HR Director (Mandarin speaker)

Gumtree; London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Gumtree is seeking a Mandarin speaking HR Director to lead the People and Talent Strategy for a fast-growing tech scale-up in London. In this pivotal role, you will oversee talent acquisition, organizational design, and HR operations, fostering a culture aligned with business goals. You will work closely with senior leadership to drive growth and transformation within the organization while supporting long-term strategic objectives and delivering impactful HR initiatives.

Benefits

Annual bonus

Private medical insurance

Healthcare plan

Qualifications

• Proven experience as an HR Director in a high growth tech or marketplace scale-up.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law, HR best practice, and compliance.
• Experience across all areas of HR from talent acquisition to organizational development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the People and Talent Strategy for a fast growth tech scale-up.
• Own the full remit of HR and Talent, developing a strategy aligned to business goals.
• Manage all moments within the Employee Lifecycle from Talent Acquisition to HR Operations.

Skills

Fluency in Mandarin

Knowledge of UK employment law

CIPD qualification

Leadership skills

Stakeholder management

Education

CIPD qualification at level 5 or above

Job description

We have an amazing opportunity for a Mandarin speaking HR Director to join us at an exciting point of reset. You’ll lead the People and Talent Strategy for a fast growth tech scale-up with circa 100FTE, acting as a strategic partner to the leadership team. Our workforce planning strategy is mix of Buy, Borrow and Build – your role will be to develop and execute plans to ensure scalability. Our goal is to quadruple our revenue in the coming years, you’ll play a key role in ensuring Organisational Design, Culture, Talent Acquisition and Management and HR Operations support this. With committed long-term investors, a new leadership team on board and a marketplace buzzing with opportunity it’s a fantastic time to join us! If you are a strategic HR Leader who also enjoys day to day hands on execution, we’d love to hear from you! Can you help us shape the future of Gumtree?

Location: London, hybrid working applies with min 3 days in the office.

About the role:

You’ll join us as a Gumtree’s first permanent HR hire, following a period of interim leadership to see us through the company buy-out. You’ll own the full remit of HR and Talent, developing a strategy that is aligned to business goals and supports our company vision. Your broad scope of responsibilities includes all the moments that matter within the Employee Lifecycle from Talent Acquisition and Onboarding to Talent Management, Organisational Development & Culture, HR Operations & Compliance, Compensation, Benefits & Reward, Employee Relations as well as HR Analytics. To help you deliver, you’ll work closely with HR Operations Support Manager covering all verticals of HR. This is a fantastic opportunity to deliver organisational change and impact in a business with a huge amount of unlocked potential.

Gumtree is an equal opportunities employer, valuing diversity and is strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants.

What’s in it for you?

• An exciting opportunity to join Gumtree as we embark upon a journey of growth and transformation.
• A business with purpose - we are on a mission to make buying and selling safer, simpler, and more enjoyable.
• A business-critical role that will shape the future of Gumtree and enable our teams to collaborate and deliver success.
• High impact projects with opportunities to innovate and lead transformative initiatives.
• A supportive and collaborative team environment that values authenticity, inclusivity, and data-driven decision-making.
• An excellent salary and perks including annual bonus, private medical, healthcare plan and more!

What are we looking for?

• You’ll have proven experience as a HR Director in a high growth tech or marketplace scale- up or start-up.
• You’ll be fluent in Mandarin and English.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law, HR best practice, and compliance combined with CIPD qualification at level 5 or above.
• Experience across all areas of HR from talent acquisition to organisational development and culture building.
• You’ll be experienced in scaling HR functions in fast paced, ever changing, rapidly growing companies. Consequently, you competently navigate the big and the small rolling your sleeves up daily to get things done.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills, working with founders, exec teams, and investors.

About us

Gumtree is one of the UK’s most popular online marketplaces, connecting millions of people every month to buy, sell, and trade. Our vision is to be the go-to marketplace for the home, making every transaction effortless and secure.

We’re embarking on an exciting transformation to revolutionise this much-loved platform into a cutting-edge, modern marketplace where buying, and selling is safer, simpler and more enjoyable for everyone. This is your opportunity to join a dynamic team at the forefront of reshaping a household name for the digital age. Together, we’re redefining how buyers and sellers across the UK connect and trade, building a platform that’s ready for the future.

At Gumtree, we don’t just offer jobs; we offer journeys. We empower our employees to make a personal impact in a trusting, and authentic culture. Experience a passionate team, where high performance and growth are fuelled by the power of teamwork and genuine connections.

Join us and play a key role in shaping the future of Gumtree.