People Services Manager

United Infrastructure Group Services Limited; Warrington; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

United Infrastructure is seeking a People Services Manager to lead the day-to-day delivery of People Services across the Group. You will manage a team, ensure consistent service, and partner with People Systems, Payroll and Reward to maintain compliant, efficient processes.

This role focuses on onboarding, lifecycle activities, handling escalations, and continuous improvement of the operating model. CIPD or equivalent experience is advantageous; previous HRIS experience (Workday) is beneficial.

Qualifications

• Experience leading People Services, HR Operations or HR Shared Services.
• Strong knowledge of employee lifecycle processes and HR administration.
• Experience managing service standards, SLAs, workloads and operational performance.
• Strong people leadership and coaching capability.
• Experience of improving and standardising HR processes.
• Strong attention to detail with governance, compliance and risk understanding.
• Confidence managing escalations and working with senior stakeholders.
• Experience operating within an HRIS-enabled environment; Workday experience would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the People Services team to create a high-performing, accountable and customer-focused culture.
• Manage team capacity, workload and priorities to ensure an effective and responsive service.
• Set clear expectations and provide coaching, feedback and development.
• Act as the escalation point for complex or sensitive People Services queries.
• Support the Head of People Operations in developing the function and embedding a consistent operating model across the Group.
• Take ownership of day-to-day People Services operation and ensure service standards and SLAs are achieved.
• Oversee management of queries and cases, ensuring prioritisation, progress and resolution.
• Monitor service performance, volumes and trends to identify improvement opportunities.
• Ensure controls, quality checks and escalation processes are embedded.
• Provide regular service performance updates and insights to the Head of People Operations.
• Oversee onboarding, contractual changes, promotions, transfers, family leave and offboarding.
• Ensure employee documentation is accurate, timely and compliant.
• Ensure transactions and changes are processed within agreed timescales.
• Maintain controls around contractual and employee lifecycle activity.
• Support recruitment administration and onboarding when required.
• Drive a positive and consistent employee experience throughout the lifecycle.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise and improve People Services processes.
• Support alignment of processes across the Group as the business integrates.
• Review recurring queries and trends to identify root causes.
• Lead operational improvements within People Services and support wider transformation initiatives.
• Ensure knowledge materials remain current.
• Build strong relationships with People colleagues, managers and stakeholders.
• Work with People Systems to ensure operational requirements are supported by technology.
• Partner with Payroll and Reward for effective hand-offs.
• Collaborate with the wider People team to deliver a joined-up service.

Skills

People leadership

HR operations

Stakeholder management

Education

CIPD qualification or equivalent

Tools

Workday

Job description

Reporting to the Head of People Services, the People Services Manager will lead the day-to-day delivery of People Services across the business, ensuring colleagues and managers receive a consistent, responsive and high-quality service throughout the employee lifecycle. The role will provide operational leadership to the People Services team, taking ownership of service delivery, workload management, service standards, escalations and continuous improvement. Working closely with People Systems, Payroll, Reward and the wider People team, the People Services Manager will ensure processes are efficient, compliant and consistently applied across the Group.

Key Responsibilities

People Services Leadership

• Lead, develop and manage the People Services team, creating a high-performing, accountable and customer-focused culture.
• Manage team capacity, workload and priorities to ensure an effective and responsive service.
• Set clear expectations and objectives and provide regular coaching, feedback and development.
• Act as the escalation point for complex or sensitive People Services queries.
• Support the Head of People Operation in developing the function and embedding a consistent People Services operating model across the Group.

Service Delivery & Performance

• Take ownership of the day-to-day People Services operation and ensure agreed service standards and SLAs are achieved.
• Oversee the effective management of People queries and cases, ensuring they are appropriately prioritised, progressed and resolved.
• Monitor service performance, case volumes and trends to identify areas requiring intervention or improvement.
• Ensure appropriate controls, quality checks and escalation processes are embedded across People Services.
• Provide regular service performance updates and insight to the Head of People Operation.
• Drive a culture of ownership where queries remain with the team through to effective resolution.

Employee Lifecycle Management

• Oversee the effective delivery of employee lifecycle processes, including onboarding, contractual changes, promotions, transfers, family leave and offboarding.
• Ensure employee documentation is accurate, timely and compliant.
• Ensure transactions and changes are processed accurately and within agreed timescales.
• Maintain appropriate controls around contractual and employee lifecycle activity.
• Support the delivery of recruitment administration and onboarding activity where required.
• Drive a positive and consistent employee experience throughout the employment lifecycle.

Process Improvement & Standardisation

• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise and improve People Services processes.
• Support the alignment of People Services processes across different areas of the Group as the business continues to integrate and evolve.
• Review recurring queries, issues and service trends to identify root causes and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead operational improvements within People Services and support wider People transformation initiatives.
• Ensure processes, guidance and knowledge materials remain current and fit for purpose.

Stakeholder Management

• Build strong working relationships with People colleagues, managers and key stakeholders across the business.
• Work closely with People Systems to ensure operational requirements are effectively supported by our People technology.
• Partner with Payroll and Reward to ensure effective hand-offs and resolution of cross-functional queries.
• Work collaboratively with the wider People team to ensure a joined-up service to the business.
• Provide clear guidance to managers and colleagues on People processes, policies and ways of working.

Governance, Compliance & Risk

• Ensure People Services processes are delivered in accordance with company policy and employment legislation.
• Maintain appropriate controls and audit trails across employee lifecycle activity.
• Identify and elevate operational risks, recurring issues or areas of non-compliance.
• Support internal and external audit requirements relating to People Services.
• Ensure confidential employee information is handled appropriately and securely.

About You

You will be an experienced People Services, HR Operations or Shared Services professional with a strong track record of leading teams and delivering high-quality operational HR services. You will be comfortable operating in a large, complex and changing organisation, with the ability to balance day-to-day service delivery with continuous improvement.

You will ideally bring:

• Previous management experience within People Services, HR Operations or HR Shared Services.
• Strong knowledge of employee lifecycle processes and HR administration.
• Experience managing service standards, SLAs, workloads and operational performance.
• Strong people leadership and coaching capability.
• Experience of improving and standardising HR processes.
• Strong attention to detail with an understanding of HR governance, compliance and risk.
• Confidence managing escalations and working with senior stakeholders.
• Experience operating within an HRIS-enabled environment; Workday experience would be advantageous but is not essential.
• The ability to work collaboratively across People Systems, Payroll, Reward and wider People teams.

CIPD qualification or equivalent experience would be advantageous.

Join us at United Infrastructure

Here at United Infrastructure, we invest in our people and firmly believe that our workforce is our most valuable asset. A driving force for success and the core to achieving our vision of creating a connected and sustainable future, our team is the heart of our organisation.

A fast-paced, diverse, and hugely ambitious business, we welcome challengers, innovators and people who embrace change.

Establish yourself in a creative environment that champions freedom of expression, and supports you in your personal and professional development – because together, we achieve more.