HR Operations Manager - 12-month FTC

Emperor; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading HR services firm is seeking an HR Operations Manager to oversee HR administration across UK and Middle East offices. The successful candidate will need over 5 years of experience, strong knowledge of HRIS, and a solid understanding of UK employment law. This is a 12-month fixed-term contract with potential for extension. The role requires on-site work in London 2-3 days a week.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years in an HR operations role.
• Deep knowledge of HR systems and experience with HRIS.
• Strong understanding of UK and Middle East employment law.
• Experience managing payroll processes.

Responsibilities

• Manage all HR admin operations across the UK and Middle East.
• Draft and update HR policies.
• Manage visa and sponsorship processes.
• Optimize and maintain the HRIS.

Skills

HR systems knowledge

Data literacy

Organisational skills

Interpersonal skills

Attention to detail

Education

Degree in Human Resources

CIPD qualifications

Tools

BambooHR

Job description

The role

We are looking for a detail-driven and process-oriented HR Operations Manager (12-month FTC) to oversee and continuously improve HR administration and operational practices across our UK and Middle East (KSA & UAE) offices. This role plays a critical part in ensuring operational excellence, compliance, and employee experience across the full employee lifecycle.

You will be responsible for optimising our HRIS (BambooHR), managing core people processes including payroll, compensation, onboarding, and benefits, and ensuring our policies, data, and reporting practices are fit for a growing, high-performing organisation.

What you’ll be doing in this role

• Lead and manage all HR admin operations across the UK and Middle East offices, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and consistency
• Draft, review, and update HR policies in line with legal requirements and company values
• Manage visa and sponsorship processes, ensuring legal compliance and a smooth experience for employees
• Lead the data & insight strategy for the People team, ensuring accurate and actionable reporting
• Optimise and maintain the HRIS, driving adoption and improving functionality to support business needs
• Support the development and implementation of the compensation and benefits strategy
• Oversee the administration and regular review of benefits to ensure competitiveness and relevance
• Partner with Finance to manage payroll oversight and resolve payroll queries efficiently
• Own and continuously improve the onboarding process to ensure a consistent and engaging experience
• Manage the administration of the pay and promotion process, ensuring transparency and accuracy

What you’ll need to be successful in this role

• Minimum of 5 years of proven experience in an HR operations role, ideally within a fast-paced, multi-location organisation
• Deep knowledge of HR systems (preferably BambooHR) and experience implementing and enhancing HRIS
• Sound understanding of UK and Middle East employment law and experience managing immigration
• Strong data literacy and experience in developing HR reporting and insights for leadership
• Demonstrated experience managing payroll processes in partnership with Finance or external providers
• Knowledge of compensation and benefits philosophy, including job grading
• Exceptional attention to detail, with strong organisational and administrative skills
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate across teams
• Ideally has experience in a creative or agency setting
• Available to work on-site in London 2-3 days per week (Birmingham also considered)
• HR qualifications, such as a degree in Human Resources; CIPD qualifications preferred but not essential
• Previous line management experience is preferred
• Embodies and champions our core values in every aspect of your work - We\'re In It Together, We Own It, We Aim Higher, and We Find A Smarter Way

Please note that this is initially a 12-month fixed-term contract, with the option to extend.

Next Steps

If you are successfully shortlisted for the role, the recruitment team will be in touch via email, and the process will begin from there. We endeavour to contact you within 5 working days of your application, however, this may vary depending on the volume of applications we receive. Good Luck!

As an employer, we are committed to ensuring the representation of people from all backgrounds regardless of their gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, disability status, or any other aspect which makes them unique. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds to apply and would encourage you to let us know if there are steps we can take to ensure that your recruitment process enables you to present yourself in a way that makes you comfortable.