People Services Transition Lead

Role: People Services Transition Lead
Location: Milton Keynes (Hybrid)
Salary: £59,000 - £67,500
Contract: 18 Month Fixed-Term

Network IT are working with a leading organisation to recruit a People Services Transition Lead to play a pivotal role in a major People and Payroll transformation programme.
This is a unique opportunity to lead the operational transition of a newly designed People Services function, helping to shape future service delivery while supporting the implementation of new People technology platforms and processes.
Working across People Services, HR Operations, Payroll, Digital Services, and programme delivery teams, you will ensure operational readiness, process adoption, and successful transition into a modernised People Services operating model.

This opportunity is an initial 18 Month Fixed-Term arrangement.

Role Overview
As the People Services Transition Lead, you will act as the operational lead for People Services throughout a significant transformation programme, ensuring new processes, structures, and technologies are successfully Embedded into day-to-day operations.
This role is centred on People Services operations rather than technology delivery. The successful candidate will bring strong experience from HR Shared Services, Employee Services, People Operations, or HR Service Delivery environments and be comfortable leading operational change across complex organisations.
You will work closely with programme teams, HR leaders, service managers, and subject matter experts to ensure the future-state operating model is fit for purpose, understood by stakeholders, and successfully adopted by operational teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the operational transition into a new People Services model
• Act as the primary operational representative for People Services throughout the transformation programme
• Review and redesign People Services processes, ensuring they are aligned to future-state technology and service delivery models
• Drive business readiness, operational adoption, and transition planning activities
• Work closely with HR Operations, Payroll, Digital Services, and programme teams to ensure successful implementation
• Identify operational impacts, service risks, and process dependencies arising from organisational change
• Support the development of service procedures, governance frameworks, and operating standards
• Build strong relationships across People Services and wider business functions
• Ensure colleagues are prepared for new ways of working through effective engagement, communication, and change activities
• Support service stabilisation and continuous improvement following implementation

• Proven experience operating within People Services, HR Shared Services, Employee Services, HR Operations, or Service Delivery functions
• Experience leading or supporting large-scale operational transformation or service transition programmes
• Strong understanding of People Services operating models, service delivery frameworks, and employee life cycle processes
• Experience working alongside HR technology and system implementation programmes
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence operational and senior leadership audiences
• Experience mapping, reviewing, and improving HR or People Services processes
• Strong understanding of change management, business readiness, and service adoption activities
• Ability to operate effectively within complex, Matrix organisations
• Excellent communication, engagement, and relationship-building skills
• Strong organisational and delivery management capabilities

• Experience establishing or transitioning to a People Services or Shared Services model
• Experience working with SuccessFactors, SAP, or other enterprise HR systems
• Experience within Higher Education or similarly complex organisations
• Exposure to Payroll Operations and employee administration services
• Experience supporting HR transformation, ERP, or operating model change programmes