Head of People

Title: Head of People & Talent Acquisition

Location: London Based – 4 days in office (Maple Street, London)

Reports to: People Director

Salary: Up to £85,000 + Bonus

About Us

At Wingstop , we’re not just in the chicken business - we’re in the flavour business. Creating memorable experiences for our customers and team is what we do best, and we’ve got the accolades to prove it ( Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2024 & 2025 and Deliveroo’s Restaurant of the Year ). But our mission remains simple: BRING THE FLAVOUR .

Role Overview

We are seeking a people leader who thrives in a fast‑scaling, high‑growth environment and is energised by building structure, capability, and culture in a business that moves at pace.

This role requires someone London‑based with experience supporting multi‑market operations, and capable of building scalable, compliant, data‑driven people processes in a fast-growth environment. You will act as a strategic partner to the Senior Leadership Team while remaining hands-on enough to implement and optimise people systems, reporting, and compliance frameworks.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic People Leadership

• Develop and deliver the People Strategy aligned to Wingstop’s UK & Ireland growth plan.
• Partner with senior leadership team, and senior functional leaders as a trusted People advisor.
• Support organisational design and workforce planning across all markets.

Talent Acquisition

• Lead the TA strategy for both restaurant and Central Support hiring, ensuring the function is fast, efficient, and scalable.
• Build talent pipelines and employer branding initiatives.
• Ensure recruitment processes are compliant, data‑driven, and consistent across regions.

HR Business Partnering & People Operations

• Provide senior HR leadership across Central Support and Operations.
• Lead complex ER matters ensuring consistency, compliance, and risk mitigation.
• Oversee HR policies, handbooks, and processes across markets, ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation (and additional markets as expansion continues).
• Enhance HRIS capability, ensuring systems and data are accurate, secure, and optimised.

Compliance, Governance & Risk Management

• Own all HR compliance, ensuring adherence to legislation across UK & Ireland (right‑to‑work, GDPR, onboarding/offboarding, working time regulations, audit readiness).
• Ensure HR policies are continuously updated in line with legislative changes.
• Partner with Legal and Operations to ensure robust people governance frameworks.

People Analytics & Reporting

• Lead people analytics, creating dashboards and reporting packs for SLT, and the Board.
• Identify trends in hiring, labour planning, ER risk, and engagement to inform decision-making.
• Improve data accuracy and integrity, strengthening how people data is captured, stored, and analysed.

Engagement, Reward & Benefits Strategy

• Support the Engagement, Reward & Benefits Strategy that strengthens culture, supports retention, and enhances the employee experience across Central Support and Operations.
• Develop a data‑led engagement framework, using insights from people analytics, listening tools, and workforce KPIs to shape action plans and drive continuous improvement.
• Own the Reward & Recognition Strategy, ensuring programmes are competitive, commercially responsible, performance‑aligned, and reflective of Wingstop’s culture and values.
• Regularly benchmark against the external market to ensure Wingstop remains competitive.
• Partner with Finance and senior leaders to model costs, forecast future needs, and ensure all initiatives deliver strong ROI and align to business performance.

Skills and Experience Required

• ·7+ years’ experience in a large scale business at a senior HR level
• London-based HR leader with significant experience in multi-market HR leadership (ideally UK + Ireland, & wider EMEA).
• Proven ability to operate in multi-site, fast-growth environments.
• Strong background in people compliance, HR governance, policy frameworks, and risk management.
• Demonstrated expertise in people analytics, workforce reporting, KPI dashboards, and HR data integrity.
• Experience leading both HR and Talent Acquisition functions.
• Strong HR generalist knowledge with ability to manage ER, reward, talent and organisational development.
• Skilled in HR systems, HRIS optimisation, and using data to drive decisions.
• Commercially minded with the ability to challenge and influence senior leaders.
• Excellent communicator who builds trust quickly, with a pragmatic and solutions-focused approach.

Why Wingstop?

Wingstop UKI is committed to investing in and rewarding our people. Benefits include:

At Wingstop, we believe in rewarding and investing in our people . Here’s what we offer:

• Generous annual Bonus scheme: 30% base with stretch based on business performance
• Equity Programme: opportunity to invest into the business, starting within first 12 months (dependant on equity cycle).
• Enhanced Holiday allowance: Enjoy 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays & birthday (34 total)
• Enhanced Employer Pension Contributions
• Private Healthcare: Enhanced benefit from private health insurance provider Vitality for you plus spouse & dependants
• Family Support: Enhanced maternity and paternity leave for growing families
• Enhanced Sickness Benefit: Two weeks full pay, 12 month rolling
• EV Salary Sacrifice Scheme: available after 3 months of service
• Mileage: 0.45p unlimited!

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

We celebrate individuality and are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. As an equal-opportunity employer, we are committed to creating a supportive environment for all. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process to perform at your best, please let us know - we’re here to assist you.

If this opportunity aligns with your skills and career goals, we encourage you to apply. Join us in bringing the flavour!