Knight Frank
Interim UK People Transformation Lead - 12-month FTC (Family Leave Cover)
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Who Are We
Founded in 1896, Knight Frank was registered as Knight Frank LLP, a Limited Liability Partnership, on 3 November 2003, registered in England & Wales at 55 Baker Street, London, W1U 8AN with the registered number of OC305934. Headquartered in London, UK, Knight Frank is one of the world's leading independent real estate consultancies. We work responsibly in partnership to enhance people's lives and environments in over 50 Markets, 600+ Offices, 20,000+ People, 1 Global Network.
At the heart of all we do are our Clients. A relationship built on trust is vital. As trusted partners in property, we act with integrity and care, understanding our clients’ unique needs and consistently thinking about the bigger picture to provide personalised, clear and considered advice across all areas of property. Through our deep understanding of key markets and sectors – both emerging and established – we are dedicated to meeting and exceeding their property goals.
A true partnership is a balanced one, and our People are passionate about, and committed to, making our business inclusive and diverse. We give every individual the space and opportunity to perform at their best and be recognised for the immense value they bring. We empower everyone to have autonomy in their role and encourage them to use their voice in how we can make a positive impact as a firm and shape the future of real estate, the built environment and the impact on the communities we serve. Our collaborative and engaged teams provide excellent and dedicated client service. In our workplace, opinions are respected, everyone is invited to contribute to the success of our business and innovation, and new ideas are celebrated.
In 2021 we celebrated our 125th anniversary and set out Our Desired Future, cemented in three pillars: People Potential, Client Centricity and always Creating our Future, together. Learn more about what sets us apart here.
About The Role
Knight Frank is seeking an experienced UK People Transformation Lead to join our People team on a 12-month fixed-term contract (Family Leave Cover - Fixed Term Secondment).
Reporting to the Head of Platform, Reward & Transformation, this role is a key member of the People leadership team and will play a pivotal role in shaping how our People function operates. You will lead the design, optimisation and governance of People processes, driving operational excellence, cultural change and digital transformation across the business.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
This is an exciting opportunity to influence strategic change, enhance the employee experience and ensure our People processes remain scalable, efficient and future-focused through the effective use of technology, automation and continuous improvement methodologies.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Define and execute a business process optimisation strategy aligned to organisational goals.
- Champion a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
- Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders on People initiatives.
- Drive cultural change and foster innovation across People functions.
Process Design & Improvement
- Oversee the analysis of existing processes to identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement.
- Redesign People processes and technologies to align with business strategy and enhance the employee experience.
- Design and implement sustainable, lean and scalable processes.
- Lead process re-engineering initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma or similar methodologies.
- Implement automation and digital solutions to streamline workflows.
- Establish performance metrics and governance frameworks to monitor outcomes.
- Ensure seamless, compliant end-to-end People processes within Workday and beyond.
- Develop and maintain process governance frameworks and standards.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Collaborate closely with People Analytics and Product teams (the Build Team), alongside People Operations and the wider Run Team, including Employee Relations, Benefits and Reward, to prioritise optimisation initiatives.
- Build strong relationships across the organisation to support change readiness and adoption.
- Define clear process ownership and communication across People, Technology and Finance teams.
- Communicate process changes effectively to maximise adoption and minimise disruption.
Performance Measurement
- Define KPIs and metrics to measure process efficiency and effectiveness.
- Report on the progress and impact of optimisation initiatives to executive leadership.
- Ensure People practices remain aligned to organisational goals and objectives.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Change Management
- Lead knowledge sharing and maintain documentation relating to change, communications and training.
- Assess change impacts and support the successful embedding of optimised processes alongside Talent & Culture colleagues.
About You
Experience & Expertise
- Experienced Programme Manager with a strong background in process improvement and leading multidisciplinary project teams, leveraging both internal and external capabilities.
- Proven experience developing governance structures, including risk management and decision-making frameworks.
- Deep understanding of HRIS platforms, including Workday, SAP and ServiceNow, alongside HR processes and HR service delivery.
- A genuine interest in automation and the use of data and technology to drive optimisation and business value.
Skills & Attributes
- Strong communicator with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels, tailoring messages for both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Data-confident and analytical, with excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to simplify complexity.
- Proactive, highly organised and methodical, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
- Confident in prioritisation and balancing risk, impact and value while operating in an evolving and sometimes ambiguous environment.
- Passionate about collaboration, continuous improvement and delivering an excellent stakeholder experience.
- Comfortable making data-informed decisions and measuring the impact of change.
Why Join Knight Frank?
This is an opportunity to play a key role in transforming the People function within one of the world's leading property consultancies. You will work with senior stakeholders, influence strategic change and help shape a more efficient, data-driven and employee-focused future.
Competitive salary
Please note: this is a Direct Search led by Knight Frank. Applications from recruitment agencies will not be accepted nor will fees be paid for unsolicited CVs, even if provided by PSL agencies.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills
Location