Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Location: Hybrid, mainly remote, with time across our Milton Keynes and Kettering offices

Reports to: Group CEO

Help Lead Tugela People's Next Chapter

Tugela People is a leading HR and Payroll systems consulting and services business, with extensive international HR experience and in-depth technology expertise. We help multi-national, mid-sized businesses select, implement and integrate people-centric cloud-based solutions globally, alongside ongoing and outsourced support on these platforms, operating remotely and from our offices in Milton Keynes and Kettering. Tugela People is proud to be part of the Impact HR Group.

Our vision is to empower businesses to thrive through exceptional HR solutions. Our mission is to be the worldwide go-to partner for people-centric, cloud-based HR, Payroll and System Optimisation solutions, helping businesses to effectively engage and manage their workforce.

We've built strong foundations: a talented team, loyal clients, and a growing reputation for quality. Now we're looking for an ambitious, commercially minded Chief Operating Officer to build on that platform and take Tugela People into its most exciting phase yet.

This is a newly created role at the heart of the business. You'll be the Group CEO's right hand, the driving force behind day-to-day performance, and the person who turns big ambitions into real, measurable growth.

Why this Role Matters

Tugela People has real momentum, and this role exists to accelerate it. Our strategy is built around three core themes: Growth, expanding our market presence and deepening client relationships; Capability, investing in technology, innovation and a high-performing team; and Financial Performance, strengthening profitability and delivering sustainable value. As COO, you'll be the person who turns that strategy into reality.

You'll be the connective tissue between strategy and execution, translating the Group's ambitions into practical plans, and making sure the business runs smoothly, commercially, and consistently, day in, day out. It's a rare chance to genuinely shape where Tugela People goes next.

What You'll Be Doing

Business Leadership & Day-to-Day Operations

• Take full operational ownership of Tugela People, ensuring the business runs efficiently, commercially, and to a high standard day-to-day.

• Act as deputy and trusted partner to the Group CEO, deputising with authority when required.

• Oversee delivery, finance, resourcing, and client operations, including the Professional Services and Managed Services function led by the Head of Services, to ensure the business meets its commercial and service targets.

• Own the operating rhythm of the business: leadership meetings, reporting cadence, budgeting, and performance reviews.

Growth, Brand & New Services

• Help develop and deliver against a growth budget, turning ambition into a clear commercial plan with real results.

• Champion the Tugela People brand and reputation, both within the Group and across our markets.

• Lead the launch of exciting new services, including system selection, expanding what we offer clients.

• Identify, negotiate and bring on new partners, including HRIS and Payroll software providers, to strengthen our proposition and open up new opportunities.

People Leadership & Performance

• Lead, coach, and develop the Tugela People leadership team, ensuring clear accountability and strong performance.

• Build and protect a positive, high-trust culture that reflects Tugela People's values and identity.

• Promote a high-performance culture, recognising and rewarding great work.

• Ensure underperformance is identified early and addressed fairly and effectively.

• Lead on succession planning, capability building, and people development across the business.

Strategic Partnership with the Group CEO

• Translate Group strategy into a clear, practical operating plan for Tugela People, with measurable outcomes.

• Provide the Group CEO with honest, well-informed counsel on the health and direction of the business.

• Represent Tugela People's interests within the wider Impact HR Group, and work closely with, and support, other businesses across the Group.

Client Impact & Commercial Performance

• Oversee client experience and service quality, ensuring standards remain consistently high.

• Monitor commercial performance, including revenue, margin, and retention, and take action to keep the business on track.

• Identify opportunities to improve delivery, grow the client base, and enhance profitability.

Governance, Risk & Partner Relationships

• Lead on governance across the business, including ownership of ISO 27001 compliance and continuous improvement.

• Build a position of influence with our core partners, shaping how we work together to maximise value on both sides.

• Ensure the business operates within employment law, data protection, and relevant regulatory requirements.

• Maintain sound risk management and quality assurance across all areas of the business.

Future of the Organisation, Systems & Delivery

• Shape the future organisational design of Tugela People, ensuring our structure and capability keep pace with growth.

• Drive continuous improvement of our systems and processes, building a scalable, efficient operating model.

• Set and maintain clear delivery standards across all functions, ensuring consistent, high-quality outcomes for clients.

• Champion the adoption of AI and emerging technology, both in how we serve clients and how we run the business internally.

What Success Looks Like (First 12 Months)

• Tugela People is running smoothly and predictably, with clear day-to-day ownership in place.

• New services, including system selection, are live and gaining traction, backed by new partner relationships.

• The Tugela People brand and reputation are stronger and more visible in the market.

• The leadership team is engaged, accountable, and delivering consistently against plan.

• Commercial performance is on or ahead of the growth budget.

• ISO 27001 governance is embedded, and we hold a genuine position of influence with our core partners.

• A clear future organisational design is in place, with systems, processes, and delivery standards upgraded and AI adoption underway.

About You

You're an ambitious, commercially astute operator who loves building on strong foundations rather than starting from scratch. You're comfortable being the person who makes things happen: hands-on where needed, strategic where it counts, and always a step ahead.

Our values shape how we work, and they spell out our name: Trust, Understanding, Gratitude, Equality, Laughter and Agility. As COO, you'll be a visible champion of these values across the business.

You'll likely bring:

• Senior operational leadership experience, ideally within a professional services, HR consultancy, or similarly people-led business.

• An ability to interact with shareholders operating in an agile, unbureaucratic and fast-paced private company

• A strong track record of running a business day-to-day and delivering commercial growth.

• Experience launching new services or propositions, and building strategic partnerships.

• Proven ability to lead, develop, and get the best out of a leadership team, including managing performance.

• Experience operating as a trusted deputy or right hand to a CEO or MD.

• A solid grasp of governance and risk frameworks, ideally including ISO 27001.

• Excellent judgement, communication skills, and the ability to build trust quickly.

• A strong people leader, known for building trust and getting the best out of teams.

• Relevant sector experience within HR, Payroll, or HR technology/HRIS consulting.

• A values-led approach, balanced with a clear commercial outlook.

What We Offer

• Basic salary of £80,000.

• Performance-related bonus of up to 20% of salary: 10% linked to personal objectives, and 10% linked to overall company performance.

• Hybrid working, with regular time across our Milton Keynes and Kettering offices.

• A high-trust, collaborative leadership team, backed by the wider Impact HR Group.

• Ongoing professional development opportunities.

• A genuine opportunity to shape the next chapter of a growing, values-driven business.

Ready to Lead With Us?

If you're excited by the opportunity to build on strong foundations, launch new services, and help write the next chapter of a growing business, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and help lead Tugela People's next chapter.