People Ops Business Partner, UK

Job description

About the role We are looking for an HR Business Partner to create a seamless and supportive experience for every employee at Reserv in the UK. In this role, you will manage key processes throughout the employee lifecycle — from onboarding to day-to-day HR support — while serving as a trusted partner to both team members and leadership. You will bring empathy, organization, and sharp problem-solving skills to a fast- paced, fully remote environment where we value initiative, clear communication, and continuous improvement. If you are excited about building thoughtful people processes, supporting a growing team, and shaping the future of HR at an ambitious insurtech, we would love to connect with you. What you'll do Strategic partner Act as a trusted advisor and sounding partner to managers and team leads, providing guidance on team dynamics, performance management, and workforce planning. Develop and execute people strategies that drive business performance, retention, and engagement — translating organizational goals into tangible people initiatives. Lead on end-to-end recruitment activity for the UK, partnering with hiring managers to attract and retain top talent while maintaining a consistent, positive candidate experience. Drive culture change and organizational development initiatives, holding leaders and managers accountable for adoption and embedding change effectively across teams. Develop, own, and continuously improve HR policies from inception through to implementation, ensuring they are fit for purpose, legally compliant, and aligned with the company’s values and growth trajectory. Employee relations Serve as the primary point of contact for all UK employee relations matters, managing a high volume of cases end-to-end — including performance management, disciplinaries, grievances, and occupational health referrals — with minimal escalation. Bring proven experience managing complex, long-running cases including long-term sickness absence, reasonable adjustments, and occupational health-led processes, ideally gained in operational or high-volume frontline environments. Negotiate and manage Settlement Agreements (formerly Compromise Agreements), including liaison with legal counsel where required, ensuring commercial and legal risk is appropriately managed. Balance empathy with compliance in line with UK employment law (Employment Rights Act 1996, Equality Act 2010, and related legislation), escalating matters to the VP, People Operations only where necessary. Help leaders proactively identify and address team health concerns and interpersonal conflict before they reach formal process stage. Support investigations, policy interpretation, disciplinary, and grievance procedures in accordance with ACAS Codes of Practice and internal policy. Help foster an inclusive, equitable, and engaging remote-first culture using data and employee feedback to make evidence-based recommendations. Performance & talent management Manage the performance review cycle, lead calibration sessions, and coach managers on delivering constructive feedback and meaningful development conversations. Collaborate with the VP, People Operations to roll out talent development programs, promotion frameworks, and career pathways that scale with the company. HR programming Design, implement, and continuously improve HR programs, policies, and workflows spanning the full employee lifecycle, with a focus on scalability and automation. Lead the development and delivery of the company’s EDI (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion) strategy, building programs and initiatives that foster a culture of belonging, psychological safety, and equitable opportunity across the UKworkforce. Drive employee engagement through structured listening programs (e.g. surveys, focus groups), translating findings into actionable recommendations for leadership. Leverage data and employee feedback to recommend improvements to People Ops processes that increase efficiency and impact. Support employee recognition, onboarding, and retention initiatives. Operations & compliance Maintain an up-to-date working knowledge of UK employment law, proactively monitoring legislative changes and implementing updated policies and practices ahead of new laws coming into effect. Oversee right-to-work checks and ensure ongoing compliance with UK immigration and employment eligibility requirements. Uphold UK GDPR and data privacy obligations, ensuring employee data is handled with appropriate confidentiality and in accordance with ICO guidance. Serve as a secondary point of contact for employee questions requiring a nuanced or strategic response. Analytics & reporting Analyze HR data and trends (turnover, engagement, headcount, etc.) and deliver insights to leadership to shape people strategies. Develop reporting mechanisms that support business leaders in making data-informed decisions. Qualifications CIPD Level 7 qualified (or equivalent experience), operating at a strategic HR level with the confidence to work autonomously and advise senior stakeholders. 4–6+ years of experience in HR advisory / People Operations, with at least 2 years in a Business Partner or advisory capacity. 2+ years of end-to-end payroll management experience for a workforce of up to 200 employees, including pension administration (auto-enrollment and ongoing scheme management). 2+ years of experience in a high-growth startup, scale-up, or fast-paced operational environment — you know how to balance ambiguity, pace, and flexibility. Solid, hands-on knowledge of UK employment law, including the Employment Rights Act, Equality Act 2010, ACAS Codes of Practice, and UK GDPR. Demonstrable experience managing a high volume and wide range of ER cases end-to-end, including Settlement Agreements, long-term sickness, and occupational health processes. Experience with UK benefits administration is desirable but not essential, including auto-enrollment pensions, private health insurance, and statutory entitlements (SSP, SMP, SPP, etc.). Proficient with HR systems; experience with Rippling is a bonus. High emotional and social intelligence, with the confidence and composure to navigate highly sensitive or contentious situations with care and professionalism. Strong interpersonal skills, good intuition, and the ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the organization. Able to manage multiple ongoing projects independently with excellent attention to detail and organization. A decisive problem solver with a “get it done” attitude who thrives in a fast- paced, sometimes ambiguous environment. Exceptional standards of confidentiality and ethics when handling sensitive people information. A genuine growth mindset — keen to continue learning and developing as the company scales. Comfortable working fully remotely and with a geographically distributed team. Proficient with standard tech tools — Apple Mac, Google Workspace, and Slack — and comfortable picking up new technology quickly. Benefits Generous health-insurance package with nationwide coverage, vision, & dental 401(k) retirement plan with employer matching Competitive PTO policy – we want our employees fresh, healthy, happy, and energized! Generous family leave policy after 8 months of continuous work Work from anywhere to facilitate your work life balance Apple laptop, large second monitor, and other quality-of-life equipment you may want. Technology is something that should make your life easier, not harder! At Reserv, we value diversity in backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences and believe that diversity in viewpoints and critical thinking drives innovation, first-principles thinking, and success. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage those from all walks of life to apply. If you believe you are a good fit for this role, we would love to hear from you! About Reserv Reserv is an insurtech creating and incubating cutting-edge AI and automation technology to bring efficiency and simplicity to claims. Founded by insurtech veterans with deep experience in SaaS and digital claims, Reserv is venture-backed by Bain Capital and Altai Ventures and began operations in May 2022. We are focused on automating highly manual tasks to tackle long-standing problems in claims and set a new standard for TPAs, insurance technology providers, and adjusters alike. We have ambitious (but attainable!) goals and need people who can work in an evolving environment. If building a leading TPA and the prospect of tackling the long-standing challenges of the claims role sounds exciting, we can't wait to meet you. Location Requirement Candidates must reside in an eligible U.S. state throughout employment. We are unable to hire candidates residing in California, Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, or outside the United States.