Job type: PermanentLocation: WrightbusClosing date: Wednesday 14 Oct 2026 08:00
The Job Summary:
Wrightbus is seeking a Head of People Operations to lead the Talent Acquisition, Employee Relations & Case Management, Compensation & Benefits, and HR Shared Service Centre functions.The Head of People Operations will be responsible for designing, building, and leading a high-performing global People Operations function that delivers recruitment, employee relations case management, reward and benefits, and HR shared services to a consistently high and measurable standard. The role will focus on creating an exceptional experience for employees and managers, establishing robust people processes and data foundations across the HR function, and enabling HR Business Partners to operate more strategically by providing efficient, reliable operational support.
The Role:
Building People Operations
- Design and implement the global People Operations model, including services, processes, systems and governance.
- Build and lead the function, transitioning operational HR activity into a centralised service model.
- Establish clear service ownership, escalation routes and self-service capability.
Talent Acquisition
- Lead global recruitment across manufacturing, engineering, technical, professional and leadership roles.
- Deliver workforce plans aligned to business demand.
- Manage recruitment partners, compliance, candidate experience and hiring standards.
Employee Relations & Case Management
- Lead a centralised ER service covering investigations, disciplinary, grievance, absence and capability cases.
- Provide expert ER support, policy oversight and legal compliance.
- Use case data and insights to drive proactive improvements.
Compensation & Benefits
- Own reward strategy, including salary structures, benchmarking, pay reviews and bonus processes.
- Manage benefits, provider relationships and reward governance.
- Ensure compliance with pay legislation and reporting requirements.
Shared Services & HR Operations
- Lead the HR Shared Service Centre and employee lifecycle administration.
- Oversee payroll inputs, HR systems, data integrity and process improvement.
- Drive automation, compliance and HR reporting.
Global Delivery
- Develop a scalable global service model that balances consistency with local requirements.
- Lead international rollout, governance and compliance activities.
- Support Group-wide shared service opportunities.
Leadership & Performance
- Lead and develop specialist People Operations teams.
- Define and monitor service performance, compliance and customer satisfaction measures.
- Drive continuous improvement and contribute as a member of the HR Leadership Team.
Requirements
Experience
- Significant leadership experience in HR Operations, Shared Services or a centralised People function.
- Proven track record of building or transforming HR operational services.
- Strong expertise in at least two areas: Talent Acquisition, Employee Relations, Reward, Shared Services or HR Systems.
- Experience of high-volume recruitment within operational or manufacturing environments.
- Strong ER, employment law, HR systems and process improvement experience.
Skills & Approach
- Customer-focused with a strong service mindset.
- Data-driven, process-oriented and committed to continuous improvement.
- Commercially astute with experience managing budgets, suppliers and service performance.
- Resilient, pragmatic and able to lead transformation while maintaining operational delivery.
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
- Willing to travel across UK and international locations as required.
Please note: The information provided above is a condensed overview of the role. For a comprehensive breakdown of the responsibilities, experience, qualifications, and behavioural requirements, please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification (JD/PS).
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