Senior People Operations Manager

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives, challenging existing ways of working and embedding operational excellence across the function.

• Design and optimise end-to-end employee lifecycle processes, removing friction and creating consistently great employee experiences.

• Develop and maintain process documentation, standards and knowledge resources that enable consistency and scalability.

• Use data, employee feedback and operational metrics to identify opportunities for improvement and prioritise change initiatives.

• Build a high-performing, service-focused People Operations function, coaching and developing a team of coordinators while creating a stable anLead, inspire and develop a high-performing People Operations team, creating a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and exceptional customer service.

• Establish clear service standards, operational KPIs and quality measures to ensure consistently outstanding delivery.

• Foster a mindset of curiosity, innovation and operational excellence, empowering the team to challenge existing ways of working.

• d engaging team environment

• Own and optimise People Ops processes to ensure they are simple, scalable and user-friendly, removing unnecessary complexity

• Identify and resolve operational inefficiencies across People Operations and payroll processes, driving improvements that enhance employee and stakeholder experience

• Establish and maintain strong operational controls and governance to ensure accuracy, risk mitigation and audit readiness

• Ensure global People Operations meet all legal, regulatory and internal compliance requirements

• Oversee the end-to-end global payroll process, ensuring accuracy, timely delivery, and robust financial and data controls

• Partner closely with Payroll and Finance teams to improve payroll administration processes, reduce manual effort, strengthen controls and ensure a seamless employee experience on a global scale

• Lead the development, implementation and review of People policies across the Group

• Manage compensation and benefits processes, ensuring alignment to policy and clear communication

• Own the operational employee experience across every stage of the employee lifecycle, ensuring interactions are intuitive, timely and consistent.

• Design services around employee needs, continuously gathering feedback and removing pain points.

• Build confidence and trust in People Operations by delivering responsive, high-quality service that employees value.

• Manage international mobility, including visa applications and renewals

• Own the continuous optimisation of HR systems, ensuring they support efficient, scalable and employee-centric processes.

• Drive system enhancements, integrations and automation to improve operational performance.

• Ensure data integrity, governance and reporting capability across all People systems.

• Identify opportunities to leverage AI and technology to improve efficiency and insight

• Develop and maintain People metrics and reporting to support data-led decision making

• Partner with Finance, Legal, Tech, and People teams to ensure aligned and effective delivery

• Build strong relationships across the business, acting as a trusted partner and helping to restore confidence in People Operations through responsive, reliable service delivery

• Drive the transition from reactive administration to proactive service delivery by continuously reviewing processes, systems and ways of working

• Establish a service-led People Operations function with clear service standards, SLAs and performance measures.

• Monitor service performance using operational metrics, employee feedback and satisfaction data, driving continual improvement.

You'll be a great addition to the team if you:

• Proven experience in a People Lead, People Operations Manager, HR Operations Manager, or Shared Services Manager role

• Strong experience working within People Operations, HR Operations, HR Shared Services or employee lifecycle-focused operational environments

• Strong background in designing and implementing scalable, efficient People processes

• Deep understanding of governance, compliance and audit readiness within HR

• Expertise across the full employee lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding and employee relations

• Experience working in fast-paced, high-growth or international environments

• Hands-on experience managing global payroll processes

• Strong understanding of payroll administration and the operational processes that support accurate payroll delivery

• Demonstrated experience leading and developing small teams

• Experience improving, simplifying or transforming People Operations processes and service delivery models

• Ability to simplify complexity and create clear, user-friendly solutions

• Strong coaching and mentoring capability

• Excellent organisational, communication and stakeholder management skills

• Proven ability to build credibility and trust with stakeholders through high-quality operational delivery

• Proficiency in HR systems, data management and reporting

• High attention to detail with a strong focus on accuracy and service quality

• Collaborative and team-oriented approach with the ability to influence across functions

• High integrity with a commitment to confidentiality

• Positive, solutions-focused mindset with resilience in a dynamic environment

• Comfortable operating in a hands-on environment where balancing day-to-day operational delivery with longer-term process improvement is essential