People & Performance Manager

£45,000 - £55,000 | 12-Month Fixed-Term Contract (Maternity Cover)Hybrid Working | Full-Time or Part-Time Considered

Are you an experienced HR professional looking for a role where you can make a genuine impact?

We're supporting a highly successful, employee-owned creative communications agency in their search for a People & Performance Manager to join them on a 12-month maternity cover contract. This is an exciting opportunity to step into a broad, hands-on leadership role, shaping employee experience while ensuring the smooth delivery of key HR initiatives and people processes across the business.

Working closely with senior leaders and managers, you'll provide expert guidance across employee relations, learning and development, performance, engagement, recruitment and people operations.

The Opportunity

This role offers the chance to take ownership of an established People function, ensuring continuity and momentum across an ambitious people agenda while supporting a collaborative, people-first culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day delivery of the People & Performance function
• Drive the People roadmap and deliver key strategic initiatives
• Partner with managers and leadership teams on people-related matters
• Manage complex employee relations cases and provide expert advice
• Ensure HR policies, governance and compliance remain effective and up to date
• Oversee HR systems, reporting and people data insights
• Support recruitment activity and workforce planning
• Lead learning and development initiatives across the business
• Manage reward, recognition and benefits programmes
• Drive continuous improvement across HR processes and employee experience

About You

We're looking for someone who can quickly build credibility, influence stakeholders and bring both strategic thinking and operational excellence.

You will have:

• Degree or equivalent qualification in HR Management
• Strong generalist HR experience
• Experience leading or managing an HR function
• Excellent employment law knowledge
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills
• Experience managing people (desirable)
• CIPD qualification (beneficial but not essential)

What's On Offer?

• Salary of £45,000 - £55,000
• Flexible full-time or part-time working options
• Hybrid working model
• 25 days annual leave plus birthday off
• Quarterly wellbeing day
• Quarterly late start or early finish
• Private health insurance
• Contributory pension scheme
• Excellent learning and development budget
• Regular social events and charity initiatives

If you're looking for a varied and meaningful HR leadership opportunity within a creative, values-led organisation, we'd love to hear from you.