HR & People Operations Manager

About Venmark

Safety-critical industries are under mounting pressure. The work that keeps buildings, workplaces, infrastructure, and the public safe relies on paperwork, fragmented systems, and manual reporting. The result is a growing backlog of inspections and certifications, and in this industry, delay has real human consequences.

Venmark is clearing that backlog. We are building an AI-native testing, inspection, certification, and compliance (TICC) platform, grown by acquiring high-growth industry champions. We embed directly within their teams, building automation and AI into frontline workflows to deliver efficiency gains in real-time. Real users and real problems from day one.

You would be People hire #1, managing the most critical piece of the value delivery in this industry, talent.

About the role

At a glance: Part-time to start (2–3 days/week), with plans to grow to full-time within around 6 months. Hybrid, with occasional travel to offices within the UK.

Venmark is looking for an experienced HR & People Operations Manager to support the organisation in building a scalable people function for Venmark's portfolio workforce, spanning white- and blue-collar roles.

Role and responsibilities

• Lead the people function for Venmark and its early portfolio companies
• Own the full employee lifecycle, including portfolio hiring, contracting, background checks, onboarding, offboarding, policies, and day-to-day people operations
• Support in the full sub-contractor lifecycle, including contracting, background checks, onboarding, offboarding, policies, and day-to-day operations
• Support in further developing performance review processes aligned with company outcomes and in conducting performance reviews
• Act as the senior point of contact for sensitive employee relations matters
• Lead further development of the people function, including frameworks, systems, processes, and policies
• Lead management of the HR system and migration from other platforms, as needed
• Own employment law and compliance and navigate labour regulations
• Support with any other routine operational HR work

About you

The role suits someone who has worked and is keen to work in a fast-paced high-growth environment and is comfortable taking ownership and responsibility.

• 7+ years of experience in managing people functions in fast-paced environments, ideally including having worked through acquisitions and integrations and managing multi-entity organisations
• Strong experience in hiring processes and candidate evaluation
• Strong experience developing employee review schemes and conducting performance review conversations
• Ability to manage employee relations matters with confidence and discretion
• Ability to efficiently manage high volumes of administrative HR tasks
• Strong commercial judgement of how people decisions impact the business
• Strong professional knowledge of UK employment law and practical HR compliance
• Strong experience in using sophisticated HR software systems, including setup, process automation, and system migration
• Openness and motivation to work in a forward-thinking company, regularly using software tools and AI to enhance processes and output delivery
• Willingness for short distance travel within the United Kingdom on occasion
• A genuine ownership mentality and the drive to do what it takes to deliver, prioritising outcomes over rigidly defined hours