Head of Staffing (Maternity cover only)

Role Title Head of Staffing (Maternity cover only)

Location Hybrid or Remote with travel to event sites when required

Job Family Operations/Staffing

Salary/ rate £42,000 – £46,000 DOE

Reports to Role Title Operations Director

Contract Fixed term contract 5th January 2026 – 8th January 2027 40 hours per week

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR

We are seeking an experienced, people-driven Head of Staffing to lead Peppermint’s staffing function across all Greenfield events, venues, and seasonal operations.
You will own the end-to-end staffing processes — building an in-house staffing department, managing a large casual workforce, coordinating self-employed contractors, and maintaining strong relationships with external staffing agencies.
This is a leadership role for someone who can balance workforce planning with operational precision, ensuring Peppermint’s workforce is engaged, compliant, and ready to deliver excellence at every event.

You are an inspiring, pragmatic leader who thrives in fast-paced, people-centred environments. You understand that a motivated and well-organised workforce is the foundation of great event delivery.
You’re equally comfortable developing training processes and overseeing commercial relationships with agency partners as you are solving immediate onsite staffing challenges. You’re commercially astute, calm under pressure, and passionate about creating an inclusive, high-performing team culture.

You’ll bring:
• Proven experience managing medium – large casual and contractor workforces.
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills.
• Workforce planning ability combined with hands-on operational understanding.
• A strong sense of ownership, accountability, and fairness.
• A genuine passion for the events and hospitality industry

WHO WE ARE

Peppermint is a multi-award-winning events and hospitality business, founded in 2003 by Alex Brooke and Adam Hempenstall. We’re passionate about delivering first-class bars and drinks-led solutions to the UK’s biggest and best events and venues.
With over 20 years’ operational experience, Peppermint now services 50+ major events and venues annually, partnering with industry leaders such as AEG, IMG, Live Nation, and Cuffe and Taylor.

Our portfolio includes iconic events like BST Hyde Park, Camp Bestival, Mighty Hoopla, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, All Points East, and Rewind Festival, among many others.
Following our recent partnership with Levy UK, we also deliver premium F&B experiences for leading venues, including The O2, Wembley Arena, Dreamland (Margate), The Piece Hall (Halifax) and the Johan Cruyff Arena (Amsterdam). We proudly operate Between The Bridges on London’s Southbank and recently launched Riverside East in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Our success is built on passion, innovation, teamwork, and sustainability — and as we continue to grow, we’re looking for an HR professional who shares these values.

CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Department Development
• Lead the development and implementation of an in-house staffing department to manage Peppermint’s casual and event workforce, including self-employed contractors.
• Recruit, structure, and develop the internal staffing team to ensure scalability and operational excellence.
• Establish efficient systems, processes, and workflows for scheduling, onboarding, rostering, and deployment.
• Define performance and service standards that meet commercial, operational, and compliance goals.
• Collaborate with Operations and Finance teams to ensure real-time staffing visibility, workforce forecasting, and accurate cost control across events and venues.

Workforce & Contractor Management
• Oversee the recruitment, onboarding, deployment, and welfare of all casual staff and self-employed contractors.
• Ensure that all workers — whether PAYE, agency, or self-employed — are engaged in compliance with employment law, Right to Work, and company policies.
• Maintain accurate and transparent records of worker classifications, pay rates, contracts, and tax documentation.
• Build and sustain strong relationships with the casual workforce community, fostering loyalty and repeat engagement.
• Oversee agency and contractor timesheets, invoices, and reconciliation of costs post-event.

Agency & Partner Management
• Manage relationships with third-party staffing agencies, ensuring alignment with Peppermint’s service standards and compliance requirements.
• Lead the agency procurement and tender process, assessing capability, negotiating terms, and benchmarking costs and quality.
• Review agency performance, usage, and spend regularly to ensure value for money and consistent workforce delivery.
• Conduct site visits and audits with agency partners to ensure operational excellence and consistency.

Inclusive Staffing & Compliance
• Promote inclusive staffing practices and ensure fair, equitable access to roles for all workers — internal, agency, or contractor.
• Oversee Right to Work checks, Yoti verification, and compliance processes for all staff types.
• Manage H&S and compliance protocols, ensuring all workers complete mandatory training (Mapal, H&S, site inductions, etc.).
• Handle staff issues, welfare concerns, and incidents professionally, supporting positive and fair outcomes.
• Ensure all staffing practices adhere to GDPR, HMRC, and relevant employment legislation.

Operational Oversight
• Lead workforce planning, scheduling, and deployment across all events, ensuring optimal staffing levels and cost efficiency.
• Approve staffing expenses, invoices, and payroll reconciliations in collaboration with Finance.
• Support event teams and executives with operational logistics such as food, wristbands, accommodation, and accreditation.
• Provide venue and event oversight to guarantee consistent staffing standards and readiness.
• Conduct debriefs and post-event evaluations to identify areas for improvement and innovation.

Team Leadership & Performance
• Line manage the staffing team, setting clear objectives and conducting PDRs, appraisals, and performance reviews.
• Represent the staffing function at Head of Department level, contributing to wider business strategy and operational planning.
• Develop team structures and proposals to support business growth.
• Foster a positive, collaborative culture within the staffing department, promoting engagement, wellbeing, and development.

KNOWLEDGE/ EXPERIENCE/SKILLS

Essential:

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in event staffing, workforce management, or large-scale operations leadership.
• Proven experience managing both casual workforces and self-employed contractors.
• Strong understanding of agency management, recruitment, onboarding, and workforce compliance.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to optimise staffing systems and processes for scalability and efficiency.
• Strong commercial and analytical acumen with budget management experience.

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Management, or Event Operations (or equivalent experience).
• Experience implementing workforce management or staffing technology.

TECHNICAL/ BEHAVIOURAL/ PERSONAL COMPETENCIES

Technical:
• Strong proficiency in workforce planning and scheduling tools.
• Understanding of employment legislation, HMRC rules, and contractor compliance.
• Skilled in data analysis, budgeting, and financial reporting.
• Excellent command of Excel, PowerPoint, and data visualisation tools.

Behavioural:
• Leadership: Inspires and motivates teams to perform at their best.
• Accountability: Takes ownership of decisions and drives results.
• Collaboration: Builds strong cross-departmental relationships.
• Resilience: Remains calm, proactive, and composed under pressure.
• Innovation: Continuously looks for ways to improve processes and systems.
• Integrity: Acts ethically and ensures fairness in all workforce matters.

Personal:
• Highly organised and detail-oriented.
• Adaptable, with the ability to pivot quickly to meet changing business needs.
• Approachable and empathetic, with strong people-management instincts.
• Confident communicator and skilled negotiator.
• Passionate about events, people, and operational excellence.

VALUES REQUIRED

Passion – We approach everything we do with enthusiasm and energy. We have fun while delivering excellence.

Agility – We embrace change and new ideas, remaining flexible and innovative.

Teamwork – We work together to achieve our goals, supporting each other and our customers.

Customer Focus & Excellence – We go the extra mile to make a difference for our clients, partners, and teams.

WHY JOIN US ?

– At Peppermint, you’ll be part of a company that’s redefining what great event experiences look like — for guests and for our people.
– We offer a fast-paced, collaborative, and supportive environment where every day brings new challenges and opportunities. You’ll work alongside passionate industry experts and have the freedom to shape and grow a critical part of our business.
Joining us means:
– Playing a key leadership role in some of the UK and Europe’s most exciting live events and venues.
– Leading and developing a diverse workforce that’s central to our success.
– Being part of a values-driven business that genuinely cares about its people.
– Having the opportunity to innovate, influence, and leave your mark on a growing organisation.
– Working flexibly, travelling to incredible event locations, and enjoying a company culture built on teamwork, creativity, and respect.

COMPANY BENEFITS

• Company sick pay (10 days)
• 20 days holiday plus bank holidays and gifted birthday day off
• Paid overtime (1st May > 1st September)
• Medicash- dental care, optical treatments, physiotherapy etc
• Employee assistance programme- counselling and support
• Discounts on shopping, travel, entertainment and dining
• Hybrid and remote working options
• Quarterly team socials
• Apprenticeship programmes available
• Festival and sport event tickets/drink tokens

T&C’S APPLY

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