People & Culture Manager

As People and Culture Manager for ABS you will embed yourself in the rhythm of the service line partnering closely with senior leaders to turn growth goals into a practical people strategy that improves how work is delivered and how teams perform. You will lead talent planning and quarterly reviews make pipeline health visible and align hiring development and internal moves to where ABS needs capability most. Day to day you will work side by side with managers on the moments that matter - setting expectations giving feedback that is kind and clear navigating probation decisions contribution reviews sickness and life moments - so confidence and consistency rise across the team. You will ensure people processes run smoothly and at scale by keeping onboarding induction early check-ins probation and performance cycles consistent well communicated and on time using Bob to track milestones surface risks and nudge action. You will collaborate with Talent Acquisition L&D and People Services to co-design improvements test them in ABS measure impact and feedback into the People team. Throughout you will help leaders land change in a people-first way by mapping what is changing clarifying roles and decision rights planning clear communications and adjusting based on sentiment and outcomes.

Success looks like managers who feel equipped and supported people processes that are simple and understood colleagues who experience clear expectations and timely support through change and leaders who can see talent and succession clearly. You will show steady evidence backed improvements to how work gets done as ABS grows.

How Youll Make a Difference

In this role you will:

Be a Strategic Partner to Leaders

• Join the service line specific priorities along with the people strategy to determine local people priorities across talent engagement wellbeing capability and recognition.

• Bring concise People insights to leaders using data from within the People department and commercial metrics to inform decisions.

• Maximise the use of our People tooling such as Hi-Bob to balance automation personalising moments and providing accurate data to business areas.

Collaborate with People specialisms agile delivery and data

• Co-design employee experience improvements with product owners in TA L&D Reward HRIS and Payroll. Actively lead adoption and continuous feedback on new initiatives to support iterations and improvements.

• Run small service line pilots to test changes. Measure adoption satisfaction cycle time and business impact then feed the insights into the product backlog for the next release.

• Partner with cross functional project teams to plan and run small service line pilots. Feed the insights back into the shared product backlog for the next release and close the loop with the team.

• Work side by side with project teams to use Bob and business analytics to guide decisions. Set up lightweight experiments together document what worked and what did not share the learning in sprint reviews and show and tells and agree clear next steps and owners.

Know Your Talent Acquisition Succession& Workforce Plans

• Collaborate with business leaders to analyse workforce needs challenging assumptions and aligning recruitment efforts with future business growth.

• Support the Talent Acquisition team by creating compelling job descriptions and actively participating in the selection process.

• Know your talent inside out maintain key metrics such as succession planning pipelining and identifying future leaders.

• Lead talent and performance panels ensuring collective input on promotions and salary reviews while aligning these processes with organisational goals.

• Champion a culture of quality feedback supporting managers in delivering candid and constructive reviews during performance and contribution discussions.

• Challenge bias and ensure equitable outcomes for promotions and reward.

Build and Support Manager Capability

• Act as a trusted coach on performance feedback sickness absence and life moments to ensure consistency in a fair and empathetic approach.

• Serve as a trusted adviser to managers providing guidance on sensitive employee relations matters including conflict resolution grievances and performance management.

• Equip managers with practical scripts checklists and timelines so they can deliver high challenge high support conversations.

• Collaborate with the Senior L&D Manager to deliver skills training and facilitate internal learning sessions where appropriate.

Facilitate Onboarding Probation and Performance Touchpoints

• Partner with Hiring Managers to create tailored onboarding plans that set new colleagues up for success.

• Deliver engaging and culture-focused induction experiences that reflect the vibrancy of the BKL Group.

• Conduct regular check-ins with new colleagues and their line managers at key milestones (e.g. first 30 60 and 90 days) to ensure and address potential challenges.

• Co-design improvements to onboarding probation and performance conversations using data and manager insights then pilot and measure outcomes.

• Ensure probation reviews are constructive value-adding and aligned with performance expectations personally attending where there are extensions or concerns.

Deliver Employee Relations

• Proactively ensure compliance with employment laws and regulations balancing legal requirements with a people-first approach.

• Own the delivery of accurate documentation and notes ensuring the appropriate letters are distributed to support all processes.

• Keep abreast of employment law and people operations trends ensuring policies are aligned with best practice while putting people at the forefront.

• Escalate proportionally and on time for complex or high-risk matters that require additional advice.

Champion Life Moments

• Act as a champion of empathy and understanding ensuring colleagues feel supported during critical life events. This could include planning for a returning mum meaningfully supporting someone back from long-term sickness or tailoring solutions for unique circumstances.

• Advocate for doing the right thing to enhance employee experiences and maintain a positive culture.

Manage Offboarding

• Ensure the offboarding process is handled with professionalism and care leaving a positive and lasting impression on departing employees.

• Strive for every departing colleague to reflect positively on their time with the organisation ideally resulting in a glowing Glassdoor review.

Youll Be Ideal for This Role If You Have:

• Ideally CIPD qualified or qualified by experience.

• Previously worked as a strategic HR partner supporting and influencing senior leaders.

• The ability to multitask re-prioritise and ensure immediate business and people requirements are met. At all times balancing BAU with focused project work.

• Experience in managing a full range of HR/ER processes.

• Excellent communication skills with an empathetic and pragmatic style

We know you have a lot to offer which is why we give you the freedom to thrive no matter who you are or what your background is.

Our Values

At BKL we live by five core values:

• Think Big Be curious brave and open to new ideas.

• In It Together Collaborate care and build an inclusive culture.

• Take Pride Strive for excellence and believe in your impact.

• Do the Right Thing Act with integrity honesty and fairness.

• Enjoy It Bring your whole self to work and have fun doing it.

Working With Us: Your Benefits Wellbeing & Development

At BKL were committed to creating a people-first workplace where everyone can thrive. We offer a carefully curated benefits package wellbeing support and meaningful development opportunities that empower you to grow your career.

Snapshot of our Benefits Package

Weve designed a flexible sustainable set of benefits to support your life at work and beyond:

• Private Medical Insurance (PMI) including mental health cover hospital treatment & 24/7 GP access

• Health Cash Plans covering everyday costs like dental optical & physiotherapy and an Employee Assistance Programme

• Pension scheme helping you save for retirement in a tax-efficient way

• Group Life Assurance peace of mind with financial protection for your loved ones

• Cashback & savings portal discounts across hundreds of high-street and online retailers

• Cycle to Work Scheme spread the cost of a new bike and accessories tax-free

• Electric Vehicle Scheme sustainable transportation options that include roadside support and servicing

• Free Mortgage Advice expert guidance for your home-buying journey

• Season Ticket Loan support with travel expenses

• Enhanced Family Leave generous leave policies for family-related needs

• Holiday Entitlement generous entitlement which increases with promotion

Development & Growth

We dont just offer jobs we support careers:

• Clear development pathways and progression frameworks

• Professional qualifications support including study time and funding

• Internal mentoring coaching and buddying schemes

• Leadership development programmes to help you grow with us

• Regular check-ins and performance conversations driven by your goals not just metrics

Take Your Next Step

Ready to grow your career with a company that balances ambition with purpose Apply today and discover how far you can go at BKL.

Our recruitment process typically involves three stages:

1. An introductory Teams call with our Talent Acquisition team.

2. A first-stage interview with two team members.

3. A final interview at our London office including a tour to give you a feel for our working environment.

Compliance & Equal Opportunities

In addition to the responsibilities listed above you will be required to undertake GDPR training in order to fully understand the regulations and ensure all work is carried out in a compliant manner.