Head of People Operations
Location: Esholt, BD17 7RH (Hybrid working – minimum 3 days per week office/practice)
Reports to: People Director with Direct Reports: People Partner and People & Payroll Assistant
Salary up to £65k per annum
About Bayfields
At Bayfields, we are on an exciting growth journey. Today we support more than 450 colleagues across a growing network of optical and audiology practices, with ambitious plans to expand significantly over the coming years through both organic growth and acquisitions. Our vision is to be the best in town, delivering exceptional experiences for our clients and colleagues alike.
As we scale, our People Team has a critical role to play. We are building the systems, capability, culture and leadership strength required to support a larger, more complex business while maintaining the family feel and care that makes Bayfields special. This is not a traditional HR role.
We are looking for a commercially-minded, operationally excellent leader who can build the foundations that allow the business to scale. You will lead our people operations function, strengthen manager capability, reduce risk, improve efficiency and help create a self-sufficient leadership population that can confidently manage their teams.
The Opportunity
The Head of People Operations is responsible for creating the operational excellence that sits at the heart of the People Function.
You will be accountable for employee relations, people compliance, governance, systems, policies, payroll oversight and manager support. You will lead a team that delivers exceptional day-to-day people support while simultaneously driving projects that improve efficiency, scalability and service.
This role is critical to our future success.
Today, managers often rely heavily on the People Team for guidance on people matters. As we grow, we need leaders who can confidently manage their own teams, supported by clear policies, great systems and strong coaching. This role will help make that happen.
You will act as a senior trusted advisor to leaders across the business, ensuring we remain legally compliant, commercially pragmatic and people-focused.
You will also play a significant role in acquisitions, people transformation initiatives and the implementation of technology and process improvements that allow the function to scale effectively.
Key Responsibilities
1. Employee Relations & Employment Law
Lead all complex employee relations activity across Bayfields, ensuring cases are managed fairly, consistently and in line with employment legislation.
You will:
- Lead and oversee disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence, performance and restructuring activity.
- Act as the escalation point for complex and high-risk cases.
- Minimise legal risk through robust case management and sound commercial judgement.
- Develop best-practice approaches to employee relations.
- Monitor ER trends and proactively address root causes.
- Build management confidence through coaching and support.
2. Lead and Develop Manager Capability
One of the biggest opportunities within Bayfields is increasing the capability and confidence of our leaders to manage people effectively.
You will:
- Coach Area Managers, Practice Managers and Central Support leaders.
- Develop practical tools, guidance and frameworks.
- Reduce unnecessary dependency on the People Team.
- Embed consistent approaches to people management.
- Drive higher standards of accountability and decision making.
3. People Operations Excellence
Create a scalable, efficient people operations function that delivers outstanding service.
You will:
- Lead all operational people processes.
- Oversee people administration and payroll activities.
- Ensure service standards and SLAs are achieved.
- Drive process simplification and automation.
- Improve colleague and manager experience.
- Create operational discipline and consistency across the function.
- Use data and insight to identify improvement opportunities.
4. Compliance, Governance & Risk
Own the governance framework that protects the business.
You will:
- Maintain and review all people policies and procedures.
- Ensure compliance with employment legislation and best practice.
- Lead audit and compliance activity.
- Manage employment contract and policy governance.
- Monitor people-related risk and implement mitigating actions.
- Support the business through complex regulatory and legal changes.
5. Systems, Technology & Transformation
Help modernise and scale the People Function through technology and process improvement.
You will:
- Lead the implementation and optimisation of our People System.
- Drive digitalisation and automation across the employee lifecycle.
- Improve reporting, workflow management and people data quality.
- Build scalable processes that enable future growth.
- Identify opportunities for AI, automation and operational efficiency.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives across the People function
6. Acquisition Integration & Organisational Growth
Support Bayfields' acquisition strategy and future expansion plans.
You will:
- Lead the people workstream of acquisitions.
- Conduct people due diligence and risk assessment.
- Manage consultation and integration activities.
- Support cultural integration and colleague engagement.
- Ensure acquired colleagues experience a seamless transition.
- Build scalable people frameworks capable of supporting significant future growth.
7. Leadership of the People Operations Team
Lead, coach and develop a high-performing team.
You will:
- Create clarity, ownership and accountability.
- Develop capability within the People Advisors and People & Payroll Assistant.
- Ensure work is delegated effectively.
- Build a culture of continuous improvement.
- Create succession and development plans within the team.
- Monitor team performance through clear KPIs and service standards.
What Success Looks Like
Within the first 12-18 months, success in this role will include:
- Managers demonstrating greater confidence and ownership of people issues.
- Employee Relations cases resolved more effectively and consistently.
- Reduced risk and stronger employment law compliance.
- Successful implementation and adoption of a People System.
- More efficient and streamlined people processes.
- Strong operational support during acquisitions.
- Higher manager satisfaction with People Team support.
- A People Operations function capable of scaling with business growth.
- The People Director spending less time in operational activity and more time on strategic priorities.
Key Measures of Success
- Employee Relations case resolution times
- Tribunal claims and legal risk
- Manager satisfaction scores
- Policy review completion rates
- Delivery of People projects
- Compliance and governance measures
- Payroll accuracy
- People system adoption and utilisation
- Acquisition integration effectiveness
About You
You are an experienced People leader who enjoys creating order from complexity and building systems that enable organisations to scale.
You will likely have:
Essential
- Significant HR leadership experience in a multi-site environment.
- Strong employee relations and employment law expertise.
- Experience leading operational HR teams.
- Experience coaching and developing managers.
- Experience driving change and transformation projects.
- Strong commercial judgement.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills.
- Experience managing complex organisational change.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capability.
Highly Desirable
- Retail, healthcare, hospitality or other geographically dispersed business experience.
- Acquisition and integration experience.
- HR systems implementation experience.
- Experience introducing automation and process efficiencies.
- CIPD Level 7 (or equivalent experience).
Why Join Bayfields?
This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of a growing business.
You will have the chance to:
- Build a modern, scalable People Operations function.
- Influence leaders across the organisation.
- Play a key role in acquisitions and growth.
- Implement new systems and ways of working.
- Develop a team and create lasting organisational impact.
- Help create a business that is truly Best in Town for colleagues and clients.
Ready for your next challenge?
Apply today and take the next step in your career with Bayfields Opticians & Audiologists.
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