People Services Lead - 6 months

Oakleaf Partnership; Greater London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Part time

Job summary

A dynamic client organization is seeking a People Services Lead to head the People Services function. The role involves leading the People Services Helpdesk, improving processes, and driving innovation across the employee lifecycle. Ideal candidates will have strong customer service skills, hands-on HR experience, and be CIPD qualified. This role offers a rate of £500 per day for approximately 6 months with the possibility of becoming permanent, requiring presence 3 days a week in Central London.

Benefits

Opportunity to go permanent

Competitive pay

Flexible work environment

Qualifications

• Experience leading a People Service Desk in a complex organization.
• Hands-on HR generalist experience including visa management.
• Experience in process ownership and transformation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the People Services function to ensure efficiency.
• Oversee People Services administration across the employee lifecycle.
• Drive automation and optimize workflows through HR systems.

Skills

Strong customer service ethos

Clear communication skills

Problem-solving skills

Leadership skills

Organizational skills

Education

CIPD qualified or equivalent

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‑ 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.