People Operations Manager

Greenpark; Wes-Kaap; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Christmas Closure

Monthly entertainment subscription

EAP (Employee Assistance)

LinkedIn Learning

Referral bonus

Social events

Work from abroad (WFA)

Calm subscription

Job summary

Greenpark, a global digital agency, seeks a People Operations Manager to lead the in-house talent framework across EMEA and APAC, aligning direct hires, EORs and client-side managers. You’ll drive onboarding, performance, contracts and renewals, ensuring a seamless cross-border employee experience.

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, you will partner with People & Culture, Talent Acquisition and Client Services, managing multiple markets and jurisdictions with a practical, collaborative

Qualifications

• Solid People/HR Operations experience in international or multi-country environments.
• Experience across employment models including direct employment, EOR, fixed-term contracts and contractors; EOR experience is advantageous.
• Understanding of international employment considerations and when to seek legal advice.
• Experience supporting performance management and employee relations.
• Strong stakeholder-management and ability to work with senior internal and client stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, attention to detail and cross-cultural collaboration skills.
• Proactive, practical mindset with ability to navigate non-standard situations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the employment and engagement framework across international markets, coordinating with People & Culture and EOR partners.
• Identify employment model considerations and escalate high-risk matters to senior leadership or counsel.
• Manage day-to-day relationships with EOR partners on employment setup and changes.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition and Client Services to ensure roles are well-defined and viable.
• Guide recruitment processes and set expectations with clients and internal teams.
• Coordinate with discipline leads to assess craft capability and support development.
• Own and improve onboarding framework and ensure clarity of who the talent works for.
• Establish a performance-management framework incorporating client feedback and internal responsibilities.
• Act as liaison on performance, conduct, attendance and wellbeing concerns across entities.
• Track contract dates, probation periods and renewals in partnership with finance and EOR.
• Serve as central People Operations contact between client-side managers and internal teams.
• Identify friction points and implement processes to scale the operating model.

Skills

HR Operations experience

International exposure

Stakeholder management

Communication excellence

Problem solving

Collaborative mindset

Responsible governance

Job description

Role Description – People Operations Manager

About Greenpark

Greenpark is a global, award-winning digital agency specialising in omnichannel search and social. Our raison d’etre is to create amazing content that people and algorithms love. How? Through data-led and performance-driven search and social content to help brands create meaningful connections that impact people's lives. Our unique expertise in Omnichannel Search & Insights, Creative Content and Performance Tech are delivered to our clients via an ad agency and in-house models. We do this for a global client portfolio including Unilever, Campari Group, AIA, Sanofi, Nestle, Lipton, Kimberley Clark, Straumann, Ricola, Globe Telecom, and more.

Want the real inside scoop? Our Playbook gives you a peek into how we work, collaborate, and get things done at Greenpark. Check it out here

Our Values

As a company, we strive and act together in our ambition to make a positive impact for the people and brands we serve, we do everything with kindness and respect at the core. ‘We Strive’, ‘Acting Together’, ‘With Kindness’ are the values that guide us.

About the role

As a People Operations Manager you will build and run the people-operations framework behind Greenpark’s growing global in-house talent partnership with one of our key clients. Our in-house talent may be employed directly by Greenpark, engaged through an Employer of Record (EOR) or through other appropriate models depending on the country and role, while their day-to-day work sits with client-side managers. You will be the central point connecting those two worlds, making sure the model works for the talent, our client and Greenpark.

Working across EMEA and APAC initially and reporting to the Chief People Officer, you will partner closely with Greenpark’s People & Culture, Talent Acquisition and Client Services teams, client-side managers, EOR partners and discipline experts. This is a hands‑on, manager-level role spanning international employment, recruitment readiness, onboarding, performance, contract renewals and the everyday problem‑solving that keeps a complex global talent model running smoothly.

What you’ll do

• Lead the employment and engagement framework for in-house talent across international markets, coordinating country-specific requirements with People & Culture, EOR partners and specialist advisers, and keeping clear documentation so every new hire builds on what is already known.
• Flag key employment considerations early – including employment versus contractor models, EOR requirements, fixed-term restrictions, probation, notice periods, visas and work permits – and elevate higher-risk matters to the Chief People Officer or external counsel.
• Manage day-to-day relationships with Playroll and other EOR partners on employment set-up, contracts, changes and ongoing employee matters.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and Client Services before recruitment begins to confirm roles are clearly defined and operationally viable, with location, budget, working model, employment type and contract duration agreed (Talent Acquisition continues to own sourcing and the recruitment process).
• Join the candidate process at the right stage to explain the Greenpark/client in-house employment model and set clear expectations about how it works in practice.
• Connect in-house talent with Greenpark’s discipline leads across Creative, Content, Social and Search, so the right experts assess craft capability and offer guidance, coaching and development – without recreating day-to-day line management.
• Own and continuously improve the onboarding framework for in-house talent, bringing Greenpark, EOR and client-side requirements together and making sure client-side managers are ready and new starters know who they work for and where to go for support.
• Establish a performance-management framework that combines client-side feedback, discipline input from Greenpark experts and Greenpark’s formal people responsibilities, so concerns are picked up early.
• Act as the first People Operations liaison on performance, conduct, attendance and wellbeing concerns, partnering with People & Culture on formal processes for each employing entity and jurisdiction.
• Track contract dates, probation periods, fixed-term end dates and other key milestones, working with Client Services, Finance and EOR partners on renewals, extensions and employment changes.
• Act as the central People Operations contact between client-side managers, Client Services, Talent Acquisition, People & Culture, Finance and EOR partners, with clear roles and escalation routes.
• Spot recurring friction points and introduce practical processes, templates and guidance so the operating model scales as the partnership grows, giving the Chief People Officer and Client Services leads clear visibility of people risks and upcoming renewals.

About you

• Solid People/HR Operations experience, ideally in an international or multi-country environment.
• Experience across different employment models, including direct employment, EOR arrangements, fixed-term contracts and independent contractors – experience working with EOR providers is highly advantageous.
• A good working understanding of international employment considerations, and the judgement to know when specialist legal advice is needed.
• Experience supporting performance management and employee-relations matters.
• Strong stakeholder-management skills and the confidence to work with senior internal and client stakeholders – and to challenge appropriately when a hiring or employment approach doesn’t make sense.
• Strong operational and project-management capability, able to manage multiple hires, countries, deadlines and stakeholders at once.
• Commercial awareness – you understand that employment decisions, client scope, budgets and delivery are interconnected.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, high attention to detail and confidence working across cultures, markets and time zones.
• A proactive, practical mindset – you spot what is likely to become a problem and deal with it early, and you’re comfortable when situations don’t fit neatly into a process manual.
• A collaborative, empathetic style – you succeed by connecting people rather than building another HR silo, and you help in-house talent navigate an unusual employment environment clearly and fairly.
• You live & breathe Greenpark’s core values ‘We Strive’, ‘Acting Together’, ‘With Kindness’ -championing openness, respect, innovation, and teamwork - so that every interaction, both internally and externally, reflects our commitment to our values.

How we’ll support you

• 25 days of paid holidays per year + ZA public holidays and your birthday off.
• Christmas Closure - (extra days on top of your holiday allowance)
• A monthly entertainment subscription paid by the company (e.g. Amazon Prime, Netflix, Spotify, etc)
• Access to VDU Eye Tests and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
• Participate in wellness and peer recognition initiatives (e.g. On The Spot Awards and Value Champion Awards).
• LinkedIn Learning – Access to a leading online learning platform, which offers a wide variety of courses including business, creative and technical skills.
• Referral Bonus Scheme.
• Social Events – Join us for our major annual social events: Spring, Summer, Halloween and Christmas parties, plus many other ad‑hoc events.
• WFA policy – work from abroad for up to 4 weeks per year.
• Yearly Calm subscription

At Greenpark, we believe the best ideas come from the widest range of perspectives. We welcome and celebrate every background, identity, and experience across our global workforce. By fostering a culture of respect, inclusivity, and collaboration, we’re committed to ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and everyone can thrive.

All applications shall be considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, neurodivergence, disability status or any other protected characteristics