---
title: 'Senior People Manager (Mat Cover) at AKQA'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-people-manager-mat-cover-akqa-london-t07vhpcfc512'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-09'
---

# Senior People Manager (Mat Cover) at AKQA

- **Company:** AKQA
- **Location:** London, United Kingdom
- **Posted:** 2026-11-05
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-09
- **Apply:** https://www.akqa.com/jobs/8352210/?gh_jid=8352210

## Job description

At Map Project Office (part of the AKQA Group and WPP), we design products that make life feel simpler, smarter, and more human. From everyday objects to next-gen tech, our work sits at the intersection of design and innovation. We turn bold ideas into things people love to use. But what really defines Map is our culture. We’re a curious, collaborative team who believe the best ideas come from working openly together. Whether it’s partnering with start-ups or world-leading brands, we thrive on solving tough challenges and pushing design in new directions.

As People Manager, you will help to advance a world class employee experience for Map Project Office employees – current and future. You will have an excellent knowledge of industry best practices, but also push boundaries to bring to life the employee experience vision.

The People Manager will partner with the studio leadership team and global People team to drive business performance through our people.

This is a Fixed Term Contract position for Maternity Cover for 6 months

## ROLE REQUIREMENTS

- Partner with leadership to proactively design and deliver people initiatives that support the business objectives.
- Utilise tools such as the employee engagement survey to help drive employee engagement, retention and growth of our teams.
- Partner with the global People team to identify, develop, and implement standardised processes, policies, and procedures to help drive a premium employee experience.
- Partner with the business to create a culture of strong managers and leaders who prioritise performance and career management discussions.
- Oversee  the bi- annual performance management process and collaborate with managers to ensure a thorough and effective review process.
- Build solid relationships with employees and managers to create an employee-oriented culture that emphasises quality, continuous improvement, and employee engagement.
- Analyse trends and metrics to recommend and implement gold-standard tools, practices and systems that attract, develop, and retain top talent.
- Support the Talent Acquisition team in the process of hiring full-time and contract workers and execute the full onboarding process to create a thorough candidate experience.
- Manage employee relations matters, organise and implement learning and development programs, and execute other special projects.
- Process and review monthly payroll using ADP
- Advise employees and line managers on global mobility, visas, and immigration issues. Liaise with People colleagues from other studios on secondments and seek advice from external immigration partners where necessary.
- Ensure all processes and policies are compliant with local legislation; partner with legal team where appropriate.
- Share knowledge and best practices within the People team, as well as broadly within the organisation to ensure that people practices are highly effective and valued.
- Responsible for ad hoc Finance matters including acting as audit/ bank contact, coordinating annual audit, and creating annual core services budget.
- Manage office responsibilities including leading security & safety measures, organising events, maintaining studio design and partnering with suppliers and landlord.
- Perform other job-related duties as required

## QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

- Experience in an HR management/business partnership role, supporting a creative and/or professional services business.
- Strong executive presence and communication skills.
- Ability to partner with remote teams in different markets.
- Ability to work independently, multi-task and prioritise workload with strong follow-through.
- Interest in taking the initiative to continually improve all People programs, policies, and processes.
- Ability to adapt to frequently changing schedules and priorities and experience in operating in a dynamic, fast-paced environment where change is constant and demanding, and clear structure/process may not be apparent.
- Pragmatic and outcome-oriented, leveraging data to tell a story and make recommendations.

We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

AKQA is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

## About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit [WPP.com](http://wpp.com/).

## About AKQA

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: AKQA is a creative agency that combines imagination and technology to design and build transformative products, services, and experiences for the world’s most respected brands.
- **Entity Type**: Private subsidiary (owned by WPP plc)
- **Headquarters**: Not explicitly stated on company site; widely reported as London, UK (global presence across 19 countries and 30 locations)
- **Founded**: 1995
- **Founders**: Not publicly available on company site

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Creative agency, digital agency, innovation consultancy, experience design
- **Target customers**: B2B, enterprise clients (global organisations and institutions)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “Create a better future” – the company states its primary motivation is to imagine and create what matters next, using imagination, technology, craft and speed to make a positive difference in people’s lives.

## Products & Services
AKQA operates through several specialised companies and practices:
- **Experience Design**: Designing digital products, services, and interfaces that are intuitive, beautiful, and culturally resonant.
- **Brand, Industrial Design and Architecture**: Creating brand identities, physical products, and spatial experiences.
- **App Development (ArcTouch)**: Building mobile and connected applications for clients.
- **Brand Experience and Communications (Made)**: Developing brand storytelling, campaigns, and communications strategies.

In addition, AKQA offers consulting, engineering, and innovation services as part of its core agency offering.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private subsidiary of WPP plc, a public company with a market cap of ~£9B as of mid-2025)
- **Key Metric**: Total funding not applicable (subsidiary); revenue not publicly disclosed for AKQA standalone. WPP’s Global Integrated Agencies segment (which includes AKQA) reported £12.3B in revenue for 2024.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Parent company WPP plc; long-term clients include many of the world’s most prestigious organisations (specific names not listed on site).
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - 83 Agency of the Year awards
  - 616 Cannes Lions won in the last decade, including multiple Grand Prix awards (Innovation 2025, Glass 2024, Digital Craft 2023, Design 2021)
  - Ranked 9th Most Loved Workplace in the World by Newsweek
  - Named Campaign’s 2023 Digital Agency Global Network of the Year
  - Winner of Fast Company World Changing Ideas Awards (2021, 2022, 2024)
  - Led Gartner’s independent evaluation of Global Marketing Agencies for four consecutive years

## Competitive Advantages
- **Award-winning creative culture**: Consistently recognised at the highest levels of global creative competitions (Cannes Lions, D&AD, Webby Awards).
- **Global scale with local depth**: 30 studios across 19 countries, enabling seamless cross-border collaboration – over 70% of clients work with teams in multiple regions.
- **Long-term client relationships**: Trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, with a focus on enduring partnerships rather than project-based work.
- **Multidisciplinary expertise**: Combines strategy, design, engineering, and communications under one roof, allowing for integrated, end-to-end solutions.
- **Culture of innovation**: Emphasis on disciplined experimentation and “zero-to-one” breakthroughs rather than incremental change.

## Strategic Focus
- **Continuing to lead at the intersection of imagination and technology**, with a strong focus on AI, digital craft, and emerging technologies.
- **Becoming the employer of choice** in the creative and innovation industry, as stated on the company’s careers page.
- **Driving growth for society, clients, people, and values** – the company describes itself as “ambitious, growth-oriented” with a commitment to sustainability and equity.
- **Expanding its global footprint** and deepening capabilities through its specialised companies (ArcTouch, Made, etc.).

## Why Work Here
- **Culture highlights**: Recognised as a Great Place to Work and a Best Workplace for Innovators by Fast Company. Newsweek ranked AKQA the 9th Most Loved Workplace in the World.
- **Employee Resource Groups**: Active communities including WE (Women’s Empowerment), BOLD (LGBTQIA+), MIND (mental health), API (Asian & Pacific Islander), and a DEI Council.
- **Learning and development**: AKQA Insight platform offers talks and courses from internal and external experts; formal training programs and WPP Professional Development are available.
- **Mental health and physical wellbeing**: Resources include yoga, meditation, self-care resources, and a focus on disease prevention and resilience.
- **Remote/hybrid policy**: Not explicitly stated on site; the company has physical studios worldwide and emphasises in-person collaboration, though some flexibility may exist depending on role and location.
- **Purpose-driven work**: The company’s stated goal is to “create a better future,” and it backs this with sustainability initiatives and community engagement (e.g., Future Lions competition, Future Academy internship program).
- **Diverse and inclusive environment**: The company is committed to “fostering a varied and equitable work environment” and takes active steps toward equity and representation.

## Sources
1. [AKQA Careers Overview](https://www.akqa.com/careers/)
2. [Working at AKQA](https://www.akqa.com/careers/working-at-akqa/)
3. [AKQA Companies](https://www.akqa.com/companies/)
4. [AKQA Culture](https://www.akqa.com/culture/)

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