People Services Lead – 6 months

Oakleaf Partnership; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading professional services company is looking for a People Services Lead in Central London. This role will oversee the People Service Desk, driving service delivery and improvements while managing a high-performing team. Candidates should have a CIPD qualification and strong experience in HR generalist roles, particularly with processes like visa management. This position offers a competitive rate and an opportunity for permanent employment following a 6-month contract.

Benefits

Opportunity to go permanent

Flexible working hours

Qualifications

• strong customer service ethos with a commitment to high-quality delivery
• clear and confident written and verbal communication skills
• proven ability to solve problems proactively
• strong leader who brings people together and stabilizes teams
• highly organized and able to interpret information
• adaptable and resilient in a fast-paced environment

Responsibilities

• lead the delivery of an effective People Service Desk
• manage and motivate a high-performing team
• oversee all People Services administration
• drive automation and optimized workflows through HR systems
• build strong relationships across the organization
• contribute to building an inclusive and collaborative culture

Skills

Customer service ethos

Clear communication

Problem-solving

Leadership

Organizational skills

Adaptability

Education

CIPD qualification

Tools

Workday

Job description

People Services Lead

• £500 per day (Inside IR35)
• circa 6months
• 3 days per week on site
• January Start
• Central London
• Opportunity to go permanent

Are you an experienced People Services Leader who thrives on building high-performing teams, transforming processes, and delivering outstanding employee experiences? Our client, Wellcome, is seeking a dynamic People Services Lead to take ownership of their People Service Desk, elevate service delivery, and drive meaningful improvements across the employee lifecycle.

This is a fantastic opportunity to lead a talented team, deliver quick wins in process automation, and bring stability and strong leadership during a period of change. Ideal for a confident People Services professional or HR Generalist with hands‑on service desk leadership experience.

The Role

As the People Services Lead, you’ll head up the People Services function, ensuring an efficient, solutions‑focused and inclusive experience for employees at every touchpoint. You’ll lead the People Services Helpdesk, improve processes, champion automation and innovation (including AI), and mentor a team of Administrators.

You will be instrumental in embedding consistency, strengthening ways of working, and supporting Wellcome’s mission through exceptional people operations.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

• Lead the delivery of an effective and efficient People Service Desk, driving a strong service culture aligned with SLAs.

• Support the development and implementation of a People Services strategy aligned with organisational goals.

• Manage and motivate a high‑performing, agile team‑fostering collaboration, learning and excellence.

People Services & Administration

• Oversee all People Services administration across the full employee lifecycle‑including onboarding, HR operations, visa management, redundancy administration, and policy queries.

• Ensure accurate coordination with the payroll team as part of the monthly payroll cycle.

• Own and refine end‑to‑end HR processes, using mapping and continuous improvement to enhance productivity and employee engagement.

Innovation, Systems & Automation

• Drive automation and optimised workflows through HR systems‑ideally Workday‑and identify quick wins to streamline processes.

• Explore opportunities to embed AI and new technologies to improve operational efficiency and user experience.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build strong relationships across the organisation, providing sensible, pragmatic and high‑quality responses to People‑related enquiries.

• Monitor service desk trends, sharing insights across the People team to help strengthen organisational‑wide processes.

Culture & Values

• Contribute to building an inclusive and collaborative culture aligned with Wellcome’s values.

• Operate in line with governance, policies and budget guidance, remaining adaptable as organisational needs evolve.

About You

Skills & Attributes

• Strong customer service ethos with a commitment to high‑quality delivery.

• Clear, confident written and verbal communication skills.

• Proven ability to solve problems proactively and identify opportunities for innovation.

• A strong leader who brings people together, stabilises teams during change, and strengthens ways of working.

• Highly organised, analytical and able to interpret information to support effective decision‑making.

• Adaptable, resilient and comfortable working in a fast‑paced, evolving environment.

Experience & Qualifications

• CIPD qualified (or equivalent professional experience).

• Proven track record leading a People Service Desk in a complex, multi‑discipline organisation.

• Hands‑on HR generalist experience, ideally including visa management, redundancy admin and policy interpretation.

• Strong Workday (or similar cloud‑based HRIS) experience.

• Demonstrated success in process ownership, transformation and automation.

• Experience delivering high‑quality work within tight deadlines.

• Budget and headcount management experience, with the ability to shape a high‑performing, inclusive team.

If you are a confident People Services Leader who can bring structure, innovation and exceptional service delivery, we’d love to hear from you.

Interested?
Please get in touch to discuss the role in more detail or submit your CV for immediate consideration.