people services manager

inploi; London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading restaurant chain in London is seeking a People Services Manager to enhance employee relations and drive people initiatives. This hybrid role offers a salary of £50,000–£55,000 plus a 20% bonus. Candidates should have strong experience in HR, particularly in complex employee relations, alongside leadership skills. The organization promotes a culture full of good vibes and values employee well-being with numerous perks including monthly food allowances and private healthcare.

Benefits

£200 monthly food allowance

Private healthcare

3% pension contribution

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Flexible hybrid working

Family-friendly pay for parents

Qualifications

• Significant experience in managing complex employee relations.
• Strong team leadership skills to inspire and grow the team.
• Ability to influence effectively with sound judgement.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex employment matters, including tribunals and exits.
• Ensure compliance with policies and legal standards.
• Lead training for managers on HR policies and processes.

Skills

Communication adaptability

Complex employee relations management

Team leadership skills

Understanding of generalist HR processes

Data assimilation and interpretation

Influencing and challenging ability

Facilitation skills

Job description

london | hybrid 3 days a week | salary of 50-55,000 + 20% bonus |

at wagamama, food is life and we’re here to make every bite count. with over 165 restaurants across the UK (and growing fast) we’ve been dishing up vibrant, fresh asian inspired flavours since ‘92. it’s all about good food, good vibes, and good company

were looking for a people services manager to join us on our journey ready to dive in and stir things up?

what we need |

an experienced people services manager to lead a team in ensuring a pro-active, efficient and legally compliant people service is delivered. the role covers a wide range of people services related activity. you will be responsible for the wagamama employee relations agenda (e.g. policy development, legal compliance) and lead on annual cyclical activities administration

working in partnership with hq/cpu directors, heads of department and managers, building and maintaining effective relationships to support the business achieving its strategic goals. the role is key to driving successful performance through the delivery of key people initiatives and people performance, aligning the business plan and priorities with the people agenda

what you’ll do |

employee relations

• manages complex employment matters, including tribunals and exits, providing timely, compliant and accurate outputs to support business needs
• leads on all responses to early conciliation requests, resolving where possible and leads on et3 responses in conjunction with employment lawyers
• ensures training for managers across the business to provide knowledge of policies + process and skill to manage er cases locally
• accountable for ensuring wagamama has up to date and fit for purposes people related policies
• responsible for ensuring legal compliance and cascade of changes (e.g. right to work, statutory policy)

people services

• ensures transactional people admin processes (e.g. offer/t&c change/leaver paperwork, benefits administration) are delivered + cyclical processes (e.g. pay review, bonus, pension auto-enrolment) are planned and delivered

analytics

• uses analytics to prioritise areas of focus and identify trends so we’re working on the right things and spending times in the right place

enabling people to be the best they can be

• identifies underperformance quickly and supports hq/cpu hods / directors / managers to resolve so people can be successful and are in the right position
• in partnership with the wider talent team + learning & development centre of excellence, ensures a clear focus on ‘growing in life + work’ so once identified, our people fulfil their potential and grow through wagamama

team leadership

• provides strong team leadership by inspiring and developing team through clear direction. provides support and in the moment feedback

what you’ll need |

• able to communicate and adapt style to people on all levels within wagamama
• significant experience of dealing and manging complex employee relations
• strong team leadership skills | can inspire, grow and develop their team as well as inspire their peers and colleagues to work in partnership with them
• a good understanding of the processes and practices of generalist hr
• able to assimilate and interpret data in order to inform decisions and take key actions
• high ability to influence and challenge effectively providing sound advice and judgement
• able to read and understand p&ls, dashboards, and company scorecards
• strong facilitation skills | guiding others to achieve goals, fostering a culture of collaboration

who you’ll be working with |

• hq/cpu directors + heads of department
• head of talent
• people + culture director
• regional operations directors + area managers
• regional people business partners
• head of people experience
• talent acquisition + eb manager

what’s in it for you |

• 50-55000 salary + 20% bonus potential
• flexible hybrid working (with option to work + eat from one of our restaurants!)
• come as you are culture, with modern offices, fresh fruit and soft drinks
• £200 monthly wagamama food allowance — enjoy all your favourite dishes on us!
• private healthcare
• 3% pension contribution
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• + further discounts across retail, hospitality & leisure — perks that make life sweeter
• Supporting you every step of the way! family-friendly pay: 26 weeks full pay + 13 weeks half pay for expectant or adopting parents

nothing brings people together like great food. no matter where you’re from or who you are, you’ve got a seat at our table | because food is the ultimate connector, and here everyone belongs