Principal, People [Head of People]

Principal, People [Head of People]

Location: Nine Elms, London - Full-time (4 days a week on-site)

About Zapp

Zapp is London’s leading premium convenience retail platform. Founded in 2020, our vision is to disrupt the multi-trillion dollar convenience retail industry, by developing world class customer-centric technology and fulfilment solutions. Zapp partners with some of the world’s leading brands to deliver an exclusive range of hand-picked products 24/7, delivered in minutes.

Role Overview

As a Principal, People at Zapp, you will lead the People function and be a trusted partner to leaders across the business. You will be responsible for building a high performing function that helps set up our employees for success across the head office and fulfilment centres. You will own all aspects of the People function from designing the overall People strategy to employee relations, recruitment, reward, policy, operations, technology, analytics, culture and engagement.

Here’s What You’d Be Doing

• People Strategy: Design the strategy across talent, compensation, performance management, culture & engagement.

• Business Partnering: Act as a trusted adviser to directors and line managers, providing pragmatic, commercially focused guidance on all people matters.

• Employee Relations: Lead and manage complex employee relations matters, including grievances, disciplinaries, capability, absence and appeals, ensuring fair, consistent and legally compliant outcomes.

• Recruitment: Oversee recruitment across head office and operational roles, strengthening our employer brand and ensuring a high quality candidate experience.

• Reward: Build the total compensation framework across salary, equity & benefits and ensure compensation bands are benchmarked competitively against the market.

• Performance & Talent management: Design & lead the company wide performance, compensation and talent review processes.

• Policy & Compliance: Own and maintain HR policies, procedures and employment contracts, ensuring they remain compliant with UK employment law and best practice.

• Payroll & Benefits: Partner with payroll and finance to ensure accurate monthly payroll inputs, and manage benefits administration.

• Engagement & Culture: Shape and deliver initiatives that build engagement, retention and a high-performance culture, including internal communications and company wide events.

• People Tech, Operations & Analytics: Maintain accurate employee records and HR systems, producing insightful reporting and metrics to inform leadership decisions.

• Team management: Lead the People team and build a high performing function through effective hiring, coaching and development.

Requirements

• 7+ years of People experience, including at least 2 years in a senior generalist or HR Business Partner role, preferably within retail, e-commerce, logistics or a high-growth environment.

• Strong, up-to-date knowledge of UK employment law, with a proven track record of managing complex employee relations cases from start to finish.

• CIPD Level 7 qualification, or equivalent experience.

• Experience supporting both office-based and operational or shift-based workforces.

• Agility: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced "start-up" environment, balancing multiple priorities and building processes while maintaining rigour and confidentiality.

• Collaborative Spirit: A credible, approachable communicator who can influence stakeholders at every level, from fulfilment centre teams to the Founder’s Office.

• Sound Judgement: Ability to assess risk, exercise discretion and deliver solutions that balance commercial needs with fairness and compliance.

Why Zapp?

• The chance to shape the people function of a brand disrupting a multi-trillion dollar industry.

• A fast-paced, high-growth environment where your work will directly influence how our teams across London are hired, supported and developed.

• Collaborative culture working directly with the Founder’s Office and a senior leadership team committed to building a great place to work.

Benefits

• Private Health Insurance (Bupa)

• Zapp Credit for testing the Zapp service and experience

• Lunch provided 4 days of a week at HQ

• Competitive salary & equity package.

• Enjoy 25 days of holiday per year (plus all bank holidays).

• Extended sick pay and maternity/paternity leave pay.

• Cycle to work scheme.

• Flexible/hybrid working arrangement