HR & Business Operations (People & Ops Lead) Fast-Growing Autonomous Systems Company KEY POINTS Office based role in Paddington, London Senior, hands-on People & Operations role Opportunity to build the People & Ops function from the ground up Work directly with the COO and leadership team Clear pathway to Director / C-suite level Salary up to £80,000 depending on experience ABOUT THE CLIENT We're supporting a fast-growing autonomous systems company that is building the operational foundations to scale rapidly and sustainably. The business is engineering-led, mission-driven, and operating in a highly technical environment. As the company grows, they are now looking for a senior People & Operations leader to design, implement, and own the people and business infrastructure that will support the next phase of growth. This is a builder role, ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity and enjoys creating structure where none exists yet. THE ROLE - MANAGER, HR & BUSINESS OPERATIONS As Manager - HR & Business Operations, you will take ownership of the company's people function and core business operations, ensuring the organisation runs smoothly, compliantly, and with a strong, values-driven culture. This is a hands-on, hybrid role (roughly 70% People / 30% Business Operations) where you'll operate both strategically and tactically - building systems today that are designed to scale 10x over the coming years. You'll work closely with the COO and senior leadership, acting as a trusted partner and freeing leadership time by owning HR and operational execution end to end. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES People Leadership Design and implement the full employee lifecycle: hiring, onboarding, performance management, development, and offboarding Champion company culture, engagement, and values Develop and own HR policies, compliance frameworks, and employee relations Act as a trusted advisor to managers on people mattersBusiness Operations Establish and document company-wide processes (approvals, spend management, project tracking) Support headcount planning, budgeting, and workforce reporting Design and implement operational workflows, data collection, and dashboards Select, implement, and own HR and operational toolsExecution & Growth Build scalable systems that enable growth without chaos Act as the bridge between leadership, HR, and teams Identify and resolve operational bottlenecks before they impact delivery Ensure HR and operational risks are eliminated or proactively managed ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE Proven experience building HR and people processes from scratch Strong understanding of UK employment law, contracts, compliance, and ER Experience owning or running: Hiring and onboarding processes Performance reviews and career frameworks HR policies and payroll processes Comfortable partnering with Finance and Legal Hands-on, detail-oriented mindset with strong operational judgement Experience in a startup, scale-up, or high-growth environment WHAT'S ON OFFER Opportunity to define and own the People & Ops function at a fast-growing UK technology startup Real influence over how the company scales Clear pathway to Director or C-suite level TO APPLY Please apply via this advert or email (url removed) directly. For further information, call (phone number removed) or (phone number removed). By applying, you consent to us processing and submitting your application (subject to suitability) for this vacancy only