things change, while ensuring work is thoughtful, well planned and executed to a high standard.

Although this is a fixed-term contract to cover maternity leave, our business is continuing to grow and there may be potential for a permanent opportunity beyond the initial contract.

Responsibilities

People Operations

• Shape and deliver our global people strategy, partnering closely with the CEO and Executive team on people and organisational priorities
• Lead and develop the People team, ensuring strong day-to-day operations alongside the delivery of high-impact initiatives
• Lead organisational structure and talent reviews, ensuring our teams are set up effectively to support performance and future growth
• Drive high performance, engagement and development across the business, coaching leaders to build and lead high-performing teams
• Oversee recruitment across the business, providing guidance and support to the People team and leaders to ensure we attract great talent and make high-quality hiring decisions
• Use people insights, workforce data and key metrics to inform decision-making, measure success and continuously improve organisational performance
• Provide pragmatic HR advice and ensure our People policies and practices remain effective and compliant across our regions

Key Projects

• Own and evolve our company-wide OKR process, coordinating planning cycles and driving ongoing adoption and accountability
• Co-design and deliver leadership development, talent management and capability-building initiatives across the business
• Lead AI training and enablement across the company, building AI capability, confidence and adoption across our teams

What We're Looking For

• Strong People/HR leadership experience, including leading and developing high-performing teams and operating autonomously across a broad People remit; previous experience leading a People function would be highly regarded
• Strong generalist HR experience and knowledge of Australian employment legislation, with the confidence and judgement to independently manage complex people matters; experience across the UK and/or US would be highly beneficial
• Proven experience partnering directly with Executive and senior leadership teams, building trusted relationships and influencing business outcomes through strategic People initiatives
• A strong, hands-on operational executor with demonstrated experience taking complex projects from planning through to implementation and measuring their impact
• Highly organised with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment
• A data-driven approach, using people insights and metrics to inform decisions and measure impact

Benefits

• Extra paid Wellbeing and Volunteering leave to care for yourself and others
• Flexible working hours and arrangements to accommodate different working preferences and personal situations
• Access to a wide range of discounts to support wellbeing and financial health
• L&D budgets and professional opportunities available, so you can continue growing to be the best you
• Wellbeing policy and EAP access, we put your mental health and wellbeing first
• Generous parental leave policy where we offer an additional 16 week's full pay
• Regular socials, conferences and free snacks to celebrate the hard work of our team + amazing harbour front office views