HR Operations Advisor

Bactobio Ltd; City of Westminster; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A progressive BioTech firm is looking for a People and Operations Associate to manage HR processes and enhance employee experiences. This role covers recruitment, employee lifecycle management, and serves as a crucial contact for all HR matters. Ideal candidates will have 1-3 years of direct HR experience and a solid understanding of UK employment law. Join a dynamic, collaborative environment in Central London, where your contributions can lead to meaningful change while enjoying flexible working hours and numerous benefits.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Flexible working hours

Access to training courses

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• 1-3 years' experience in HR or People Operations, ideally in a startup.
• Strong understanding of UK employment law and HR compliance.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with trust-building abilities.

Responsibilities

• Own the People processes end-to-end for HR matters.
• Coordinate full employee lifecycle, ensuring a positive experience.
• Lead recruitment efforts from job descriptions to onboarding.

Skills

HR best practices

Communication skills

Adaptability

Organizational skills

Job description

We are looking for a People and Operations Associate to own the processes of the People function at Bactobio, shaping the experience of every person who joins, grows, and thrives with us. You'll combine advisory with hands‑on delivery, ensuring our HR function runs smoothly and our culture scales with care and intention., This role keeps Bactobio's People engine running smoothly and makes sure every team member has a great experience from their first interview to their last day. You'll be hands‑on with all our HR processes - from onboarding and contract changes to all key moments in the employee journey - ensuring everything runs like clockwork. You'll be the go‑to person for all HR‑related matters, responsible for evolving our policies, drive engagement initiatives, and build systems that scale as we grow. You'll have real autonomy in your day‑to‑day work, with strong support from our Head of Business Operations, who provides strategic direction and mentorship to help you focus on impact and efficiency and who runs some of the People tasks. This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a high‑autonomy, fast‑paced environment, loves variety, and enjoys turning ideas into action. You'll have the space to experiment, innovate, and shape how we care for and empower our people - all while being part of a collaborative and trusting team. This role also functions as a backup to the Office Manager, when they are absent or requires assistance, who is responsible for administrative and practical tasks in the office. This forms c. 10-20% of this role's time.

Responsibilities

• Own the People processes end-to-end, serving as the main point of contact for all HR-related matters across the organisation
• Coordinate the full employee lifecycle - from onboarding and development to engagement and offboarding - ensuring every stage reflects our values and delivers a positive employee experience
• Lead recruitment efforts, from drafting job descriptions and managing candidate pipelines to coordinating interviews and ensuring smooth onboarding
• Work with the Finance Manager to oversee payroll and ensure timely, accurate processing
• Advise on HR best practices, engagement, and culture-building strategies
• Handle employee relations with discretion, empathy, and fairness
• Maintain accurate HR systems, documentation, and compliance records
• Design and deliver initiatives that strengthen engagement, well‑being, and collaboration
• Support and stand‑in for the OM in daily operations as needed, including office management, IT coordination, social events and document administration

Qualifications

• 1-3 years' experience in HR, People Operations, or a similar role - ideally within a fast‑paced startup or SME
• Strong understanding of UK employment law, HR compliance, and people processes
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust at all levels
• Proactive, adaptable, and comfortable switching between advisory and hands‑on execution
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail and data integrity
• The chance to be part of a fun, multicultural, kind, and ambitious impact‑driven crowd
• Daily access to leaders and mentors in the business

Company Overview

Bactobio is a young London‑based BioTech company (2020) using AI, genomics, and synthetic biology to culture previously unculturable microbes and screen them for antimicrobials. We regularly discover chemically novel antimicrobials that are effective against some of the biggest infectious diseases in agritech and healthcare, and select diseases to target based on the lack of current, effective solutions and the potential market size.

Our work culture is built around impact, empowerment, and collaboration, and we have managed to attract incredible scientists from world‑leading institutions, alongside operational experts. We believe that open and inclusive conversations lead to better solutions. As a result, we have created a unique work environment, where ambitious people enjoy working together to make the world greener and safer.

Benefits

• Brand new, modern labs in Central London with dedicated office space, large balconies, and 360° views of the London skyline, where we all spend 4 days per week (1 day working from home)
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Paid maternity leave (12 weeks) and paternity / new parent leave (6 weeks)
• Up to 2 months of fully paid sick leave
• Flexible start and finish times within the company's core hours to fit your preferences
• 4 weeks of fully paid sabbatical leave after 5 years of service
• Diverse team of colleagues
• Weekly team activities including board games, sports activities, and socials
• Complimentary snacks, fruits, tea, coffee, soft drinks
• Access to 1000s of training courses through Udemy, with an allowance for both personal development and work‑related training
• Employee Assistance Programme offering structured counselling, life and career coaching, legal and financial advice

Joining Bactobio We move fast, learn constantly, and collaborate closely. Our environment is dynamic and sometimes ambiguous - perfect for someone who enjoys variety and building things from scratch. You'll need to be comfortable working onsite four days a week in our London office, where most of our collaboration happens face‑to‑face. If you're looking for a role where you can make a visible difference every day and grow as our company grows, we'd love to hear from you!