People & Business Operations Partner

K&Z is a growing multi-brand franchise business operating 26 KFC and Pret a Manger sites across the South of England, supporting more than 500 people - with more sites on the way.

We're looking for someone to join our lean above-store team in a role that's deliberately difficult to fit neatly into a box.

People will be your professional anchor, but this isn't a traditional HR job.

One quarter you might be helping us turn new employment legislation into something that actually works across 26 sites. The next you could be supporting the admin and coordination behind a new restaurant opening. Then our People data might tell us a process isn't working, so you'll get out into sites, understand why and help managers fix it.

There will be exciting projects you can take from an idea to something live.

There will also be spreadsheets, invoices, audits, data entry and admin.

Both matter.

We're looking for someone who sees what needs doing, takes ownership and gets it moving. You'll report to our Head of People & Culture, but your remit will take you across the whole business.

Your People responsibilities will include:

• Keeping oversight of right to work, visa expiries and other key People compliance.
• Owning our People dashboards and data, spotting trends and helping turn them into action.
• Keeping onboarding and probation processes on track and helping make them simpler and smarter.
• Monitoring recruitment across KFC and Pret, supporting managers with systems, processes and good practice.
• Supporting maternity, family-related and other People processes, making sure managers and employees get the right support.
• Working with our external ER partner, Moorepay, to keep cases moving and coach managers through processes such as absence, capability and employee relations.
• Championing engagement surveys and helping turn the results into meaningful action.
• Supporting events, recognition, awards and development initiatives across both brands.

But you'll also work beyond People. Depending on what K&Z needs, you could be:

• Taking a business problem or idea and helping turn it into something practical.
• Supporting projects with our MD, operational leaders and wider above-store team.
• Helping Construction and Operations keep projects, actions and communications moving.
• Picking up legal, property, marketing or operational admin around new site openings.
• Supporting equipment orders, invoices, communications and general central administration.
• Visiting restaurants and shops to coach managers, understand problems first hand or help a new process land.
• Using AI, automation and smart technology to make the way we work simpler and more efficient.

Sometimes you'll own the project. Sometimes you'll support someone else's. Sometimes the most useful thing you can do that week will simply be getting through a pile of necessary admin.

Ego won't work particularly well here.

We're much more interested in what you've actually done than how many years you've done it for.

You need practical People/HR experience and enough confidence to understand how employee relations processes work in the real world. You might have supported disciplinaries, grievances, appeals, absence or capability and know what good management looks like.

A CIPD qualification is welcome, but it isn't required. Practical experience matters more to us than theory.

Experience in hospitality, retail, QSR or another fast moving, multi site operational environment would be particularly valuable. We need someone who understands that what looks perfect on paper doesn't always survive contact with a busy restaurant on a Friday night.

You'll probably thrive here if you:

• Have a strong People foundation but want exposure to much more than HR.
• Take ownership and are comfortable working things out rather than waiting for every step to be given to you.
• Can respectfully challenge managers, colleagues, suppliers and external partners.
• Understand that support functions exist to help frontline teams succeed, not to sit above them.
• Enjoy being around people and want to spend meaningful time in our restaurants and shops.
• Are comfortable getting stuck into data and spreadsheets, even if you don't know every formula yet.
• Use, or genuinely want to use, AI and new technology to work smarter.
• Will learn the tool, system or skill you need rather than staying inside your comfort zone.
• Are as willing to tackle necessary admin as you are to lead an interesting project.
• Care about the whole business, not just the part with "People" written above it.

You'll get genuine exposure to how a growing multi brand business operates, working with KFC and Pret a Manger and alongside the people making decisions at K&Z.

This isn't a senior leadership role, but there is real scope to grow.

As you develop, you could take on greater ownership of our People function, training Academy and development programmes, or build capability in another area of the business. Longer term, an exceptional person could grow towards leading the People function.

We actively support development and make extensive use of the Apprenticeship Levy to fund relevant learning and qualifications.

We don't want you to repeat the same year of experience over and over again. We want your capability to grow as K&Z grows.

We're informal, straightforward and not particularly interested in corporate theatre. We like good ideas, sensible decisions and people who make things happen.

The role is hybrid rather than built around fixed office days. When desk based work is the priority, you'll generally work from home or one of our offices in Croydon or Newhaven.

As a guide, expect to be out in the business around two days a week, flexing up or down depending on what you're working on. You'll also spend some time in our Croydon office each month.

Our sites are spread across the South of England, so a full UK driving licence and willingness to travel are essential. Mileage is reimbursed and occasional overnight stays will be required.

Salary: £35,000-£40,000 depending on experience and capability.

Full time, permanent.

Statutory holiday entitlement and pension.