Purpose

We are looking for an experienced and hands-on People Manager to join our People team and play a key role in supporting our managers, team members and wider business.

We are going through an exciting period of change and development within our People function, with new processes, policies and ways of working being created and existing approaches being reviewed and evolved. This role will play a key part in helping to shape and build the function, creating a strong, effective and consistent People service for the business, whilst bringing our company values to life: Dedication, Accountability, Integrity, Support, Hospitality and Standards.

Reporting to the Head of People, you will provide day-to-day leadership across the People function, ensuring managers receive practical, confident and consistent advice and support across the employee lifecycle. You will be responsible for managing and developing the People Partners, while also working closely with the Head of People to deliver the wider People strategy and priorities.

This is a varied role that combines hands-on People support, employee relations, manager coaching, team leadership and People projects. We are looking for someone who is comfortable operating at both a strategic and operational level, with the ability to get into the detail when needed while keeping sight of the bigger picture.

This is a hybrid role, giving you the flexibility to manage your own time between working from home and working from our hotels. Being present in our hotels will be an important part of the role, providing in-person support to managers and teams and building strong relationships across the business.

Key Responsibilities

People Leadership

• Line manage, coach and develop the People Partners, supporting their confidence, capability and effectiveness.
• Act as a trusted sounding board and second pair of hands to the Head of People, supporting the delivery of the People strategy and wider business priorities.
• Create a collaborative, responsive and solutions-focused People team, ensuring priorities are managed effectively and delivered to a high standard.

Manager Support and Coaching

• Build strong relationships with managers across the business, providing practical advice, coaching and challenge across a broad range of People matters.
• Support managers to confidently and consistently manage their teams, applying People policies, processes and best practice.
• Develop managers’ capability to take ownership of people matters and have effective, sometimes challenging, conversations with colleagues.

Employee Relations

• Provide hands-on advice and support on employee relations matters, including performance, absence, conduct, capability and grievances, ensuring a fair, consistent and legally compliant approach.
• Support managers through formal processes, identifying risks and providing practical guidance to ensure matters are handled effectively.
• Create, maintain and continually evolve People policies, processes and guidance, ensuring they remain practical, effective, legally compliant and aligned with the needs of the business.

Recruitment

• Oversee and support the end-to-end recruitment process, partnering with hiring managers to ensure a consistent, efficient and positive experience for candidates and managers.
• Support managers with role requirements, job descriptions, interviewing, assessment and selection, ensuring recruitment decisions are fair, structured and aligned with our values.
• Ensure appropriate pre-employment checks and recruitment processes are completed accurately and consistently, while identifying opportunities to improve the recruitment experience.

Employee Lifecycle

• Oversee and continuously improve the team member experience throughout the employee lifecycle, from onboarding and probation through to development, internal moves and exit.
• Support managers to effectively manage key stages of the employee lifecycle, providing guidance and ensuring processes are applied consistently.
• Use team member feedback, People data and insight to identify opportunities to improve the overall colleague experience.

Engagement

• Support the development and delivery of initiatives that build team member engagement, connection and a positive workplace culture.
• Support engagement surveys and other listening activities, working with managers to understand feedback and turn insights into meaningful action.

Performance and Development

• Support managers to effectively manage performance, set clear expectations and create a culture of continuous feedback and accountability.
• Work with managers to identify development needs and support initiatives that enable colleagues to develop and perform at their best.
• Promote a consistent approach to performance and development across the business.

People Projects and Continuous Improvement

• Lead and support People projects that contribute to the People strategy and wider business priorities.
• Review and improve People processes, identifying opportunities to make them simpler, more effective and consistent.
• Take ownership of agreed improvements, ensuring they are implemented effectively and embedded across the business.

People Data and Insight

• Use People data and insight to identify trends, risks and opportunities and support informed decision-making.
• Support the Head of People with People reporting and analysis, providing clear insight and recommendations where appropriate.
• Ensure People records and systems are accurate, up to date and managed appropriately.

Person Specification

We are looking for someone who is an experienced People professional with a strong generalist background and solid employee relations experience.

You will be confident working with managers at all levels and comfortable providing advice, coaching and challenge. You will also have experience of managing or mentoring another People professional and be able to balance supporting others with taking ownership of your own workload.

You will be practical and approachable, with the confidence to make decisions and have sometimes difficult conversations. You will understand that a strong People function is not just about processes and policies — it is about helping managers and team members navigate people matters effectively while supporting the needs of the business.

You will have:

• Significant experience working in a generalist People/HR role.
• Strong employee relations experience and confidence managing complex people matters.
• Experience advising and coaching managers.
• Experience line managing, coaching or developing another People professional.
• Confidence in working independently and taking ownership of issues from start to finish.
• Commercial awareness and be able to balance team experience with business requirements.
• Strong relationship building and influencing skills.
• Good working knowledge of UK employment legislation.
• CIPD qualification or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience working in a fast-paced or multi-site environment.
• Experience leading People projects and process improvements.
• Experience using People data and reporting to inform decision-making.