People Operations Manager

Job Title: People Operations Manager Reports to: Vice President of People & IT Direct Reports: 3 Location: London About Us Kooth is a fast-growing, mission-driven organization transforming access to digital mental health support across the UK and the US. Listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: KOO), our mission is to create welcoming, accessible spaces for personalized mental health care that empower young people to thrive. Grounded in an early-intervention model, we support young people aged 10–25 to build resilience, access timely care, and lead fulfilling lives. We are more than a digital service—we are part of a movement toward more inclusive, evidence-informed mental health care. In the UK, Kooth works alongside the NHS and is the country’s largest digital mental health platform for young people, built on more than one million hours of professional support delivered to youth across the country. In the US, we bring our mission to life through Soluna, California’s first statewide digital behavioral health service for 13–25-year-olds. Soluna removes barriers to care by providing nearly immediate access to one-to-one coaching, Care Navigation, peer support, and self-guided tools that help young people build resilience and find meaningful support when they need it most. Our culture is rooted in our values: Alongside You, Flexible, Compassionate, Committed, and Safe. These values guide how we support young people, collaborate with one another, and build solutions that meet individuals and communities where they are. At Kooth, you will be part of something bigger than yourself—meaningful work with measurable impact. Learn more about Kooth and Soluna . What We’re Looking For The People Operations Manager will manage the day-to-day delivery and continuous improvement of People Operations across the UK and US. Working closely with the Vice President of People & IT (US) and Director of People (UK), this role will translate People priorities into consistent, efficient, and compliant processes that create a seamless employee experience. This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for managing a team of three People Operations Generalists, overseeing core People systems and services, and ensuring our operational foundations support Kooth as it continues to grow. How You’ll Make an Impact People Operations Delivery • Manage the effective day-to-day delivery of People Operations services across the UK and US. • Translate People priorities into clear processes, workflows, service standards, and team objectives. • Monitor service delivery, identify areas for improvement, and ensure employees and managers receive timely, accurate, and supportive guidance. • Partner with People colleagues and business stakeholders to deliver a consistent employee experience across the employee lifecycle. Systems Management and Continuous Improvement • Manage the HRIS, Rippling, and other key People systems across the UK and US, serving as the primary operational subject matter expert. • Maintain accurate system configuration, documentation, permissions, workflows, and data. • Improve system adoption and the user experience by simplifying workflows, increasing self-service, automating processes, integrating systems, and using AI where it adds value. • Coordinate relationships with system vendors and implementation partners, monitoring service levels, costs, and delivery. • Support system implementations, upgrades, testing, and change-management activities. Payroll and Benefits Administration • Manage payroll processes across the UK and US, ensuring information is accurate, complete, timely, and compliant. • Coordinate with Finance, internal stakeholders, and third-party payroll providers to resolve issues and support payroll processing and annual tax documentation. • Oversee the day-to-day administration of UK and US employee benefits, including enrollments, changes, renewals, and employee queries. • Support benefits reviews and renewals by coordinating with brokers, vendors, Finance, and People leadership. • Deliver clear employee communications and education relating to payroll and benefits. • Partner with Finance and People leadership to support the administration of variable compensation plans. Team Management and Development • Manage, coach, and support a team of three People Operations Generalists serving employees across the UK and US. • Set clear expectations, priorities, and performance objectives for the team. • Provide regular feedback, coaching, and development opportunities. • Promote accountability, collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and continuous improvement. • Manage team capacity and workflows to ensure changing business needs are met and employees receive a high-quality service. People Data, Governance, and Compliance • Maintain accurate, well-governed People data through effective controls, documentation, and regular audits. • Support compliance with UK and US employment legislation, GDPR, US data-privacy requirements, and internal governance standards. • Maintain People policies, procedures, process documentation, and employee records. • Produce regular People reports, dashboards, and insights to support workforce planning and business decision-making. • Respond to reporting requests and help leaders understand and use People data effectively. • Identify data-quality issues and work with relevant stakeholders to resolve them. Health and Safety • Coordinate health and safety activities across the UK and US, supporting compliance with relevant legislation and internal requirements. • Maintain health and safety records, policies, training, risk assessments, and reporting processes. • Partner with relevant stakeholders to identify and address workplace health and safety risks. • Coordinate the reporting, investigation, and resolution of health and safety incidents, escalating significant matters when appropriate. • Support initiatives that promote a safe, healthy, and inclusive working environ