HR Operations Manager

Posted on: 10/06/2026 - Application Deadline: 25/06/2026

Are you ready tochart your own career path? With our refreshed strategy, we're building on our rich heritage and transforming our business to be more scalable and efficient, unlocking the capabilities needed for future success.This includes significantly investing in technology, streamlining the way we work and creating an environment where colleagues feel engaged, empowered and accountable; where they can show up, speak up and perform - because we believe in the difference our work makes.

At a glance:

Location: Cirencester Office

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Employment Type: 12 month Fixed-Term Contract

Seniority: Mid-Senior Level

This a key leadership role within the People Function, reporting to the Head of People Hub & ER. The role is responsible for the day-to-day operational management of the People Hub, ensuring high-quality, efficient and customer-focused HR service delivery across the employee lifecycle.

Working closely with Payroll, ER, People Partners and wider People teams, this role ensures SLAs are met, governance is robust, and the People Hub continues to evolve in line with the wider People strategy and business needs.

• Lead and manage the daily operations of the People Hub, ensuring accurate and timely delivery of core HR services including onboarding, offboarding, employee data and benefits administration.
• Own workflow, capacity and queue management to maintain service quality during BAU and peak periods.
• Act as a subject matter expert, resolving escalated issues, undertaking root cause analysis and preventing repeat issues.
• Lead, coach and develop the People Hub team, embedding a high-performance culture aligned to the skills matrix and SMART objectives.
• Build clear development pathways for team members, supporting progression into specialist HR roles (e.g. ER, Data, Change).
• Drive continuous improvement through process optimisation, use of HR technology and (where available) AI-enabled solutions.
• Partner closely with ER, Payroll and People Partners to support cross-team delivery and cyclical activities.
• Ensure strong governance, compliance and data integrity, including GDPR, employment law, data audits and business continuity planning.
• Monitor employee experience through eNPS and feedback, translating insight into practical improvements.

This role would suit an experienced HR operations leader who enjoys balancing hands-on operational delivery with people leadership and continuous improvement. You'll be highly organised, confident managing competing priorities, and motivated by delivering a consistently excellent employee and manager experience. You'll bring a collaborative mindset, strong judgement, and a passion for developing others in a fast-paced shared service environment.

• Proven experience managing HR operations or shared service teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong knowledge of the employee lifecycle, HR processes, systems and UK employment law.
• Demonstrated experience leading, coaching and developing teams to deliver against SLAs.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, including working with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining service quality, governance and compliance.
• Exposure to Employee Relations and case management processes.
• Experience delivering training and upskilling teams.
• CIPD qualification or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience contributing to or leading HR process change or improvement initiatives.

What's in it for you?

We reward youfor the work you do, whether that's through our discretionary annual bonus scheme that reflects bothpersonal and company performance, competitive annual leave allowance (28 daysplus bank holidays, with the option to purchase an additional 5 days), oronline rewards platform with a variety of discounts.
We also havebenefits to support whatever stage of life you are in, including:

• Competitive parental leave (26 weeks full pay)
• Private medical insurance (optional taxable benefit)
• 10% non-contributory pension (increasing with length of service)

Reasonable Adjustments
We're an equalopportunities employer and want to ensure our recruitment process is accessibleand inclusive for all, if you require reasonable adjustment(s) at any stageplease let us know by emailing us at
Research tells usthat applicants (especially those from underrepresented groups) can be put offfrom applying for a role if they do not meet all the criteria or have been onan extended career-break. If you think you would be a good match for this role andcan demonstrate some transferable experience please apply, regardless ofwhether you tick every box.

What's next?

If you're excitedabout this role and believe you have the skills and experience we're lookingfor, we'd love to hear from you! Please submit an application by clicking'apply' below and our team will be in touch.
As a businessregulated by the FCA we would advise you to familiarise yourself with theconduct regulations and in particular consumer duty obligations prior to aninterview with SJP.