People & Talent Partner (UK)

About the opportunity 

We’re looking for a People & Talent Partner to lead the day-to-day people and talent operations for First Table in the UK.

This is a hands-on role for someone who loves making things happen, from hiring exceptional talent, to building strong onboarding experiences, to partnering with leaders to lift performance, capability, and culture. You’ll be the go-to People partner in market, helping ensure our UK team has the people practices, support, and momentum needed to grow well.   

You’ll work closely with UK leaders, particularly across commercial and sales, while also partnering with our New Zealand-based People & Capability team to bring our global people strategy to life locally. You’ll also play an important role in shaping how our employer brand and employee value proposition show up in the UK. 

About us

At First Table, our vision is simple: to be the first place diners go to book a table.

Proudly established in Queenstown, New Zealand - where our head office is based -  we've been leading the charge in the hospitality tech industry for over a decade, with operations spanning New Zealand, Australia, and the UK. Following the recent city launches in Newcastle, Leicester, Norwich, and Southampton, we are doubling down on building a strong presence and connected team across the UK.

First Table is a dining discovery platform that connects diners to restaurants through their love of food.  Through our clever tech, we help restaurants get their night off to a great start and give diners a compelling reason to try somewhere new. It’s a win-win situation. From early bird offers to last table reservations, we make discovering and booking great dining experiences fast, easy, and rewarding.

At the heart of everything we do are our values: Grow Together, Win-Win-Win, and Own It.  These guide how we show up for each other, our restaurant partners, and our diners and they’re a big part of what makes First Table a great place to work.

Learn more about our story here:
www.firsttable.co.nz/our-story

About the role

This role is a mix of talent, people operations, and business partnering. You’ll lead recruitment across the UK business, support leaders on people matters, and help embed a values-led, high-performance culture. 

What you’ll be doing

Lead end-to-end recruitment for the UK business

Deliver a strong candidate experience from sourcing through to offer and onboarding

Design and deliver onboarding experiences that set people up for success

Own the employee lifecycle in the UK, ensuring smooth and consistent people processes

Support & manage employee relations matters and help maintain compliant UK people practices

Partner with UK leaders on performance, engagement, and team effectiveness

Help embed First Table’s values and high-performance culture across the UK team

Bring global people and capability initiatives to life in market

Help shape and strengthen First Table’s employer brand and EVP in the UK 

What you’ll bring

Experience in a People Partner, HRBP, or Talent Partner role within a scaling tech or digital business

Strong experience managing end-to-end recruitment, particularly for commercial or sales teams

Comfortable owning people operations in-market with a high degree of autonomy

Experience supporting employee relations processes and people matters

Strong understanding of UK employment law and HR practices

Experience working within international or distributed teams

Comfortable collaborating across time zones and flexible when needed to stay connected with a global team (including our New Zealand HQ)

A genuine passion for helping teams perform and grow together 

Why you’ll love working with us

Play a key role in supporting the growth of our UK business and team

Work closely with leaders across the organisation while helping bring our global people strategy to life

Enjoy perks like free First Table bookings, referral incentives, team recognition, and regular opportunities to celebrate wins.

Being part of a purpose-led, award-winning brand that champions exceptional dining experiences and values creativity, collaboration and growth.

What’s next? 

Ready to help shape the people experience behind a growing hospitality tech business? Apply now.

Include your CV and a cover letter, we genuinely read them, so make it count: why First Table, and why you?

We’re reviewing and progressing applications as they come in, so don’t wait to apply.