Recruitment & People Operations Manager

Ready to shape how people experience Virgin from the moment they discover us through to the moments that matter most? This is a unique opportunity to lead across both Recruitment and People Operations – creating brilliant, human-first moments while making smart use of tech, AI and automation. You’ll bring clarity, creativity and a bit of magic to how we hire, support and grow our people every day.

Our Virgin Family

Join the Virgin Group – a diverse collective driving change, enhancing customer experience, and having a blast. We're daring, disrupting industries from finance to space, united as part of the Virgin Family.

Virgin Red and Virgin Management are the dynamic core of the Virgin brand. We reward our loyal customers with Virgin Points through an extensive partner network, nurture the Virgin brand globally across diverse industries like travel, health, and space, and champion customer-centric innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. Together, we unlock unique experiences, foster deep customer connections, and drive our purpose forward.

We’re a huge brand, but not a huge team, which means we take a hands-on approach while thinking strategically. Everyone rolls up their sleeves to get things done, making it an exciting and collaborative place to work.

Tell me more

• Lead and develop a small, high-impact team across hiring and people operations
• Reimagine People Operations processes into simple, seamless and genuinely enjoyable experiences
• Shape and evolve our Talent Acquisition approach – blending human moments with smart, tech-enabled experiences
• Deliver standout, candidate-first hiring journeys, including senior leadership hiring the Virgin way
• Use data, insight and experimentation (including AI tools) to continually improve how we work
• Partner with leaders across the business to coach and elevate the people experiences they create
• Collaborate across the wider Virgin network, sharing ideas and driving innovation together

What you'll need

• Strong experience in Recruitment, People Operations, or both – with curiosity or exposure across the full people lifecycle
• A love of doing things differently – always looking to improve, simplify and challenge the status quo
• Experience leading, coaching and developing others in a high-autonomy environment
• Great stakeholder skills – you can influence, engage and bring people with you
• Comfort switching between strategy and hands-on delivery
• Resilience and tenacity – you keep momentum and energy high, even when things get complex

We’d love to see breadth across both recruitment and people operations. But if you’re deeper in one area and excited to grow in the other, we’re absolutely open.

The extra details

Role type: Parental leave cover (July 2026 – approx. June 2027)
Location: London hub & your home space
Salary: £80-90k plus bonus - We're putting our salaries out there for everyone to see - no smoke and mirrors, just honest numbers. We'll offer a salary that matches your skills, always aiming for room to grow.
Working hours: Full time - We embrace flexible working. Let us know what hours empower you to be at your best both professionally and personally, we’ll try to find a perfect match for you and us.
Benefits: Buckle up for an adventure with Virgin! Our benefits package isn't just a list - it's your ticket to an extraordinary career and life. Imagine unlimited leave for your globe-trotting dreams, a "Screw it, let's do it pot" to enjoy being you, and a learning budget to fuel your curiosity. We've got your back with top-notch health care, family support that goes the extra mile, and a pension plan to keep your future bright. From electric vehicles to flexible volunteering, we're not just offering a job - we're inviting you to join a community that celebrates your whole self.
Closing date: 29 April 2026

Some of the attributes that define a Virgin person just can’t be quantified in words. We pride ourselves on welcoming people from all walks of life, with all sorts of skill sets. Most recently, we successfully campaigned to add ‘Dyslexic Thinking’ as a skill on LinkedIn. We truly value passion for Purpose and Sustainability, welcoming creative thinkers and innovators. Any uniqueness is a strength and will be considered an asset to our workforce. If there is something you would like us to consider, to tailor the hiring process to the way you work best, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

Ready to turn your career into the ultimate adventure? Virgin's got the map, the compass, and the crew. Your great adventure awaits!