Senior People Operations Manager

As Senior People Operations Manager, you will be a strategic and operational People & Culture leader, partnering with the Regional Director of Operations, Directors of Operations and the Regional People Operations Director (APAC, India & EMEA) to deliver high-quality, compliant and commercially focused people solutions across a diverse international portfolio.

This is a full-time, permanent position based in Dublin, working 40 hours per week. Operating on a hybrid basis, the role requires a minimum of three days per week in the office. Given the highly collaborative and stakeholder-focused nature of the role, increased office attendance is encouraged where possible.

Supporting operations across the UK, Ireland, Poland and the Nordic region, you will work closely with Heads of Operations and local People teams to drive business performance, organisational effectiveness and employee engagement. A key focus of the role will be partnering with senior operational leaders to deliver initiatives focused on succession planning, talent development, workforce planning and labour optimisation across the region.

You will lead a team of People Operations professionals, with responsibility for up to three direct reports, and collaborate with stakeholders across operations, finance, risk and People functions throughout EMEA, APAC and India. The role combines strategic business partnering, matrix leadership and operational HR excellence within a fast-paced, client-facing hospitality environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Business Partnering

Partner with Directors of Operations to align people strategy with business growth, revenue and margin objectives.

Translate business plans into effective workforce, structural and capability strategies.

Provide commercially focused, risk‑aware People advice and contribute to regional and global People initiatives.

Matrix Stakeholder Leadership

Work closely with Country People Teams across EMEA to ensure compliance with local legislation and Compass frameworks.

Balance client‑specific requirements with standardised country governance.

Act as an escalation point where client and country People frameworks intersect.

Leadership & Team Management

Lead, coach and develop a high‑performing People Operations team across EMEA.

Set clear expectations, build capability and drive consistent, high‑quality People service delivery.

Workforce Planning & Organisational Design

Lead workforce planning across existing and new business sites.

Support mobilisations, restructures and organisational design activity.

Partner with Finance and Operations on labour modelling, headcount management and succession planning.

Employee Relations & Risk Management

Provide senior‑level guidance on complex employee relations matters across multiple jurisdictions.

Ensure compliance with employment legislation and collective frameworks.

Manage high‑risk cases while balancing risk mitigation and positive employee relations.

Talent, Engagement & Culture

Drive initiatives to strengthen engagement, retention, leadership capability and performance.

Lead DE&I initiatives aligned to regional and client strategies.

Support talent development, performance reviews, internal mobility and reward decisions.

Operational HR Excellence

Ensure accurate, compliant People operations, systems and data integrity.

Oversee employee lifecycle processes and deliver meaningful workforce insights.

Lead People projects at regional and corporate level.

About You:

Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Management or related field

3–7 years’ HR experience in a multi‑site environment across UK&I and Europe

Strong knowledge of employment and labour law

Proven experience leading and developing teams

Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills

Strong business acumen with financial understanding

Confident decision‑maker with a calm, measured approach

High standard of confidentiality and professionalism

Desirable

CIPD qualification

Experience working within a matrix or client‑embedded model

Hospitality, services or operational environment experience

Compass Group reserves the right to enhance the criteria, if necessary, for the purposes of shortlisting.

Some of the benefits we offer:

As well as a competitive salary, we also have a large range of other benefits, such as

Free meals while at work

Discounts across the Island of Ireland to save at various restaurants, high street stores, hotels, day out venues, gyms, golf courses and many more

Flexible working to support work life balance

Additional Leave Purchase scheme to balance home and work life

Life assurance cover

Additional, seasonal and overtime hours available

Career Pathways to support career progression and/or skills development

Learning & development programs available for personal and professional development & growth

Access to wellness programs to promote mental health and wellbeing of our colleagues

Employee Assistance Program to guide and support our employees

Exciting internal reward and recognition schemes

And many more..

At Compass Ireland, our people are our business. When you join the Compass Group you will be joining a supportive network of incredible individuals, each united by their passion for going the extra mile for the organisations we partner with. We are building a team who care about providing a great customer experience and want to grow and develop as we do. We are dedicated to investing in every colleague joining us and pride ourselves on being an equal opportunity employer; we celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all our colleagues. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

Please review our Privacy Notice for details on how we maintain, protect and why your personal data is collected when you apply for a job with Compass Group. We will not retain any CV's or job applications for longer than necessary.

Job Reference: com/2309/86251001/52354688/R/IN/ROIWJ #Republic of Ireland

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!