People Partner

People Partner. London. Hybrid. UK. ££Competitive

AKT (pronounced “act”) is The Personal Performance Company with multi award-winning body care that may change your life. Founded by West End stars Ed Currie and Andy Coxon, AKT is by and for those who are “Born to Perform” — on the stage, at work, or in life.

In 2020, The Deodorant Balm made its stunning debut to rave reviews and awards from Vogue, GQ, Esquire, and Harper’s BAZAAR. Plastic-free, aluminium-free, and gender-free, The Deodorant Balm instantly resonated with those looking for a natural deodorant that genuinely worked. Five fragrances and over 700,000 happy armpits later, The Deodorant Balm is already becoming a household name.

To this day, every new AKT product is put through its paces by London’s hard-working theatre community to ensure it lives up to the high standards of its founders. As a rule, AKT’s products don’t break character — ever. It’s this effectiveness that has propelled AKT from the backstage to bathroom cabinets, bedside tables, duffel bags, and carry-on luggage worldwide. And the good news is — the performance is just getting started.

Here’s the script for the part you’ll play: the key lines you’ll deliver, the ensemble members you’ll collaborate with, and the backstage perks that come with it.

The Part:

As People Partner, you’ll take centre stage in supporting AKT’s most important performers — our people. Reporting into the Head of People, you’ll deliver proactive, high-quality support across the employee lifecycle, ensuring compliance with policy and employment law while enhancing the overall employee experience. You’ll build trusted relationships, drive process improvements, and support people initiatives that make AKT an inspiring place to perform. You will have a specific focus or experience within Talent Acquisition, and working alongside the Talent Manager, you will be responsible for delivering our acquisition strategy. With empathy, structure, and a collaborative spirit, you’ll help our ensemble shine behind the scenes and on every stage.

The Role You’ll Play:

Talent Acquisition Support: Partner with the Talent Manager to deliver an exceptional candidate experience and identify appropriately qualified candidates who reflect AKT’s culture.

Process Management & Continuous Improvement: Deliver seamless end-to-end processes for new starters and leavers (contracts, checks, system setup, inductions, and exit interviews), ensuring compliance and risk mitigation. Identify gaps and implement improvements that enhance the people experience.

Policy Development & Ensemble Support: Provide guidance on policies and procedures, escalating complex cases as needed. Contribute to updates and adaptations under senior guidance.

Data, Reporting & Compliance: Maintain accurate records and management information reporting. Ensure adherence to employment law, data protection, and audit standards.

Project & Change Support: Support people-related projects (e.g. HRIS implementation, engagement initiatives, or process improvement programmes) to drive efficiency and engagement.

Engagement & Coaching: Build trusted relationships across the ensemble, providing guidance and coaching that builds capability and supports AKT’s culture.

Requirements:
Spotlight on You:

• A solid background in HR, Talent Acquisition, or people operations, ideally within a fast-paced, creative, or consumer brand environment.
• A confident communicator with strong interpersonal skills — you build trust quickly and handle sensitive matters with discretion and empathy.
• Organised and methodical, with experience managing multiple priorities and delivering to tight deadlines.
Detail-oriented with strong administrative and data management skills, ensuring accuracy and compliance at every step.
• Curious and proactive — you don’t just follow process, you look for ways to make it better.
• Collaborative and adaptable, able to work cross-functionally with a diverse ensemble across departments and locations.
• Analytically minded, confident using data and insights to drive decisions, track performance, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• A champion of inclusion and wellbeing, passionate about creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong and can perform at their best.
• Experience with HRIS systems, reporting tools, and/or process improvement initiatives.
• CIPD qualification or working towards one.

Benefits:
Backstage Perks:

• Make a real impact on our next act by joining AKT at an exciting stage of growth, following our recent USA, Australia and New Zealand launches.
• Flexible working: work from home, at our Oxford Circus office, or in co-working spaces across the UK. We’ll reimburse you if you prefer a co-working space over working from home.
• Monthly team days in London to connect with the AKT ensemble.
• Be part of a collective of creatives where the arts underpin everything we do.
• A funny, kind, and inclusive work environment — we are banter, but we get sh*t done.
• Allowance for products to give you the confidence to step onto the stage and perform.
• Intervals encouraged: 36 days holiday, including bank holidays (Pro-rata for part-time roles)
• Pension contribution matching via salary sacrifice up to 5% of your salary.

Doors Open to All

AKT London is for everyone. We believe that an inclusive work environment and a diverse, empowered team are key to achieving our mission. Our products are gender free and built for every BODY to help give them the confidence to step onto their stage – whatever that may be – and PERFORM. Our work environment is no different.

AKT London is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, colour, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. We commit to a focused and sustained action to dismantle racist systems, policies, practices, and ideologies within ourselves and our networks. We have zero tolerance for intolerance. With our Founders belonging to a minority community, we commit to difference and diversity from the beginning, and we know what a rich and creative work environment can cultivate.