People Operations Manager

The Company At AccountsIQ, part of the AIQ Group, we’re on a mission to deeply understand our customers and deliver technology that enriches their lives. Alongside ExpenseIn, a leading expense management platform within the group, we provide smart, feature-rich financial management software designed for ambitious businesses that have outgrown basic starter systems or seek a simpler, more affordable alternative to complex, costly ERP solutions. Our cloud-based accounting software transforms the finance function, making it easier for multi-entity businesses to capture, process, and report their financial data with ease and efficiency. The Role We're looking for an experienced People Operations Manager to join our team at AccountsIQ. You'll play a key role in the day-to-day running of our People function, making sure our employees and managers receive the support they need while helping us improve how we operate as the business grows. Working closely with our Chief People & Culture Officer, you'll have ownership across employee relations, people operations, organisational change and HR systems. You'll also manage a People Operations Specialist and contribute to projects that help us create a consistent, positive employee experience across the business. It's a varied, hands-on opportunity for someone who enjoys balancing operational responsibilities with making meaningful improvements. What you'll be doing: People Operations & Employee Relations Oversee the day-to-day People Operations function across our five countries, ensuring a smooth and consistent employee experience from onboarding through to offboarding. Act as the main point of escalation for complex employee relations matters across the UK and Ireland, providing practical advice to managers and ensuring matters are handled fairly and in line with employment legislation. Manage and develop a People Operations Specialist, setting clear priorities, supporting their development and identifying opportunities to improve how the team operates. Maintain and develop our HR policies, procedures and employment practices, ensuring they remain compliant, consistent and aligned with the needs of the business. Organisational Change & Employee Engagement Lead the people-related aspects of organisational change, including restructures, acquisitions and business integrations, ensuring employees and managers are supported throughout. Partner with managers to support employee engagement, internal communications and recognition initiatives that strengthen our culture and bring our company values to life. People Frameworks & Reward Develop and maintain our job architecture, including job families, levels and career pathways, working closely with the Chief People & Culture Officer and Finance. Support our approach to pay transparency and equal pay, including ownership of gender pay gap reporting and identifying opportunities for improvement. HR Systems, Data & Continuous Improvement Take ownership of our HR systems and people data, ensuring information is accurate, secure and accessible, while delivering meaningful reporting to support business decisions. Identify opportunities to streamline and automate HR processes, using technology and data to improve efficiency and build scalable ways of working as the business grows. What you'll need: Strong experience in People Operations, HR Operations or a broad HR generalist role, with responsibility for delivering effective people processes and services. Good working knowledge of UK and Irish employment law, with the confidence to apply legislation and best practice in day-to-day situations. Demonstrable experience managing complex employee relations matters, including grievances, disciplinaries, performance and absence management. Experience supporting or leading organisational change, including restructures, consultations or redundancy processes. Previous experience managing, coaching or developing team members, with the ability to set priorities and support performance. Experience managing HR systems and maintaining accurate employee data, with an understanding of data protection and GDPR requirements. Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to build relationships, influence decisions and provide practical advice to managers and senior leaders. An analytical approach, with experience using HR data, reporting and insights to identify trends and support business decisions. A proactive and solutions-focused mindset, with experience improving HR processes and identifying more efficient ways of working. Excellent organisational and communication skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and handle sensitive information with discretion. Desirable: Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions or employee integrations, including TUPE or Transfer of Undertakings processes. Experience with job architecture, salary frameworks, gender pay gap reporting or pay transparency initiatives. What's the hiring process? An initial screening call with our People Acquisition team to discuss your experience, motivation and expectations for the role. A first interview with the Hiring Manager and People Acquisition Partner to explore your technical expertise, employee relations experience and approach to People Operations. A second interview with the Hiring Manager, where you'll present a practical People Operations task and discuss your approach and recommendations. A final interview with our CEO to discuss your leadership approach, alignment with our values and contribution to the wider business. <div class="content-