Head of Reward & People Operations

At OQC, we aren’t just theorising about the future; we’re building it. Born from a philosophy of bold innovation, we’ve successfully transitioned quantum computing from an academic dream into a commercial reality. The most exciting thing is that we’re just getting started and we’ve recently closed our £260 million Series C funding round – the largest fundraise ever completed by a quantum computing company in Europe. The Purpose As our Head of Reward & People Operations, you'll shape the people infrastructure that enables OQC’s next phase of international growth. Combining strategic leadership with hands-on delivery, you'll build scalable reward programmes, optimise people systems, and lead operational excellence to ensure our employee experience evolves alongside our rapidly growing business. The Role You'll lead the Reward & People Operations function, creating the frameworks, systems and governance that support a fast-growing, international technology company. Working closely with the senior leaders, you'll own everything from executive reward and equity administration to HR systems, international expansion and operational excellence, while developing a high-performing People Operations team. What You'll Be Working On Lead the Reward & People Operations strategy, delivering scalable processes, reward frameworks and people systems that support OQC's continued growth. Design, implement and oversee employee equity and executive reward programmes, ensuring strong governance, compliance and an outstanding employee experience. Drive the implementation, optimisation and ongoing development of our HR Information System (ideally HiBob), using technology and automation to create efficient, data-driven people operations. Establish operational people infrastructure for international expansion, including employment, payroll, benefits and compliance across new markets. Build robust governance, reporting and operational controls across people data, reward, HR systems and People Operations. Partner with Finance, Legal, Payroll, IT and senior leaders to deliver commercially focused people solutions and lead key operational projects. Develop, coach and lead the People Operations team, fostering high performance, continuous improvement and operational excellence. What We're Looking For Significant experience leading or developing a Reward and/or People Operations function within a fast-paced, high-growth organisation. Proven experience designing and administering employee equity plans and managing executive reward processes. Experience leading HRIS implementation and optimisation, ideally using HiBob. Strong knowledge of international People Operations, including establishing employment infrastructure across multiple countries. Experience improving operational efficiency through systems implementation, automation and process redesign. Strong leadership experience with a track record of coaching and developing People Operations professionals. Expertise in reward strategy, executive compensation, governance, compliance and operational risk management. Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior leaders and work cross-functionally. Strong analytical skills, with experience using people data and reporting to support business decisions. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Significant practical experience in Reward & People Operations or equivalent professional expertise. The 'Nice-to-Haves' Experience implementing HiBob. Experience establishing operations in Spain. Experience supporting employment operations in Japan and/or the United States. Experience managing global equity programmes across multiple jurisdictions. Experience working within international scale-up organisations. Experience in a complex technology, engineering or scientific environment. CIPD qualification (or equivalent). Degree or equivalent practical experience. Why Join OQC You will join a world-class team at the forefront of the next computational era. We offer a culture of bold innovation, the chance to work with unique lab infrastructure, and the opportunity to see your work redefine the limits of computation. Learn more about our benefits and positive work culture here: https://oqc.tech/company/careers-at-oqc/