People Operations Specialist – UK & US 9 month FTC

OakNorth; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Personalised benefits

Private Medical Insurance

Maternity & Paternity Leave

Wellbeing events

Barista Bar (London)

Volunteering time off

Salary Sacrifice

Job summary

OakNorth is seeking a proactive HR Operations professional to support the UK and US teams. You will manage onboarding, lifecycle events, and background checks, ensuring accurate records and timely processes. A focus on data integrity and collaboration with IT and business partners is essential.

You’ll operate across HR systems, handle confidential information discreetly, and contribute to process improvements with AI-enabled automation. Hybrid work in London option available.

Qualifications

• 1–2 years of UK/US HR Operations experience with contracts, onboarding, offboarding, and employee lifecycle activities.
• Experience with background checks and HR systems is a plus.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate end-to-end onboarding for UK & US teams.
• Manage promotions, transfers, salary changes, probation confirmations, and offboarding.
• Oversee probation reviews and maintain required documentation.
• Handle UK & US background screening processes via Zinc.
• Collaborate with IT and leaders to coordinate employee changes.
• Prioritise a varied workload and track outstanding actions.
• Escalate unfamiliar or high-risk issues to the appropriate person.
• Administer day-to-day lifecycle activities on HR systems and ensure data accuracy.
• Monitor key processes through People systems.
• Serve as first point of contact for UK & US employees and respond to HR requests.
• Assist with benefits enrolment and queries.
• Look for AI/automation opportunities to improve efficiency.

Skills

HR Operations

Contracts

Onboarding

Offboarding

BGV checks

Employee lifecycle

Tools

HRIS

Job description

How You'll Work

This is a hands-on role for someone who takes ownership and keeps things moving. You'll manage your own priorities, follow through on tasks and spot what needs attention — without needing to be told what to do at every step.

You'll be comfortable working at pace, using available information and resources to solve problems, and reaching out with a clear question or recommendation when you need support. You'll take pride in getting the details right, checking your own work and flagging risks early.

You'll have context, direction and support from your manager and team, alongside the trust to take ownership of your work. We welcome ideas and encourage you to speak up when you see a better way of doing things.

As a fast-moving, growing business, there may be times when some flexibility or extended working hours are needed, including to provide cover for our US team. We also recognise the importance of flexibility for our people when they need it.

Employee Lifecycle Management

• Coordinate end-to-end onboarding for new joiners across the UK & US teams, ensuring a seamless employee experience from offer acceptance through to day one and beyond.

• Manage employee lifecycle processes including promotions, transfers, salary changes, probation confirmations, and offboarding activities.

• Manage and track probation review processes, ensuring reviews are completed on time, outcomes are accurately recorded, and all required documentation is maintained.

• Manage UK & US background screening processes through Zinc, ensuring all checks are completed and appropriately documented.

• Partner with IT, leaders, people partners and other stakeholders to ensure all employee changes are coordinated effectively.

• Manage and prioritise a varied workload, track outstanding actions and follow through with stakeholders to keep processes moving.

• Recognise and elevate unfamiliar, sensitive or higher-risk issues to the appropriate person.

People Operations & Systems

• Own the day-to-day administration of employee life cycle activities on our HR systems, ensuring employee information is accurate, complete, and up to date.

• Monitor and manage key people processes and workflows through our People systems.

Employee Support

• Serve as the first point of contact for employee queries across People Operations for our UK & US team.

• Respond to day-to-day People administration requests in a timely and professional manner.

• Assist employees with benefits enrolment and benefits-related queries.

Process Improvement

• Continuously look for ways to improve operational efficiency, employee experience, and data accuracy.

• Leverage AI and automation opportunities to streamline administrative processes and improve service delivery.

About You

• 1- 2 years of relevant experience in UK or US HR Operations, with strong knowledge of contracts, onboarding, offboarding, BGV processes and employee lifecycle activities

• Experience across both geographies is a plus; candidates with solid exposure to one and the ability to learn the other are encouraged to apply.

• Exceptional attention to detail and a strong focus on accuracy.

• Experience managing employee lifecycle administration from onboarding through to offboarding.

• Experience working with modern HR systems.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Excellent communication skills and a customer-focused approach to employee support.

• Comfortable handling confidential information with discretion and professionalism.

• Evidence of working independently: organising your workload, following through without reminders, checking your own work and knowing when to ask for guidance.

• Interest in leveraging AI and technology to drive operational excellence.

• A collaborative team player who enjoys building strong relationships across the business.

Benefits and Perks

• 25 days holiday

• Personalised benefits — opt-in to what matters to you

• Subsidised Private Medical Insurance with Bupa

• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

• Wellbeing and social events

• In-house Barista Bar — London office

• Volunteering time off — support causes that matter to you

• Salary sacrifice schemes — cycle to work, nursery, gym, electric car scheme