People Operations Lead
Job Summary
Job Description
ZOE is seeking a highly experienced and dynamic People Operations Lead to manage their People Ops function and shape the employee experience during growth. This role reports to the Head of People & Talent and is crucial for fostering a thriving, inclusive, and high-performing culture. The ideal candidate will be a seasoned People Ops generalist with a strategic mindset and hands-on operational expertise, skilled in both strategic partnership and operational execution, with a strong background in Employee Relations. The position is suited for candidates based in the UK.
Must have:
- Lead People Operations across the employee lifecycle.
- Strategic People Partnering with leadership.
- Expertise in Employee Relations and UK employment law.
- Oversee and improve core People Ops processes.
- Champion company culture and DEIB initiatives.
- Identify learning and development needs.
- Leverage People Analytics for decision-making.
- Lead and mentor a small People Ops team.
Good to have:
- 5+ years of People Operations experience.
- Startup/Tech environment experience.
- Product-led organization experience.
- Exceptional communication and influencing skills.
- Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset.
- High empathy, emotional intelligence, and integrity.
Perks:
- Competitive compensation and stock options.
- Comprehensive benefits package.
- Health insurance and wellness packages.
- Inclusive parental policies.
- Professional development programs.
- Remote-first work environment with flexibility.
- Quarterly in-person gatherings and retreats.
7 skills required
Job Details
We Are Redefining How People Approach Their Health
ZOE is the science and nutrition company leading a movement to transform the health of millions.
We exist because the food we eat is making us sick. Most of what we are taught about food is wrong.
ZOE runs the world’s largest nutrition science study to find scientifically proven solutions.
Our randomised controlled trial of ZOE proves that if you eat the right food for your body, you can feel healthier in weeks and be on track for more healthy years.
ZOE can change the way you eat, feel, and live. We host world-leading scientists on our podcast and bring proven science to your plate with Daily30+, our 30+ plant supplement.
Over 100,000 people rely on ZOE Membership, our personalised nutrition program, to make smarter food choices. ZOE Membership turns complex science into clear step-by-step actions, helping you improve your health with every meal.
ZOE means life — and you can change your life with food.
Visit our career page and become a ZOEntist 🚀
👥 The Team
We are seeking a highly experienced and dynamic People Operations Lead to manage our People Ops function and play a pivotal role in shaping our employee experience as we continue to scale. Reporting directly to the Head of People & Talent, this role is critical in fostering a thriving, inclusive, and high-performing culture.
This is an exceptional opportunity for a seasoned People Ops generalist with a strategic mindset and hands-on operational expertise to lead our efforts in attracting, developing, and retaining top talent. The ideal candidate will be adept at both strategic partnership and operational execution, with a strong background in Employee Relations.
Important note: This position is suited for candidates based in the UK . Applications not meeting the location requirements will not be considered at this time.
🎯 What You’ll Be Doing
- Lead the People Operations Function: Take ownership of the entire employee lifecycle, ensuring a seamless and positive experience from onboarding to offboarding.
- Strategic People Partnering: Collaborate closely with leadership and managers across the organization to understand business needs and translate them into effective people strategies and initiatives that drive performance and engagement.
- Employee Relations (ER) Expertise: Provide expert guidance and hands-on management for all employee relations matters, ensuring fair, consistent, and legally compliant processes. Coach managers on best practices in performance management, conflict resolution, and disciplinary actions.
- Operational Excellence: Oversee and continuously improve all core People Operations processes, including but not limited to:
- Onboarding and integration programs that ensure new hires are set up for success.
- Performance management frameworks focused on continuous feedback and development.
- Compensation & Benefits administration, ensuring market competitiveness and fairness.
- HRIS management and data integrity.
- Compliance with all relevant employment laws and regulations.
- Culture & Engagement: Champion and evolve our company culture, developing initiatives that enhance employee engagement, wellbeing, DEIB.
- Learning & Development: Identify development needs and implement impactful learning initiatives that support employee growth and career progression.
- People Analytics: Leverage data to inform decision-making, identify trends, and measure the effectiveness of People Ops programs.
- Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop a small team of People Ops professionals.
🧠 What You’ll Bring to the Table
- Solid People Operations Generalist Background: Extensive experience (5+ years, or equivalent) covering all facets of the employee lifecycle, from recruitment support and onboarding to performance management, compensation, benefits, and off boarding.
- Proven Employee Relations (ER) Expertise: Demonstrated experience managing complex ER cases, providing sound advice, and implementing effective resolutions. Strong understanding of UK employment law is essential.
- Strategic Partnering Acumen: Ability to build strong relationships with senior leaders and managers, acting as a trusted advisor who can align people strategies with business objectives.
- Operational Excellence: A track record of implementing efficient and scalable People Ops processes and systems.
- Startup/Tech Environment Experience (Advantageous): Previous experience working in fast-paced, high-growth startup or tech companies, understanding the unique challenges and opportunities of such environments.
- Product-Led Approach (Advantageous): Experience or a strong understanding of working in a product-led organization, aligning People Ops initiatives to support product development cycles and team structures.
- Communication & Influence: Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and influencing skills, with the ability to articulate complex information clearly and concisely.
- Problem-Solving: A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to navigate ambiguity and adapt to changing priorities.
- Empathy & Integrity: A high degree of empathy, emotional intelligence, and unwavering integrity in handling sensitive employee matters.
The experience, skills, and attributes listed above reflect what we believe will contribute to success in this role. If you're passionate about ZOE and the opportunity, but don't meet 100% of the criteria, we still encourage you to apply. We are committed to supporting growth and are happy to offer up-skilling opportunities where possible.
Remote Philosophy
ZOE is a remote-first company, meaning remote work isn’t just an option — it’s how we work best. We are intentional about building a distributed, high-performing team where collaboration, trust, and flexibility thrive.
We design our workflows around asynchronous communication and shared documentation to support autonomy, focus, and cross-timezone collaboration. While our teams work independently, connection and teamwork remain central to how we operate — through regular rituals, meaningful virtual interactions, and in-person gatherings every quarter. These include team offsites and a yearly company-wide retreat to build relationships, spark creativity, and have fun together.
Being remote-first also means we value outcomes over hours and trust our team members to manage their work in a way that suits their unique rhythm and responsibilities. This approach allows us to support a truly flexible work environment, while staying aligned with our mission and values.
At ZOE, working remotely doesn’t mean working alone — it means being empowered, supported, and connected, wherever you are.
Compensation Philosophy
We are committed to offering competitive and equitable compensation that reflects the value of each role and aligns with regional labor market standards. Our approach to compensation goes beyond just base salary — we offer a comprehensive package that includes base pay and stock options, ensuring that every team member is rewarded for their contributions to the company’s growth and success.
We believe that building a thriving team requires not only providing fair and competitive compensation but also fostering an environment where success is shared collectively. Our total compensation package is designed to support the well-being of our employees, recognise their individual contributions, and empower them to grow alongside ZOE.
Benefits & Perks
We understand the significant role our benefits play in motivating, inspiring and safeguarding our employees' well-being. Our benefits strategy is thoughtfully designed to echo our mission and values, recognising the diverse needs arising from different life stages of our ZOEntists.
Our approach to benefits takes an inclusive and flexible view of both personal and professional growth. From competitive health insurance and wellness packages to inclusive parental policies, building connection, and tailored professional development programs, we've got you covered.
At ZOE, we continue to build a benefits package that invests in our team members’ long-term personal and professional growth and wellbeing, adding to this list as it evolves.
Equal opportunities
We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive team where every individual can bring their authentic self to work. We believe that this is key to our success and are dedicated to positively impacting the tech industry. As part of our commitment to equal opportunities, we encourage candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. We ensure a respectful and inclusive environment for all and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, marital status, disability, or age. If you require any accommodations during the interview process, please feel free to inform us, and we will make every effort to support your needs.
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