People Operations Manager

The People Operations Manager will lead the operational engine room of our People function, helping turn our people strategy into simple, scalable and well-governed ways of working across a fast-growing, multi-site business. Based at our Bristol head office, this role will own our people systems, data and reporting, reward delivery, policy governance and core people processes. Working closely with all our people team functions, this role will improve the experience for managers and teams, strengthen how we use data and systems, and help to move us towards streamlined processes across the business. This is a proactive leadership role for someone who can see the bigger picture, get into the detail and make change happen.

Getting into the detail

People Operations, Processes & Improvement

• Lead and continuously improve the core People Operations processes that support our sites, managers and Head Office teams, making sure they are simple, consistent and fit for a fast-growing business.
• Identify recurring issues, risks and inefficiencies across the People Team and help turn them into practical improvements and clearer ways of working.
• Play a key leadership role in People Operations projects, including process redesign, policy reviews, reward initiatives and reporting improvements.

People Systems, Data & Insight

• Own the day-to-day management, governance and development of our people systems, making sure they are set up well, used consistently and continue to support the future growth of our business. Ensure our newly integrated Sona system continues to evolve and improve our ways of working.
• Continue to evolve the use of people data, reporting and insight. Find ways to provide clear, accurate and useful information that helps the People team and senior leaders make better decisions within Head Office and Sites.

Reward, Policy, & Governance

• Lead the delivery, administration and communication of reward activity, including bonus and pay review processes, benefits, recognition activity and reward-related communications, working closely with Payroll where needed.
• Own the policy and process framework for the People function, ensuring policies are practical, up to date, legally sound and easy for managers to apply.

Collaboration, Culture, & Employee Experience

• Work closely with all other functions within the People Team to ensure we are supporting each other in achieving the overall team priorities and wider company objectives.
• Ensure that our Company and brand values are central to our decision making and actions.
• Support our wider team to ensure a cohesive employee lifecycle lives and breathes within the business.

What you’ll bring

• Strong experience in a People Operations/HR Operations/HR Manager role, ideally in a fast-paced, multi-site or high-volume business.
• Confident working across people systems, data, reporting, reward, policy and core HR processes, with the ability to move comfortably between strategy and detail.
• Experience managing, coaching or developing others, with a supportive but clear leadership style.
• A self-motivated approach to work. An inquisitive nature that leads you to find solutions or innovative ways to tackle the challenges you may face.
• Highly organised, analytical and process-minded, with the ability to spot patterns, solve problems and create structure without making things over-complicated.
• Comfortable working with senior stakeholders and able to translate complex people activity into clear recommendations, updates and actions.
• A confident communicator who can write clearly, challenge constructively and build strong relationships across People, Payroll, Operations and Head Office teams.
• Comfortable working in a business that moves quickly, changes often and needs someone who can bring pace, common sense and follow-through.
• CIPD qualification or equivalent experience would be useful, but practical experience, judgement and the ability to make things happen are more important.

What’s in it for you?

• 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays)
• A culture that appreciates ideas and celebrates individuality
• Founder-led business - we might have c300 sites, but we still maintain an entrepreneurial spirit through everything we do
• 50% off food at all Lounges, Cosy Clubs and Brightside
• Up to 10% bonus based on personal and company performance
• Pension contribution
• 24/7 mental health support
• Private Medical Insurance
• Life Assurance
• Amazing events including LoungeFest – our annual company festival - Christmas parties and more
• We want to work with kind people so if you want to work hard, have fun and be part of the Loungers ride, we’d love to have you.

About us

Loungers is a substantial and growing operator in the UK hospitality sector, operating over 300 sites in England and Wales across three distinct but complementary brands, Lounges, Cosy Club, and Brightside. Founded in 2002 by three friends who wanted to create a neighbourhood café-bar that they would want to go to, the Group is now the only growing all-day operator of scale in the UK and has consistently outperformed the wider UK hospitality sector over the past three years. Despite being the fastest growing café/restaurant group in the Country, Loungers has retained its entrepreneurial spirit and quirky ‘Loungey’ local community atmosphere.