HR Operations Specialist

SF Partners; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

SF Partners is recruiting an experienced HR Operations Manager for a large, multi-site organisation going through significant change on a fixed term contract in Birmingham. This is not a BAU HR Operations role.

You’ll review current processes, standardise workflows, implement automation, and improve end-to-end HR operations. You’ll work with HR, IT and payroll to deliver clearer service standards across sites and enable the wider change programme.

Qualifications

• Experience in HR Operations / People Services / Shared Services.
• Proven process improvement and redesign track record.
• Experience with HR systems and workflow optimisation; iTrent is a plus.
• Understanding of the full employee lifecycle across multiple sites.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and drive change to implementation.
• Experience in complex or multi-site organisations.

Responsibilities

• Review end-to-end HR operational processes and identify improvements.
• Identify duplication, gaps and unnecessary manual activity.
• Standardise processes across multiple sites.
• Improve how iTrent is being used and develop better workflows.
• Improve the flow of information between HR, payroll and other teams.
• Introduce clearer service standards and measures; work with senior stakeholders.
• Help build the HR Operations foundations to support wider organisational change.

Skills

HR Operations

Process improvement

HR systems

Employee lifecycle

Multi-site experience

Stakeholder influence

Tools

iTrent

Job description

HR Operations Manager - Fixed Term Contract Birmingham | Circa £55,000 | FTC to March 2027 | ASAP start - Candidates available at short notice are of particular interest

SF Partners is recruiting an experienced HR Operations Manager for a large, multi-site organisation going through significant change. This is not a BAU HR Operations role.

You’ll be brought in to review what isn’t working, simplify processes and implement a more consistent HR Operations model across the organisation. There are currently different ways of working across multiple sites, with a number of manual and inconsistent processes. You’ll have the autonomy to get under the skin of the current operation, identify improvements and make them happen.

The brief

• Review and improve end-to-end HR operational processes
• Identify duplication, gaps and unnecessary manual activity
• Standardise processes across multiple sites
• Improve how iTrent is being used
• Develop better workflows and automation
• Improve the flow of information between HR, payroll and other teams
• Introduce clearer service standards and measures
• Work closely with HR, IT/digital and senior stakeholders
• Challenge existing ways of working and implement practical solutions
• Help build the HR Operations foundations needed to support wider organisational change

Who we’re looking for

You’ll already be operating at HR Operations Manager, People Services Manager, Shared Services Manager or similar level and be comfortable working independently from day one.

You’ll need strong experience of:

• HR Operations / People Services / Shared Services
• Process improvement and redesign
• Improving manual or inconsistent HR processes
• HR systems and workflow optimisation – iTrent would be particularly useful
• The full employee lifecycle
• Complex or multi-site organisations
• Influencing stakeholders and driving change through to implementation

Experience within education or the public sector would be useful, but the priority is someone who has genuinely reviewed, improved and implemented HR Operations processes.

Why consider it?

You’re not coming in to maintain what already exists.

You’ll have the opportunity to look at how HR Operations works today, decide what needs to change and help implement a better way of working.

It would suit someone who enjoys fixing processes, improving systems and turning inefficient HR operations into something that works.