People Services Assistant

The Open University

Milton Keynes

Hybrid

GBP 21,000 - 25,000

Part time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

30 days annual leave

Leading pension scheme

Staff Fee Waivers for OU study

Hybrid working

Wellbeing support and development opportunities

Job summary

A leading higher education institution in Milton Keynes is seeking a People Services Assistant to provide administrative support within their HR hub. This entry-level position requires strong organizational skills and the ability to manage sensitive information. Responsibilities include maintaining People Services systems, providing advice to university staff, and collaborating on service improvements. The role offers 30 days leave, a robust pension scheme, and the flexibility of hybrid work.

Qualifications

Strong understanding of data protection and sensitive data handling protocols.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Experience in an operational HR shared services environment.
Strong organisation and time management skills with the ability to deal with high volume work.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Experience of working with multiple People Services (HR) systems and of Microsoft programmes (i.e. Excel, Word, MS Teams).
A strong commitment to excellence in working with a diverse population.
A strong record of research and/or knowledge exchange that is commensurate to the position.
Experience of working in an operational HR shared services environment.

Responsibilities

Provide professional, confidential process advice.
Maintain and update People Services systems.
Collaboratively improve service processes.
Work as a team to achieve service levels and KPIs; assist colleagues with navigating People Services intranet pages.
Work collaboratively with the People Services Systems Team to resolve system-based issues and ensure data accuracy.
Collaborate on continuous service improvements by identifying gaps and making recommendations.
Take personal responsibility in developing skills and knowledge for continuous improvement.

Skills

Strong administrative experience

Analytical and problem-solving skills

Excellent verbal and written communication

Organization and time management

Experience with People Services systems

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

MS Teams

Job description

Overview

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This range is provided by The Open University. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

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About the Role

The role will sit within the customer-facing People Services (HR) Hub, part of the University’s People Services function. Our purpose is to deliver the operational People Services support, guidance and first line advice for OU colleagues with a focus on delivering value, efficiency, and a positive customer experience. Within this role, you will be focused on delivering first stage administrative support and process guidance on a range of policies and procedures covering the full employee lifecycle. You will collaborate with your Hub colleagues to ensure the effective delivery of a high-quality service to our customers across the University. You will also gain specific insight and awareness into customer business areas.

Key Responsibilities

Respond to emails and telephone calls to provide professional, confidential, high-quality process advice and guidance to university colleagues across the full employee lifecycle and range of People policies.
Provide high quality administrative support on a range of people lifecycle processes. For example, general maintenance and updating of People Services systems; updating employee records, preparing and issuing contractual paperwork; updating of trackers/spreadsheets, and other administrative work as required.
Proactively identify specialist guidance requirements through service interactions and effectively escalate to the appropriate team within People Services, in line with the agreed service framework.
Work as a team to achieve agreed service levels and key performance indicators. Provide support to colleagues in navigating the People Services intranet pages and promoting self service.
Work collaboratively with the People Services Systems Team to resolve People Services system based issues and ensure that it remains up to date with accurate data.
Collaborate on continuous service improvements through identifying and sharing gaps within process guidance and making recommendations to People Services Team Managers as appropriate.
Take personal responsibility in continually developing skills and knowledge to maintain and improve personal performance in the spirit of continuous improvement.

About You

Strong administrative experience with an understanding of data protection and sensitive data handling protocols.
Possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work independently but also as part of a team, with a willingness to collaborate with and support colleagues.
Strong organisation and time management skills with the ability to deal with high volume work.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Experience of working with multiple People Services (HR) systems and of Microsoft programmes (i.e. Excel, Word, MS Teams).
A strong commitment to excellence in working with a diverse population.
A strong record of research and/or knowledge exchange that is commensurate to the position.
Experience of working in an operational HR shared services environment.

Why Join The Open University?

At The Open University, we’re proud to be pioneers in accessible education and digital innovation. This is your opportunity to lead transformative projects and make a lasting impact on our students and staff.

At The Open University, we’re committed to delivering exceptional HR services that support our people and enable success.

Benefits

30 days annual leave, on top of bank holidays and a three-day Christmas closure period.
Access to a leading pension scheme for UK higher education with generous employer contributions.
Staff Fee Waivers for OU study, meaning you could earn a degree for free.
Hybrid working, with limited requirement to attend the office in-person, with agile working and family friendly policies.
Discounts, wellbeing support, and development opportunities.

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