Overview

Senior People Manager (Mid-Level, Fixed Term Contract) — 12-month FTC (Maternity Cover) – Start date October (TBC).

Hybrid Policy: 3 days in the office, 2 days remote

Location: London

Who We Are

We are RAPP – world leaders in activating growth with precision and empathy at scale. As a global, next-generation precision marketing agency we leverage data, creativity, technology, and empathy to foster client growth. We champion individuality in the marketing solutions we create, and in our workplace. We fight for solutions that adapt to the individual’s needs, beliefs, behaviours, and aspirations.

We foster an inclusive workplace that emphasizes personal well-being.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced, proactive, commercially minded People Manager to join our People Team and manage a blend of strategic business partnering responsibilities and high-impact HR operations. This role will be pivotal in driving both the day-to-day operational excellence of the People function and delivering strategic initiatives that foster a positive, high-performance culture.

As a trusted partner to department leaders across the agency, you’ll provide expert guidance on employee relations, organisational design, and people strategy, while also ensuring core HR processes run seamlessly. You’ll lead and coach a small team, assisting with critical annual cycles, and champion employee engagement and experience.

Responsibilities

• Business Partnering & Employee Relations
  • Act as a strategic HR partner to department leads, advising on organisational planning, team development, and workforce strategy.
  • Manage complex employee relations cases, providing expert, solutions-focused guidance to leaders while ensuring fair and compliant processes.
  • Oversee immigration and visa compliance processes, acting as escalation point for complex cases.
• HR Operations & Process Excellence
  • Work with People Director to deliver annual HR cycles including salary reviews, talent mapping, and performance review processes, ensuring alignment with business goals and market benchmarks.
  • Launch and coordinate the annual employee engagement survey, providing analysis and actionable insights to leadership, via online platform Culture Amp.
  • Streamline and enhance HR policies, processes, and structures to improve efficiency and employee experience.
• Leadership & Team Management
  • Line manage the People Coordinator and People Advisor, holding weekly 1:1s, providing mentorship, and ensuring professional growth.
  • Oversee and act as the escalation point for onboarding and offboarding challenges, ensuring a smooth employee lifecycle experience.
  • Drive a high-performance culture within the People Team, ensuring the delivery of high-value, people-centric support to the agency.
• Strategic Projects
  • Partner with the People Director to scope, design, and implement strategic HR projects that align with the agency’s growth and cultural objectives.
  • Proactively research and recommend innovative HR practices and tools to enhance organisational effectiveness.

The Opportunity

• Equal focus on strategy and operations
• Direct influence on the employee experience
• Hands-on leadership of a small, high-impact team
• Variety of work — no two weeks the same
• Cultural influence in a creative, people-centric environment

Role Requirements

• Currently in a People Manager, HR Manager, HR Generalist or HR Business Partner role.
• A balance of strategic business partnering and hands-on operational delivery.
• Strong track record managing complex ER cases with professionalism and sensitivity.
• Expertise in leading annual HR cycles, including performance management and reward.
• Confident with HR systems (Success Factors, Culture Amp or similar), data analysis, and reporting.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and build trust across all levels.
• Experience managing, coaching, and developing a small team.
• Up-to-date knowledge of UK employment law and best practice HR processes.

Role details

• Seniority level: Not Applicable
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job function: Human Resources
• Industries: Advertising Services

We are RAPP. And we can’t wait to meet you.