Director of People Operations

Multiverse is the upskilling platform for AI and Tech adoption. We have partnered with 1,500+ companies to deliver a new kind of learning that's transforming today’s workforce. Our upskilling apprenticeships are designed for people of any age and career stage to build critical AI, data, and tech skills. Our learners have driven $2bn+ ROI for their employers, using the skills they’ve learned to improve productivity and measurable performance. In June 2022, we announced a $220 million Series D funding round co-led by StepStone Group, Lightspeed Venture Partners and General Catalyst. With a post-money valuation of $1.7bn, the round makes us the UK’s first EdTech unicorn. But we aren’t stopping there. With a strong operational footprint and 800+ employees, we have ambitious plans to continue scaling. We’re building a world where tech skills unlock people’s potential and output. Join Multiverse and power our mission to equip the workforce to win in the AI era. This is a senior role that bridges deep HRIS expertise with strategic People Operations leadership. As our Director of People Operations, you will drive operational excellence across the full employee lifecycle while owning continuous optimisation of our HR technology ecosystem. We are building an AI-native People Operations team — one where AI is woven into how we design processes, deliver services, and create employee experiences, not bolted on as an afterthought. This role sits at the centre of that ambition: you will define where and how AI touches the employee journey, from intelligent self-service to agentic workflows, and build the operational infrastructure that makes those experiences consistent and trustworthy. You will be equally comfortable getting into the detail of a complex HiBob workflow configuration and presenting a data-driven transformation roadmap to the Executive team. This role is explicitly hands-on — you will build, not just direct. You bring the curiosity, discipline, and craft to design systems from the ground up, and the strategic clarity to ensure everything you build serves a larger vision of employee experience and business scale. You are the escalation point and the most technically capable person in the team. You will set the direction for People Operations at Multiverse, define the standards, and play an active role in shaping who joins and how the function develops as we scale. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Workflow Design & Process Optimisation Systems thinking applied to the full employee lifecycle. - Drive self-service adoption — design employee and manager journeys that default to self-service, reducing reliance on the People team for routine requests while improving the overall experience - Own and Architect advanced ticketing — own the operation, configuration, SLA framework, and continuous improvement of the HR ticketing system; build intelligent triage, routing, and resolution workflows that progressively reduce ticket volume through upstream self-service design - Establish data governance standards — define and uphold rigorous frameworks for people data accuracy, access control, and security; conducting regular audits and ensuring all data structures within the HRIS are fit for purpose - Own compliance operations — maintain a clearly documented compliance calendar; manage background checks in line with Ofsted regulations, GDPR, ISO/SOC2, and UK employment legislation - Govern payroll and benefits data flows — oversee the accurate, timely movement of all employee data impacting payroll and benefits, ensuring clean handoffs and zero errors at month-end SKILLS & EXPERIENCE Essential - 8+ years of progressive experience in People Technology, HRIS leadership, or strategic People Operations, with a track record of leading functions rather than just contributing to them — ideally within a fast-scaling organisation - Proven track record leading HRIS (Hi-Bob, Workday, BambooHR, Personio) implementation or optimisation programmes, using agile methodologies (sprint planning, backlog management) - Experience owning HR ticketing at a functional level and driving SLA-based service delivery at scale - Demonstrated ability to translate complex business requirements into clear, scalable technical solutions and present them credibly to senior leadership - Strong stakeholder management and communication skills — equally effective with technical teams and the Executive - Experience handling payroll and benefits-related data flows with accuracy and discretion - Experience in a regulated environment (Ofsted, GDPR, ISO/SOC2) - Hands-on experience with AI-powered HR tools or agentic workflow automation - Exposure to other Tier-1 HRIS platforms (Workday, BambooHR, Personio) in addition to HiBob - Background in People Analytics or HR data reporting MEASURING SUCCESS Within 3 months — You will have completed a comprehensive audit of current People Operations processes and HRIS configuration, identified priority pain points in the team, and built trusted relationships with the People & Talent team and key stakeholders. Within 6 months — You will have contributed meaningfully to the People & Talent roadmap, delivered initial 'quick win' improvements to the ticketing process and core lifecycle workflows, and activated at least one agentic or AI-powered workflow. Within 12 months — You will have executed multiple significant system and process enhancements from the roadmap, demonstrably improved key operational KPIs using technology interventions (ticket resolution time, onboarding satisfaction, data accuracy), and established an enhanced data-driven reporting cadence for the People & Talent function. Benefits - Time off - 27 days holiday, plus 5 additional days off: 1 life event day, 2 volunteer days, 2 company-wide wellbeing days (M-Powered Weekend) and 8 bank holidays per year - Health & Wellness- private medical Insurance with Bupa, a medical cashback scheme, life insurance, gym membership & wellness resources through Wellhub and access to Spill - all in one mental health support - Hybrid work offering - for most roles we collaborate in the office three days per week with the exception of Coaches and Instructors who collaborate in the office once a month - Work-from-anywhere scheme - you'll have the opportunity to work from anywhere, up to 10 days per year - Space to connect: Beyond the desk, we make time for weekly catch-ups, seasonal celebrations, and have a kitchen that’s always stocked! Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion We’re an equal opportunities employer. And proud of it. Every applicant and employee is afforded the same opportunities regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. This will never change. Read our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion policy here https://www.multiverse.io/en-GB/our-policies/equality-diversity-and-inclusion-policy. Our Commitment to Safeguarding Multiverse is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our learners. We expect all employees to share this commitment and adhere to our Safeguarding Policy https://cdn.sanity.io/files/6y1mknvo/prod-20240319/50283d0600920c5f1e02cf44e54c0f1534c74e61.pdf, our Prevent Policy https://cdn.sanity.io/files/6y1mknvo/prod-20240319/35a5defca7346bb1c212250867754b0a7ae5b478.pdfand all other Multiverse company policies. Successful applicants will be required to undertake at least a Basic check via the Disclosure Barring Service (DBS). For roles that will involve a Regulated Activity, successful applicants must also undergo an Enhanced DBS check, including a Children’s Barred List check and a Prohibition Order check. Roles involving Regulated Activity may interact with vulnerable groups, therefore are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 meaning applicants are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands, and final warnings. Providing false information is an offence and could result in the application being rejected or summary dismissal if the applicant has been selected, and possible referral to the police and the DBS.