HR Operations Manager

Dandara Group; Northampton; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus Scheme

Car Allowance

Private Medical Insurance

Health Hero digital doctor

3x salary life assurance

Cycle to Work Scheme

Employer matched pension up to 5%

Flexible benefits

33 days holiday

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

Dandara Group is seeking an experienced HR Operations Manager to build and lead a Group HR Operations function across its UK developments. You will own the employee lifecycle processes, ensure accurate documentation and maintain trusted HR data, while developing HR Assistants into a high-performing team.

You’ll drive efficiency, standardisation and quality across HR transactions, with a focus on right-first-time delivery and strong governance.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in HR Operations, administration or shared services across multiple sites.
• Ability to lead and develop a transactional HR function with clear responsibilities.
• Experience implementing controls, service standards and data quality checks.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the HR Assistants as one Group HR Operations team.
• Oversee the employee lifecycle transactions: offers, onboarding, changes, leavers.
• Own HR data quality in COINS and produce HR reporting and MI.
• Map, standardise and improve transactional HR processes across the group.
• Establish workflows, service standards and cross-functional boundaries with HRBP, Resourcing and Payroll.

Skills

End-to-end lifecycle

Team leadership

Attention to detail

HR systems

Process improvement

Quality checks

Management reporting

Data protection

Automation/AI

Tools

COINS HR

Job description

Job DescriptionHR Operations Manager

Location: Milton Keynes Function: Group HR Reporting to: Group HR Director Team: HR Assistants

Build an HR Operations function that works brilliantlyWere looking for an experienced HR Operations Manager to lead and develop our transactional HR service across Dandara Group.Supporting our UK Housebuilding, Colby River and Dandara Living Developments businesses, youll bring our transactional HR activity together into one consistent, efficient and professional Group HR Operations service.

This is a hands‑on operational leadership role for someone who loves getting the fundamentals of HR right.Youll take ownership of the processes, systems, data and controls behind the employee lifecycle ensuring contracts are accurate, employee changes happen when they should, HR data can be trusted and managers and employees receive a consistently high-quality service.

Just as importantly, youll lead and develop our HR Assistants, creating a team with clear responsibilities,
strong cross-cover and a genuine right-first-time culture.

What you'll be doing

Leading HR Operations

Youll lead, coach and develop our HR Assistants as one Group HR Operations team, establishing clear responsibilities, workflows and service standards.You’ll allocate workload across the Group, build knowledge and cross-cover within the team and create an environment where accuracy, responsiveness and accountability matter.

Owning the employee lifecycle

Youll oversee the quality and timely delivery of our core HR transactions, including:

• Offers, contracts and onboarding
• Probation administration
• Promotions, transfers and contractual changes
• Family leave and absence administration
• Leaver processes
• Employee records and document control
• References and employment correspondence
• Payroll notifications and employee changes
• Approvals, authorisations and supporting documentation

Youll introduce appropriate checks and controls to make sure our employee documentation is accurate and right first
time.

Improving how we work

This isn't simply about maintaining existing processes.You’ll review how transactional HR currently operates across the Group and identify where we can simplify, standardise and improve.You’ll map processes, remove unnecessary duplication and manual activity, introduce clear service standards and establish sensible boundaries between HR Operations, HR Business Partners, Resourcing, Payroll and line managers.We also want someone who is curious about how AI and automation can make HR administration faster, simpler and more reliable.

Making our HR data dependable

You’ll take operational ownership of the quality and integrity of employee data within our HR system, currently COINS. That means ensuring employee information is accurate, complete and updated on time, introducing validation and reconciliation controls and carrying out regular data-quality audits. You’ll also take ownership of producing accurate and consistent HR management information and reporting.

What we're looking for

You’ll already have strong experience within HR Operations, HR administration or an HR shared-services environment, ideally supporting multiple sites or businesses. We’re particularly interested in someone who can demonstrate:

• Strong knowledge of end-to-end employee lifecycle administration
• Experience leading and developing an operational HR team
• Excellent attention to detail and a strong right-first-time mindset
• Experience managing HR systems and employee data
• Strong process improvement and problem-solving skills
• Experience introducing controls, service standards and quality checks
• Confidence producing and quality-assuring HR reports and management information
• Good knowledge of HR policies, employment documentation, confidentiality and data protection
• The confidence to challenge inconsistent ways of working and establish clear responsibilities
• A practical approach to automation, technology and AI
• Experience using COINS HR would be advantageous, but isn't

What success looks like

Over your first 612 months, you'll have brought our HR Assistants together as a cohesive Group HR Operations team and created clear, consistent ways of working across our businesses. Our employee lifecycle processes will be standardised, contracts and documentation will be more consistently right first time, our HR data will be trusted and stakeholders will know exactly what they can expect from HR Operations. Most importantly, you'll create a dependable and scalable operational HR service that allows our HR Business Partners to spend less time checking administration and more time partnering with the business.

If you're an HR Operations professional who enjoys creating order, improving processes, developing people and making sure the detail is right, we'd love to hear from you.

What's in it for you?

• £Competitive basic based on experience
• Bonus Scheme
• Car Allowance
• 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays)
• Private Medical Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programme - EAP
• Health Hero digital doctor - 24 hr virtual help and appointments
• Health Assured Wisdom App
• 3x salary life assurance (paid option to increase to x4)
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employer matched pension scheme of up to 5%
• Flexible benefits including shopping vouchers, airport parking and reduced gym membership
• No Agencies please.