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

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Generous annual Bonus scheme

30% base with stretch based on business performance

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Equity Programme

opportunity to invest into the business, starting within first 12 months (dependant on equity cycle).

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Enhanced Holiday allowance

Enjoy 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays & birthday (34 total)

• Enhanced Employer Pension Contributions

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Private Healthcare

Enhanced benefit from private health insurance provider Vitality for you plus spouse & dependants

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Family Support

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave for growing families

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Enhanced Sickness Benefit

Two weeks full pay, 12 month rolling

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EV Salary Sacrifice Scheme

available after 3 months of service

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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!