Group Head of People Services and Reward

COREcruitment; City Of London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment firm is seeking a Group Head of People Services and Reward to lead their People Operations across multiple sites in hospitality, manufacturing, and retail. This senior role involves overseeing all People Services activities, enhancing systems and processes, and managing employee benefits and wellbeing programs. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in HR operations with a focus on strategic development and a proven track record in improving processes. The position offers the chance to shape the employee experience in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Experience leading People Services, HR Operations or Reward within a complex organisation.
• Strong working knowledge of HR systems, ideally Fourth.
• Proven ability to improve processes and introduce automation.

Responsibilities

• Oversee People Services activity including onboarding and lifecycle processes.
• Lead and develop a team across People Services, Systems and Data, and Reward.
• Manage design and administration of employee benefits and wellbeing programmes.

Skills

People Services Leadership

Strong operational expertise

HR systems knowledge

Process improvement

Team leadership

Collaboration skills

Tools

Fourth HR system

Job description

Group Head of People Services and Reward

Hospitality Retail & Manufacturing

We are hiring a Group Head of People Services and Reward to lead and elevate our People Operations function across a multi‑site organisation that spans hospitality, manufacturing and retail channels. This is a senior role that combines operational excellence with strategic development and offers the opportunity to shape how People Services supports the entire business.

This position reports to the People Director and will suit a hands‑on leader who enjoys improving systems, building structure, developing teams and creating a consistent, high‑quality employee experience.

What you will be responsible for

People Services Leadership

• Oversee all People Services activity including onboarding, lifecycle processes, compliance and document management.
• Ensure consistent ways of working across multiple sites.
• Build a culture of service, accuracy and continuous improvement within the team.

Systems and Data Governance

• Act as the lead for Fourth, ensuring data accuracy, clean workflows, permission controls and high‑quality reporting.
• Conduct regular audits to ensure data is complete and payroll‑ready.
• Create dashboards and insights that support operational and strategic decisions.

Rewards, Benefits and Wellbeing

• Manage the design and administration of employee benefits and wellbeing programmes.
• Lead annual reward cycles including salary reviews, bonus processes and pay modelling.
• Maintain job architecture, grading frameworks and market benchmarking.
• Manage supplier relationships and ensure statutory compliance.

Strategy and Operational Improvement

• Develop and deliver the People Services roadmap in partnership with the People Director.
• Streamline processes, remove manual work and introduce automation where appropriate.
• Ensure policies are compliant and reflect current legislation and best practice.

Leadership

• Lead and develop a team of four across People Services, Systems and Data, and Reward and Benefits.
• Build capability, engagement and accountability within the function.
• Support succession planning and professional development.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner closely with People Partners, Finance, Operations, Manufacturing and Site Leadership.
• Provide expert guidance on reward, data, benefits and service delivery.
• Build strong relationships across all business areas.

About you

You are an experienced People leader with strong operational and reward expertise. You thrive in a multi‑site environment and enjoy balancing high‑level strategy with hands‑on delivery. You are confident with systems and data governance, you communicate clearly and you know how to create structure in a fast‑paced setting. You bring energy, curiosity and a collaborative approach to everything you do.

You will also bring

• Experience leading People Services, HR Operations or Reward within a complex organisation.
• Strong working knowledge of HR systems, ideally Fourth.
• A proven ability to improve processes and introduce automation.
• Experience leading and developing teams.
• Confidence working across hospitality, manufacturing or similar environments.
• A proactive and organised approach with a focus on accuracy and delivery.