HR Operations Manager

Zendbox | eCommerce Fulfilment Specialist; Whetsted; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Private healthcare

Company pension

Employee benefits platform

25 days holiday

Job summary

Zendbox is seeking an experienced HR Operations Manager to lead the people strategy at our Kent HQ. You will oversee the full employee lifecycle from recruitment and onboarding through performance, wellbeing, absence management and retention in a fast-paced eCommerce fulfilment environment.

You'll partner with senior leadership to ensure people practices support business objectives and cultivate a culture where teams thrive.

Qualifications

• Proven HR Manager/senior HR generalist background in SME environments.
• StrongER/absence management, ER, recruitment, L&D and engagement experience.
• Confident, decisive with ability to hit the ground running.
• Commercial mindset aligning people strategy with business needs.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day HR activities and ensure robust people processes across the business.
• Support managers with staffing changes and people-related decisions.
• Lead on ER matters including investigations, disciplinaries and grievances.
• Design and own absence management framework using tools like the Bradford Factor.

Skills

HR Leadership

People Management

ER

Absence Management

Recruitment

L&D

Engagement

Data Analytics

Education

HR qualification or degree

Tools

HRIS

Bradford Factor

Job description

Zendbox is a fast-growing, tech-led eCommerce fulfilment and distribution business in Kent. We help ambitious brands scale by delivering smart, reliable warehousing and logistics solutions - and we're now looking for an experienced HR Operations Manager to support our next stage of growth.

About The Role

We're looking for a confident, hands-on HR Operations Manager to lead and develop our people strategy at our Kent HQ. This is a true blend of strategic and operational HR in a fast-paced distribution environment, overseeing the full employee lifecycle from recruitment and onboarding through to performance, wellbeing, absence management and retention.

You'll need to hit the ground running: setting direction quickly, making clear decisions, taking ownership of absence management (including use of the Bradford Factor) and giving managers the support and challenge they need to deliver.

You'll work closely with senior leadership to ensure our people practices directly support business objectives, while creating a culture that enables our teams to thrive.

Key Responsibilities

HR Leadership (Operational Focus)

• Oversee day to day HR activities to ensure effective people processes across the business
• Support managers with organisational changes, staffing needs and people related decisions
• Contribute to initiatives that improve culture, engagement and team performance

Employee Relations (ER) & Absence Management

• Lead on all ER matters including investigations, disciplinaries, grievances and policy updates
• Design and own a robust absence management framework across the business
• Use tools such as the Bradford Factor to monitor sickness and identify trends
• Support and coach line managers to confidently manage attendance, conduct return-to-work meetings and follow through on formal processes where needed
• Act as a trusted advisor to managers on complex people issues

Board Reporting & Metrics

• Provide regular reports on key HR metrics including turnover, absence, engagement, ER activity, recruitment and DEI
• Use data to demonstrate impact, support planning and drive accountability across the business

Recruitment & Onboarding

• Oversee end-to-end recruitment and employer branding strategy
• Work at pace to attract and secure the right talent for a fast-moving distribution environment
• Streamline and enhance onboarding processes for a seamless employee experience

Compliance

• Ensure HR policies, processes and practices are legally compliant and up to date
• Keep the business informed and prepared for changes in employment law and HR best practice
• Oversee right-to-work checks, data protection compliance (GDPR), and all statutory reporting

Manager Development & Training

• Develop and deliver training and support to build confident, capable line managers
• Equip managers to handle ER, performance and absence matters consistently and effectively
• Promote values-based leadership across the business

Performance & Development

• Design and manage effective performance management frameworks
• Foster a culture of regular feedback, growth and accountability

Wellbeing & Benefits

• Lead wellbeing and mental health initiatives
• Manage and optimise employee benefits to support attraction and retention

Requirements

Proven experience as an HR Manager or senior HR generalist in an SME environment (essential)

Strong generalist background with hands-on expertise across ER, absence management, recruitment, L&D and engagement

Confident and decisive, with the ability to hit the ground running and make clear, pragmatic decisions

Commercially minded, with the ability to align people strategy with business needs

Skilled in coaching, influencing and supporting leaders at all levels

A practical, solutions-focused approach and ability to work autonomously

Familiarity with distribution, logistics, warehousing or other fast-paced operational environments (experience with eCommerce fulfilment businesses like Zendbox is highly beneficial)

Comfortable using HR data and metrics (including Bradford Factor or similar tools) to drive action

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Private healthcare and company pension
• Employee benefits platform
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Career development and the opportunity to grow with a fast-scaling business
• Supportive, ambitious culture where you can influence how we do things