Human Resources Business Partner

Searchability (UK) Ltd; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 68,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A fast-growing autonomous systems company is seeking a People & Ops Lead to build and manage the HR function. Located in Paddington, London, this hybrid role combines strategic and operational duties, ensuring a compliant and values-driven culture. Ideal candidates will have a proven track record in building HR processes and a strong understanding of UK employment law. This position offers a salary up to £80,000 and clear growth opportunities to Director or C-suite roles.

Qualifications

• Proven experience building HR and people processes from scratch.
• Strong understanding of UK employment law and compliance.
• Hands-on, detail-oriented mindset.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement the full employee lifecycle.
• Champion company culture, engagement, and values.
• Build scalable systems to enable growth.

Skills

Building HR and people processes

Understanding UK employment law

Detail-oriented mindset

Experience in a startup environment

Tools

HR operational tools

Job description

HR & Business Operations (People & Ops Lead)

Fast-Growing Autonomous Systems Company

KEY POINTS

• Office based role in Paddington, London
• Senior, hands-on People & Operations role
• Opportunity to build the People & Ops function from the ground up
• Work directly with the COO and leadership team
• Clear pathway to Director / C-suite level
• Salary up to 80,000 depending on experience

ABOUT THE CLIENT

We're supporting a fast-growing autonomous systems company that is building the operational foundations to scale rapidly and sustainably.

The business is engineering-led, mission-driven, and operating in a highly technical environment. As the company grows, they are now looking for a senior People & Operations leader to design, implement, and own the people and business infrastructure that will support the next phase of growth.

This is a builder role, ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity and enjoys creating structure where none exists yet.

THE ROLE - MANAGER, HR & BUSINESS OPERATIONS

As Manager - HR & Business Operations, you will take ownership of the company's people function and core business operations, ensuring the organisation runs smoothly, compliantly, and with a strong, values-driven culture.

This is a hands-on, hybrid role (roughly 70% People / 30% Business Operations) where you'll operate both strategically and tactically - building systems today that are designed to scale 10x over the coming years.

You'll work closely with the COO and senior leadership, acting as a trusted partner and freeing leadership time by owning HR and operational execution end to end.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

People Leadership

• Design and implement the full employee lifecycle: hiring, onboarding, performance management, development, and offboarding
• Champion company culture, engagement, and values
• Develop and own HR policies, compliance frameworks, and employee relations
• Act as a trusted advisor to managers on people matters

Business Operations

• Establish and document company-wide processes (approvals, spend management, project tracking)
• Support headcount planning, budgeting, and workforce reporting
• Design and implement operational workflows, data collection, and dashboards
• Select, implement, and own HR and operational tools

Execution & Growth

• Build scalable systems that enable growth without chaos
• Act as the bridge between leadership, HR, and teams
• Identify and resolve operational bottlenecks before they impact delivery
• Ensure HR and operational risks are eliminated or proactively managed

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE

• Proven experience building HR and people processes from scratch
• Strong understanding of UK employment law, contracts, compliance, and ER
• Experience owning or running:
  • Hiring and onboarding processes
  • Performance reviews and career frameworks
  • HR policies and payroll processes
• Comfortable partnering with Finance and Legal
• Hands‑on, detail‑oriented mindset with strong operational judgement
• Experience in a startup, scale‑up, or high‑growth environment

WHAT'S ON OFFER

• Opportunity to define and own the People & Ops function at a fast-growing UK technology startup
• Real influence over how the company scales
• Clear pathway to Director or C‑suite level

TO APPLY

Please apply via this advert or email directly.

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