People Operations Manager

About us GoCardless is a global bank payment company. Over 100,000 businesses , from start-ups to household names, use GoCardless to collect and send payments through direct debit, real-time payments and open banking. GoCardless processes US$130bn+ of payments annually, across 30+ countries ; helping customers collect and send both recurring and one-off payments , without the chasing, stress or expensive fees. We use AI-powered solutions to improve payment success and reduce fraud. And, with open banking connectivity to over 2,500 banks , we help our customers make faster, more informed decisions. We are headquartered in the UK with offices in London and Leeds , and additional locations in Australia, France, Ireland, Latvia, Portugal and the United States. At GoCardless, we're all about supporting you ! We’re committed to making our hiring process inclusive and accessible . If you need extra support or adjustments, reach out to your Talent Partner — we’re here to help! And remember: we don’t expect you to meet every single requirement. If you’re excited by this role, we encourage you to apply! The role Reporting to the Director of People Operations, Reward and People Partnering, we are seeking an experienced People Operations Manager to join us and hit the ground running! You will oversee our core people operations team based in Riga and Lisbon, focusing on employee lifecycle processes, data, compliance and internal mobility & immigration. You will play a pivotal role in enabling our HR operating model which centres around people partnering, ensuring seamless employee experiences, operational excellence, and strategic HR delivery across our global locations. This is an opportunity to bring fresh thinking to how we operate and partner closely with our People Partners, Finance, Talent Acquisition and wider HR team to ensure we drive excellence across the People function. What excites you Employee Lifecycle Ownership : You will own, manage and optimise end-to-end People lifecycle processes from onboarding to offboarding and everything in between, ensuring seamless and positive experiences for employees at every stage. Compliance & Risk Management: You will ensure compliance with local employment laws and regulations across all regions, coordinating audits and compliance reviews related to People operations. Scalable Process Design : You will develop and implement scalable People operations processes that support our multi-hub strategy as we continue to grow into new locations, driving ongoing process improvement and manager self-serve capability. HR Systems & Data: You will oversee our HR system (Hibob) to optimise functionality and data quality, maintaining robust data privacy, confidentiality and security standards, and using HR analytics to inform decision-making and improve operational efficiency. Finance & Payroll Partnership: You will partner closely with Finance and Payroll to drive improvements across pay-related processes, ensuring accuracy and efficiency at every step. Team Leadership: You will lead and manage the People Operations team based in Latvia and Portugal, building an inclusive high-performance team that puts the employee experience at the centre of everything. Documentation & Governance: You will ensure documentation is in place for all People Operations processes and changes, driving continuous improvement across internal workflows to ensure they are scalable, efficient and support positive employee experiences. What excites us People Operations Expertise: Proven experience in a senior People Operations or HR Operations role, with a strong track record of owning and improving end-to-end HR processes in a global, multi-site environment. Operational Excellence Mindset: A natural process improver who loves to find smarter ways of working — someone who can balance attention to detail with a drive for efficiency and scale. Strong Data & Systems Acumen: Experience managing and optimising HRIS platforms (ideally Hi