Senior People Manager – Maternity Cover | Creative Studio

AKQA; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

AKQA’s Map Project Office seeks a People Manager to lead the employee experience for current and future Map staff. This fixed-term maternity cover role partners with studio leadership and the global People team to drive business performance through people initiatives.

The role requires strong HR partnership, executive presence, and the ability to work across markets in a hybrid in-office setup. Experienced with onboarding, payroll, and employee relations, you’ll support retention, growth and

Qualifications

• Experience in an HR management/business partnership role.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills.
• Ability to partner with remote teams in different markets.
• Data-driven approach to HR metrics and business outcomes.
• Experience with payroll and onboarding processes.

Responsibilities

• Partner with leadership to design and deliver people initiatives that support business objectives.
• Drive employee engagement and retention using surveys and metrics.
• Develop standardized HR processes, policies and procedures across studios.
• Foster a culture of strong managers and career development discussions.
• Oversee performance management processes and ensure thorough reviews.
• Build relationships to create an employee-centric culture focused on quality and improvement.
• Advise on global mobility, visas, and immigration issues; liaise with external partners.
• Support Talent Acquisition through hiring and onboarding of full-time and contract staff.
• Handle ad hoc finance matters and annual budgeting for HR services.
• Ensure policies comply with local legislation and partner with legal as needed.
• Share best practices across the People team and organisation.

Skills

HR management

Executive presence

People partnership

Performance management

Employee engagement

Tools

ADP

Job description

AKQA’s Map Project Office seeks a People Manager to lead the employee experience for current and future Map staff. This fixed-term maternity cover role partners with studio leadership and the global People team to drive business performance through people initiatives.

The role requires strong HR partnership, executive presence, and the ability to work across markets in a hybrid in-office setup. Experienced with onboarding, payroll, and employee relations, you’ll support retention, growth and