Senior People Manager - Maternity Cover

Universal; Greater London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Universal Design Studio is seeking a People Manager on a fixed-term maternity cover to lead employee experience and HR partnerships. You will collaborate with studio leadership and the global People team to design initiatives that support business objectives, drive engagement, and standardise HR processes.

You will oversee performance management, payroll, mobility, and compliance while building a strong, capable management culture and delivering high-quality employee experiences across London

Qualifications

• Experience in an HR management/business partnership role in a creative or professional services setting.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills.
• Ability to partner with remote teams in different markets.
• Ability to work independently, multi-task and prioritise workload with strong follow-through.
• Interest in continually improving People programs, policies and processes.
• Adaptability in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
• Data-driven mindset to tell a story and make recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Partner with leadership to design and deliver people initiatives aligned with business objectives.
• Use tools like employee engagement surveys to drive engagement and retention.
• Standardise processes, policies, and procedures with global People team.
• Foster a culture of strong managers and performance-focused career development.
• Oversee bi-annual performance management reviews with managers.
• Build relationships to support an employee-oriented culture focusing on quality and engagement.
• Analyse trends to implement best practices for attracting and retaining top talent.
• Support Talent Acquisition in hiring and onboarding full-time and contract staff.
• Manage employee relations, learning and development, and special projects.
• Oversee monthly payroll processing using ADP.
• Advise on global mobility, visas, and immigration issues; liaise with studios on secondments.

Skills

HR management

Executive presence

Communication skills

Remote collaboration

Policy design

Performance management

Job description

Universal Design Studio (part of the AKQA Group and WPP), is an architecture and interiors practice based in London and New York, dedicated to creating spaces that inspire and endure. Founded in 2001 by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, the studio has built an international reputation for delivering thoughtful, finely crafted environments grounded in design-led strategy and research.

We design from the inside out, crafting spaces that elevate everyday experiences. Through the ideas, objects, and spaces we create, we seek to cultivate intelligence, find beauty, and drive transformation, all while deepening connections, inspiring participation, and unlocking creative potential in every interaction.

As People Manager, you will help to advance a world class employee experience for employees – current and future. You will have an excellent knowledge of industry best practices, but also push boundaries to bring to life the employee experience vision.

The People Manager will partner with the studio leadership team and global People team to drive business performance through our people.

This is a Fixed Term Contract position for Maternity Cover for approximately for 9-12 months.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Partner with leadership to proactively design and deliver people initiatives that support the business objectives.
• Utilise tools such as the employee engagement survey to help drive employee engagement, retention and growth of our teams.
• Partner with the global People team to identify, develop, and implement standardised processes, policies, and procedures to help drive a premium employee experience.
• Partner with the business to create a culture of strong managers and leaders who prioritise performance and career management discussions.
• Oversee the bi- annual performance management process and collaborate with managers to ensure a thorough and effective review process.
• Build solid relationships with employees and managers to create an employee-oriented culture that emphasises quality, continuous improvement, and employee engagement.
• Analyse trends and metrics to recommend and implement gold-standard tools, practices and systems that attract, develop, and retain top talent.
• Support the Talent Acquisition team in the process of hiring full-time and contract workers and execute the full onboarding process to create a thorough candidate experience.
• Manage employee relations matters, organise and implement learning and development programs, and execute other special projects.
• Process and review monthly payroll using ADP
• Advise employees and line managers on global mobility, visas, and immigration issues. Liaise with People colleagues from other studios on secondments and seek advice from external immigration partners where necessary.
• Ensure all processes and policies are compliant with local legislation; partner with legal team where appropriate.
• Share knowledge and best practices within the People team, as well as broadly within the organisation to ensure that people practices are highly effective and valued.
• Responsible for ad hoc Finance matters including acting as audit/ bank contact, coordinating annual audit, and creating annual core services budget.
• Manage office responsibilities including leading security & safety measures, organising events, maintaining studio design and partnering with suppliers and landlord.
• Perform other job-related duties as required

QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Experience in an HR management/business partnership role, supporting a creative and/or professional services business.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills.
• Ability to partner with remote teams in different markets.
• Ability to work independently, multi-task andprioritise workload with strong follow-through.
• Interest in taking the initiative to continually improve all People programs, policies, and processes.
• Ability to adapt to frequently changing schedules and priorities and experience in operating in a dynamic, fast-paced environment where change is constant and demanding, and clear structure/process may not be apparent.
• Pragmatic and outcome-oriented, leveraging data to tell a story and make recommendations.

About Universal Design Studio

Universal Design Studio (part of WPP) is an architecture and interior design practice based in London and New York. We design from the inside out—crafting spaces that elevate everyday experiences. Through the ideas, objects, and spaces we create, we seek to cultivate intelligence, find beauty, and drive transformation—deepening connections, inspiring participation, and unlocking creative potential in every interaction. Our curiosity drives us to challenge boundaries and ignite emergence, seeking a more vibrant, and sustainable future.

Our services include architecture, interior design and creative strategy and we work with leading global brands and organisations to create physical spaces across multiple sectors and regions.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unitecutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counselin a single company –powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open,to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.