People Operations Manager - Racing

Sodexo; Ascot; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Raceday Tickets

Job summary

Sodexo Live! Ascot is seeking a proactive People Operations Manager to lead planning, payroll and workforce deployment for ~3,500 casual workers across Ascot. You’ll manage labour costs, forecast demand and drive engagement with agencies and suppliers in a fast-paced events environment.

With strong leadership, commercial acumen and expertise in people operations, you’ll ensure compliance, coaching the team and delivering excellent guest experiences at Royal Ascot.

Qualifications

• Experience in people operations, workforce planning or event staffing.
• Experience managing large casual/workforces incl. agency staff.
• Strong financial and commercial awareness with budgeting.
• Proven leadership of a high-performing team.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Proficient with scheduling systems; Humanforce advantageous.
• Solid Excel and MS Office skills.
• Excellent communication with stakeholders.
• Understanding of HR policies and payroll processes.
• Flexible hours including weekends and peak events.
• CIPD qualification desirable; hospitality/events background helpful.

Responsibilities

• Lead workforce planning across core, raceday, and hospitality operations.
• Produce labour forecasts aligned with revenue and budgets.
• Coach and develop the People Operations team.
• Oversee payroll, timesheets and wage reporting.
• Build a pipeline of casual workers and onboarding.
• Maintain relationships with operations, agencies and suppliers.
• Monitor KPIs and labour budgets, identifying overspends.
• Drive process improvements and ensure compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Financial acumen

Excel

Communication

HR knowledge

Weekend availability

CIPD qualification

Driving licence

People operations

Education

CIPD qualification

Tools

Humanforce

Job description

• Royal Ascot, High Street, Ascot, SL5 7JX with travel to off-site events
• Up to £44,000pa + up to 10% performance bonus and excellent benefits
• 40 Hours Mon-Fri with requirements to support Weekend Racedays & Events
• Perks: Raceday Tickets

Job Introduction Ready to lead the people operation behind some of the UK's most prestigious racedays and events? Ascot Racecourseis looking for a proactive, commercially minded and highly organised People Operations Manager to lead the team responsible for planning and coordinating its large-scale casual workforce. This is a fantastic opportunity to join Sodexo Live! and play a key role in ensuring the right people are in the right roles at the right time. You'll oversee labour planning, forecasting, payroll and workforce deployment across Ascot's core business, including supporting the engagement of approximately 3,500 casual workers during Royal Ascot. If you enjoy combining people leadership with data, systems and commercial decision-making, this role offers plenty of variety and responsibility. You'll work closely with operational teams, agency partners and key stakeholders to build a strong pipeline of skilled casual workers, manage labour costs and help deliver outstanding guest experiences at one of the world's most iconic racecourses.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead workforce planning and staffing delivery across Ascot Racecourse’s core, raceday and hospitality operations.
• Produce accurate labour forecasts and work with operational leaders to ensure staffing plans align with anticipated revenue, service requirements and agreed budgets.
• Lead, coach and develop the People Operations team, ensuring they deliver an efficient, responsive and commercially focused staffing service.
• Oversee payroll administration, timesheet authorisation, wage reporting and labour data, ensuring all information is accurate and submitted on time.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of skilled casual workers, supporting effective onboarding, engagement, development, retention and succession planning.
• Develop strong working relationships with operational teams, the client, staffing agencies and key suppliers, ensuring agreed service levels and workforce requirements are achieved.
• Monitor labour performance, staffing KPIs and people-related budgets, identifying potential overspends or operational risks and taking appropriate action.
• Drive continuous improvement across people operations by strengthening processes, using workforce technology effectively and ensuring compliance with employment legislation, company policies and health and safety requirements.

Requirements

• Previous experience in people operations, workforce planning, event staffing or operational management within a fast-paced, service-led environment.
• Experience managing large or complex workforces, ideally including casual, temporary or agency workers.
• Strong financial and commercial awareness, with the ability to produce labour forecasts, monitor wage costs and manage staffing budgets.
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to coach, motivate and develop a high-performing team.
• Excellent organisational skills, with meticulous attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities under pressure.
• Confidence using workforce management, time and attendance or scheduling systems; experience using Humanforce would be advantageous.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel, alongside the ability to interpret workforce data and produce accurate reports.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the confidence to work effectively with operational leaders, clients, agencies and suppliers.
• A good understanding of HR policies, employment legislation, payroll processes and workforce compliance.
• A flexible approach to working hours, including availability for weekends, racedays and peak event periods.
• A CIPD qualification, previous experience within hospitality or events, and a full UK driving licence would be desirable.

Working with Sodexo is more than a job; it’s a chance to be part of something greater. You’ll belong in a company and team that values you for you; you’ll act with purpose and have an impact through your everyday actions; and you’ll be able to thrive in your own way. In addition, we also offer a range of resources, rewards and benefits for our colleagues and their families, Sodexo reserves the right to close this advertisement early if we are in receipt of a high volume of applications.

About Sodexo At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services that improve the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100 million consumers each day through our unique combination of On-Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services. We are committed to being an inclusive employer. We are a forces friendly employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds, and identities. We encourage our employees to get involved with our Employee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins. Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins. We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations.