About the Role
As CMAC Group continues to grow internationally, we are creating a new People Operations Manager role to lead the delivery of People services in Spain. Based in Barcelona and reporting to the Director of People, this role is the senior People representative for our Barcelona office and airport-based workforce, working closely with the wider international People Team. This is a hands-on operational role responsible for delivering high-quality People services across the full employee lifecycle. You will work closely with business leaders, Group People colleagues and external partners to ensure People strategies, policies and processes are effectively implemented in Spain, balancing local requirements with a consistent Group approach. As the subject matter expert for Spanish employment law, collective bargaining agreements and payroll, you will provide practical, commercially focused advice and guidance while ensuring compliance with local legislation and Group governance standards. Partnering with the local leadership team, you will support operational performance through effective workforce planning, employee relations, engagement, compliance and payroll oversight. You will lead local People delivery while collaborating with colleagues across the Group to ensure best practice, drive consistency and support wider People initiatives. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced People professional who enjoys being close to the business, thrives in a fast paced environment and wants to play a key role in building a modern, high-performing People function that combines strong local expertise with a connected international approach. What Success Looks Like
• Timely, practical and commercially focused People support delivered to managers and employees across CMAC Spain.
• Group People policies, processes and initiatives successfully embedded, creating consistency while meeting local business needs.
• Full compliance with Spanish employment legislation, Collective Bargaining Agreements and Group standards, with risks identified and managed proactively.
• Employee relations matters resolved fairly, consistently and in line with legal and business requirements.
• Accurate payroll and People administration delivered on time, every time.
• Trusted partnership with leaders, providing pragmatic advice that supports business performance and informed decision making.
• Strong collaboration with colleagues across the Group People function, ensuring alignment, consistency and the sharing of best practice.
• Confident and capable managers equipped to manage people matters effectively and in line with company expectations.
• A positive employee experience that drives engagement, wellbeing, retention and performance.
• Clear insight into People metrics, trends and risks, enabling effective planning, oversight and decision making.
• A high performing local People operation that supports CMAC's growth while remaining aligned with wider Group objectives. Core Responsibilities HR Operations & People Leadership
• Act as the senior People lead in Spain, providing hands-on support, guidance and leadership across the employee lifecycle.
• Deliver Group People strategies, priorities, policies and processes locally, ensuring they are effectively embedded while remaining compliant with Spanish employment legislation and applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements.
• Partner with local leaders to implement Group People initiatives, driving operational performance while maintaining alignment with Group standards, governance and ways of working.
• Lead the delivery of day-to-day People services for CMAC Spain, ensuring a responsive, high quality and consistent experience for managers and employees.
• Build manager capability through coaching, guidance and support, enabling effective and compliant people management.
• Maintain accurate employee records, documentation and people data, ensuring integrity across Group systems and reporting.
• Work collaboratively with Group People, Finance, Talent Acquisition, Payroll and external partners to deliver an integrated People service and achieve shared business objectives. Employee Relations, Employment Law & Collective Bargaining
• Manage complex employee relations matters including disciplinary, grievance, absence, capability, performance and conduct issues, leading investigations and formal processes.
• Advise managers on Spanish employment legislation, Collective Bargaining Agreements, consultation requirements and best practice.
• Lead employment processes in line with Spanish legal requirements, seeking specialist legal advice where appropriate.
• Provide objective,



commercially focused advice and constructive challenge where decisions may create legal, employee or reputational risk.
• Maintain accurate records of employee relations cases, outcomes, trends and associated risks in accordance with data protection requirements.
• Escalate significant employee relations, legal or reputational risks in line with Group governance requirements.
• Track changes in employment legislation and collective agreements to keep the business compliant. Payroll, Reward & HR Administration
• Oversee payroll delivery for Spain, ensuring accurate, timely and compliant processing in line with statutory, contractual and business requirements.
• Act as the local subject matter expert for Spanish payroll, partnering with Group People, Finance and external providers to ensure effective payroll governance and service delivery.
• Coordinate, validate and submit payroll data, including salary changes, overtime, allowances, benefits, absences and joiner/leaver activity.
• Review payroll outputs, investigate discrepancies and ensure appropriate controls, approvals and audit requirements are maintained.
• Support payroll reconciliations, audits, statutory reporting, contractual documentation and payroll-related data quality initiatives.
• Lead and support payroll process improvements and ongoing vendor relationship management.
• Maintain accurate employee records, HR system data, contracts and statutory documentation, ensuring compliance with legal and Group requirements.
• Support the delivery of Group reward, benefits and annual salary review processes, ensuring local implementation aligns with approved frameworks, CBAs and governance.
• Provide data insights to support business decision making and Group reporting requirements. Leadership, Talent & Workforce Planning
• Coach and support managers in employee relations, attendance management, performance improvement and effective people management practices.
• Partner with Group Talent Acquisition to support local recruitment, selection, onboarding and workforce planning activities.
• Support the implementation of Group performance, development, succession and reward frameworks across CMAC Spain.
• Provide workforce insights to support operational planning, organisational effectiveness and future capability requirements. Culture, Engagement & Compliance
• Champion and embed CMAC Group values, inclusive working practices and employee engagement initiatives across the business.
• Maintain local compliance covering employment, working time, equality, collective agreements and data protection obligations.
• Monitor statutory requirements, employee consultation obligations and Equality Plan commitments, working with external advisers where appropriate.
• Produce accurate and timely People metrics, reports and risk updates to support Group governance and decision making.
• Identify compliance gaps and coordinate appropriate corrective actions with business leaders and Group stakeholders. Group People Governance & Accountability
• Actively contribute to Group People meetings, case management, projects, reporting requirements and shared service initiatives.
• Implement approved Group People strategies, policies and frameworks, recommending local adaptations where legal requirements necessitate change.
• Take ownership of local operational delivery, escalating matters in line with agreed authority levels and Group governance requirements.
• Maintain professional independence, protecting confidentiality and providing balanced, objective advice to business leaders.
• Ensure material People risks, trends and decisions are visible to Group People through effective reporting and communication.
• Contribute local expertise, insights and continuous improvement ideas to support the ongoing development of Group People practices, systems and processes. About You You are an experienced People professional with strong expertise in Spanish employment law, employee relations, payroll and operational HR. You enjoy working close to the business, providing practical, commercially focused advice and delivering high-quality People support across the full employee lifecycle. You thrive in collaborative environments and recognise the value of working as part of a wider international People function. You build strong relationships across teams,



share knowledge openly and work in partnership with colleagues to deliver consistent, people-centred solutions that support both local and Group priorities. You are confident establishing and embedding effective People practices, bringing structure, consistency and discipline while continually looking for opportunities to improve the employee and manager experience. You are comfortable balancing Group objectives with local operational delivery and enjoy turning plans into practical outcomes. You build credibility quickly and are trusted by managers and employees alike. You communicate clearly, influence effectively and are comfortable coaching and constructively challenging leaders to make sound people decisions that support business performance and minimise risk. Resilient, pragmatic and solutions focused, you remain calm when dealing with complex employee relations matters, organisational change and competing priorities. You combine strong technical knowledge with sound judgement and a hands-on approach, taking ownership and delivering measurable results through collaboration, professionalism and continuous improvement. Your Expertise
• Fluent Spanish and English language skills, both written and verbal.
• Significant HR leadership experience in Spain, ideally within a growing SME or international organisation, with experience establishing robust People practices to support business growth.
• Strong knowledge of Spanish employment law, employment regulations and HR best practice.
• Extensive experience interpreting and applying Convenios Colectivos and advising on associated people matters.
• Proven experience driving high standards of service, performance and accountability across People operations.
• Demonstrable success managing complex employee relations matters and supporting managers through sensitive and high risk cases.
• Hands on payroll experience, including oversight of end-to-end payroll processes and management of external payroll providers.
• Track record of implementing and improving People processes, controls and governance to ensure compliance, consistency and operational excellence.
• Experience coaching, influencing and constructively challenging leaders to support effective decision making and minimise risk.
• Ability to balance Group priorities with local market requirements, embedding policies, frameworks and ways of working effectively.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across all levels of the organisation.
• Commercially aware, pragmatic and solutions focused, with the confidence to make decisions and drive outcomes.
• Able to work autonomously while collaborating effectively with an international People team to deliver consistent standards and outcomes.
• Experience supporting operational, customer-facing, multi-site or 24/7 workforces is desirable. About CMAC Group We’re on a mission to keep the world moving
- wherever, whenever people need it. We believe disruption shouldn’t stop people in their tracks. From delayed flights to complex transport challenges, we make the complicated simple
- getting people where they need to be safely and seamlessly. Since 2007, we’ve built a technology-led platform connecting clients to a trusted integral network, moving over 5 million passengers every year across the UK, Europe and beyond We partner with airlines, rail providers, major corporations and emergency services, delivering 24/7 solutions through our family of brands when it matters most, with the scale and flexibility to handle even the most time critical journeys. We’re not just moving people
- we’re solving real world problems, creating calm in disruption and delivering exceptional service when it matters most. CMAC Group actively promotes equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). EDI is extremely important to us and we work hard to ensure that everyone connected with CMAC
- whether employees, customers, Board Members, suppliers, or partners
- has genuine and equal opportunities to participate in our organisation. We welcome and support people of all backgrounds and identities, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Our aim is to create an environment where everyone’s rights, dignity, and individuality are respected. We value the unique contribution each person brings to our team and business, and we are committed to building an environment where everyone feels included and able to thrive. CMAC Group is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates and are committed to ensuring fair, accessible, and equitable treatment for all applicants and employees.

📌 People Operations Manager (Barcelona)
🏢 CMAC Group
📍 Barcelona