HR and Talent Manager

Our client is building a platform focused on the world of football. They are aiming to provide structured insight that powers media, content and conversation across the game. With very successful partnerships being built, and backed by a Series A funding round, they are rapidly scaling.

This role encompasses the management of the entire employee journey, starting from recruiting and onboarding, to managing the employee lifecycle in a true HR generalist capacity. You are working in a fast-growing start-up and will need to thrive in a busy environment. You’ll work closely with the COO, CEO and leadership team to build and manage the talent and people function across the business. You need to be an experienced and resourceful recruiter to help scale quickly and effectively during a critical phase of growth.

You’ll lead the end-to-end hiring across multiple functions – from community and content to data and tech – helping bring in exceptional talent who believe in our mission. This is a hands-on, fast-moving role ideal for someone who thrives in early-stage environments and knows how to find and engage great candidates without a big employer brand. You’ll own sourcing, screening, and candidate management, while also helping shape the recruitment process and employer brand as our client grow.

In addition, you need to be a highly competent HR professional. You’ll be responsible for creating structure without bureaucracy, ensuring we have the right policies, processes, and culture in place to support growth. From onboarding and performance frameworks to employee relations and compliance, you’ll help shape the employee experience end-to-end. They already have support in place for payroll and accounting, this role focuses on the broader talent and people strategy, as well as day to day operations.

HR and Talent Manager

Location: London

Salary: £65000-£75000

Contract: Permanent/Full Time

Responsibilities

• Lead on recruitment processes, ensuring a strong pipeline and great candidate experience
• Competently recruit across a range of roles and levels – from creative and community to technical
• Source candidates directly through LinkedIn, your own networks, and non-traditional channels
• Bring in agency support when necessary and confidently negotiate effective contracts with them
• Manage multiple roles and pipelines at once
• Maintain HR systems and employee records; own and maintain employment contracts, policies, and employee documentation
• Ensure compliance with UK employment law and regulatory requirements
• Manage onboarding and offboarding processes
• Support managers with goal setting, feedback, and performance management, design and implement performance review frameworks
• Help define progression pathways and career development structures, support learning and development initiatives
• Support managers in handling employee relations matters
• Help build and embed a strong, inclusive, high-performance culture – contribute to team engagement initiatives and internal communications
• Help shape employer branding and people strategy as we scale
• Ensure HR processes scale alongside headcount growth

About you

• You have 5+ years’ HR and recruitment experience, ideally in a start-up or high-growth environment. Experience scaling businesses from 20 to 100+ employees a bonus
• You are a confident recruiter and comfortable running a talent strategy and process
• You have a strong understanding of UK employment law and compliance
• You’re confident advising managers and senior leaders
• You’ve helped implement performance management and development frameworks
• You have excellent communication skills and know how to represent a brand with energy and clarity
• You understand what good looks like across a range of roles
• You’re pragmatic, able to balance structure with flexibility
• You’re organised, discreet, and calm under pressure
• You enjoy building systems and processes from scratch
• You’re excited by football and being part of building something from the ground up

 Lily Shippen is a leading recruitment agency, specialising in executive support and business support recruitment. We connect top talent with exceptional opportunities across the UK and internationally. Our expertise spans Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant, Office Manager, Chief of Staff, and HR recruitment, offering tailored solutions for businesses across various industries.

We recruit for permanent, temporary, and fixed-term contract roles across London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Cheshire, and beyond. Whether you’re seeking a new opportunity or looking to hire top talent, we’re here to help. If you’re an experienced Executive Assistant looking for a new challenge in a strategic role, we would love to hear from you.