People & Talent Lead

**People \& Talent Lead** **London – 3 days a week in office** **Salary – Circa £80K basic \+ bonus \+ package** My client is a rapidly growing fintech established in the UK in 2023 – They are on a mission to allow SME businesses to hit their growth targets through access to capital faster, fairer \& more flexible through our innovative lending product. We now have over £100M lending book in the UK seeing 4 X growth in 2025 \& we are ready to replicate this in 2026\. Originally my client successfully closed £50M of funding ( Mix debt \& equity) \& are just about to close an additional £100M debt line and £7M equity line making it a secure \& exciting time to join. We have an innovative SLT Team \& wider team of 30 based in London creating a vibrant working environment where the right people can play large part in strategic growth. With all of this in mind, we are looking for our first in house People \& Talent hire to support CEO… You will be responsible for the full employee lifecycle—from talent acquisition and hiring, through onboarding, performance management, and long\-term development—while building the people processes, systems, and culture needed to support a high\-performance organisation. **Responsibilities inc** * Own end\-to\-end hiring across the business, including role scoping, sourcing, interviewing, offer management, and onboarding * Design and continuously improve hiring frameworks that assess both performance potential and cultural alignment * Build a rewarding \& inclusive environment ensuring retention of our talented team * Design and run a structured onboarding experience to help new hires ramp quickly and effectively * Implement clear performance management frameworks, including goal\-setting, reviews, feedback cycles, and progression paths * Own and improve core HR systems and tools (HRIS, payroll coordination, benefits administration, documentation) * Develop and maintain people policies that are compliant, pragmatic, and aligned with our values * Act as a trusted advisor to senior management on people\-related topics, including performance, structure, and team dynamics * Use data and insight to inform decisions on hiring, retention, and organisational design **Requirements:** * 5\+ years of experience in People \& Talent, HR, or People Operations roles, ideally within startups or high\-growth businesses * Proven experience owning the full recruitment lifecycle across multiple roles and functions ( working directly on hires \& also with recruitment partners) * Strong understanding of performance management, employee development, and organisational design * Experience implementing and managing HR systems and people processes from the ground up * Practical knowledge of UK employment law and best practices (international exposure is a plus) * Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organisation * Highly organised, detail\-oriented, and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast\-paced environment * A pragmatic, hands\-on mindset—you’re as comfortable executing as you are designing frameworks.