People Business Partner (Operations)

About the opportunity

We’re looking to add a People Business Partner to our team who will support ManyPets’ Operations and VetBox teams. Our Operations team are the heart of our business and is the biggest group of people (over 200 in the UK) in ManyPets. VetBox is a small company (13 people) acquired by ManyPets a few years ago, focused on selling health prevention plans to pet parents.

After a challenging year of change and resizing, we need someone with deep understanding of people-related dynamics to ensure that our initiatives land well within our teams and that our leaders have the tools and techniques to focus on their teams’ performance. The management team has made significant progress in the last 12 months in rebuilding engagement, repairing and consistently delivering high levels of service and we are now positioned to achieve our aim of being #1 in the UK Pet insurance industry. You’ll work closely with our People and Talent Team and the Operations Management team (Chief Operations Officer, Head of Operations, Head of Business Support, Head of Vet Relationships and Head of VetBox) in delivering effective employee engagement and people relations.

Reporting to the COO, and as a core part of our People team, your primary role will be to deliver effective people plans and solutions – ensuring they land and are embedded within the teams you support. You’ll provide comprehensive and pragmatic advice to managers and colleagues which support and champions our mission to ensure that every department delivers on our impactful targets and objectives. Through effective collaboration and influence, you’ll enable our COO and the team to deliver their priorities through effective and expert People planning.

We’ve changed a lot as a business over the last two years. However, our approach to how we treat our people has always been fair and transparent, and guided by our values. As a regulated business, we also understand the importance of treating people fairly and making sure they have good outcomes, be that our customers and their interactions with our teams or our colleagues themselves.

Your focus

Employee relations and performance

• Support managers in delivering the performance management framework and performance improvement processes for Operations. 
• Support, develop, and coach our managers in their approach to people issues, ensuring that they understand the impact on the individual and the business, implementing formal action as required.
• Working with colleagues to solve conflicts and help facilitate positive employee relations, maintaining a good working environment, morale, and regrettable turnover.
• Manage complex employee relations cases for disciplinaries, grievances and absences.
• Ensure our approach to inclusion and employee wellbeing principles are considered within each part of the employee journey.
• Developing a proactive approach to understanding wellbeing risks (including mental health) across your stakeholder group.
• Build key stakeholder relationships with the Head of Operations, Head of Business Support, Head of Vet Relations and Head of Vetbox aligning priorities in support of their organisational objectives and aims

Change management and engagement

• Diagnose and lead People elements of change projects that will improve business performance, ensuring alignment with our strategic goals.
• Partner closely with our managers to ensure any change is understood and embedded. 
• Implement change initiatives including redeployment and changes to ways of working, ensuring risks are mitigated.
• Work with the COO and the Ops senior management team on timely communication plans for upcoming changes.
• Lead on engagement plans that re-engage our people after any period of change.
• Support our managers and teams with understanding engagement results, formulating ideas in partnership that increase results and future engagement.
• Ensure a values-led People experience is felt by our teams, which is delivered in congruence with our business objectives.

Organisation development

• Partner with Operations to develop and deliver an agile headcount strategy that aligns to our future business objectives.
• Support our managers and department leaders with OD requirements, making clear suggestions for improvements.
• Select and develop key talent to ensure we have a robust succession plan in place for critical roles.
• Partner with your stakeholders to deliver internal levelling, career frameworks and succession plans.
• In partnership with the senior management team, champion internal mobility and career progression opportunities.

Data and reward

• Draw insight from our people metrics to inform and advise your stakeholders.
• Use data-driven insights to continuously improve strategies and processes.
• Provide insight and expertise on all aspects of reward, including benchmarking. 
• Ensure all data and reward processes are updated and managed closely.
• Ensure GDPR, Data Protection, and compliance with relevant policies and procedures.

What leads to success

Here are some of the individual skills we know will enable you to succeed in this position. If you don’t tick every box - don't worry.  We can support you in both your personal and professional development:

• You’re commercially minded and someone who get things done on time - and to budget.
• You bring high accuracy, quality, and attention to detail everything you do.
• You can balance a drive for delivery with emotional depth needed to deliver results through our values.
• You take the initiative without too much support. You're accountable for delivery in an environment that is ever changing - and where you set your own outcomes.
• You value diversity and are sensitive to different lived experiences, environments, and cultures.
• You're curious and you like to be aware of emerging technology and trends.
• You're the sort of person who is analytical and who enjoys translating complex ideas into something everyone can understand.
• You’ll have a keen sense of honesty and fairness which drives your decision making.
• You share the load with others – contributing and bringing energy to projects and workstreams.

What we’re looking for

• You’re a People or HR Business Partner with experience working with a stakeholder group in Operations or contact centres.
• From this experience, you can demonstrate an understanding of how to partner and engage teams and leaders in a customer service environment.
• You’ve partnered with leaders and managers through periods of change and transformation.
• You have a commercial approach to people management and you’ve a proven track record executing and embedding performance and reward strategies.
• You have a deep understanding of UK employment law and best practice.
• You’re adept with reporting – you’re able to use Excel to a high standard and you’re comfortable with large data sets.
• A CIPD qualification (or equivalent experience) is a must have.
• You’ll have experience of working in a regulated industry and understand how to balance innovation with regulatory guidelines. Ideally, you’ll have some experience with SM&CR.