People Shared Services Manager - 11 Month FTC

Zenith Group; Leeds; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Private Medical Insurance

Life Insurance

Breakdown Cover

Dental & Health Cash Plans

Critical Illness Cover

Tech Scheme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Onsite parking

Onsite bistro

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Zenith Group is seeking a People Shared Services Manager to lead a five-person team and oversee the delivery of a high‑quality People Shared Services function across the employee lifecycle. The role focuses on operational excellence, employee relations support, and strengthening third‑party partnerships within a 1,500‑person organisation.

You’ll drive process improvements, coach the team, and ensure compliant, efficient HR services while contributing to the wider people strategy and projects.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a People Shared Services, HR Operations or HR Administration team.
• Strong knowledge of employee lifecycle processes and HR operations.
• Experience supporting or overseeing employee relations activity.
• Solid understanding of UK employment legislation.
• Experience in large, operationally focused organisations.
• Knowledge of UK payroll administration and payroll processes.
• Experience with HR systems and data.
• Track record of delivering process improvements and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Leading, coaching and developing a team of People Shared Services and Employee Relations professionals.
• Overseeing end-to-end employee lifecycle administration, including onboarding, contractual changes, payroll activity and offboarding.
• Acting as the senior escalation point for complex people administration, payroll and employee relations matters.
• Supporting and guiding the Employee Relations team on more complex cases and employment law matters.
• Managing relationships with our outsourced payroll provider and key third-party suppliers.
• Driving process improvements, automation opportunities and service enhancements across the People function.
• Monitoring service delivery, team performance and customer satisfaction measures.
• Supporting wider People Team projects and contributing to the delivery of our people strategy.
• Ensuring compliance with employment legislation, GDPR and company policies.

Skills

Team leadership

Employee lifecycle

Payroll knowledge

HR systems

Stakeholder management

Process improvement

Employee relations

UK employment law

Job description

If you're an experienced HR Operations, Shared Services or People Manager who enjoys leading teams, improving processes and delivering exceptional colleague experiences, this could be your next exciting challenge.

For more than 30 years, Zenith has been shaping the future of sustainable vehicle solutions. As the UK's largest independent vehicle solutions provider, we're proud to offer an inclusive workplace where individuality and diverse perspectives are valued. We are recognised for our award-winning service, our investment in people and our commitment to making mobility smarter, greener and better for everyone.

We're looking for a People Shared Services Manager to join our People Team on an 11-month maternity cover contract. Leading a team of five, you'll oversee the delivery of a high-quality People Shared Services function, ensuring colleagues and managers receive expert support across the entire employee lifecycle. You'll play a key role in driving operational excellence, supporting employee relations activity, managing third-party partnerships and continuously improving how our people services operate across the business

What's the Role

This is far more than a traditional HR operations role. You'll have the opportunity to lead an established and well-performing team while influencing how people services are delivered across a business of approximately 1,500 colleagues. You'll gain broad exposure across HR operations, employee relations, payroll, systems, continuous improvement and strategic people projects.

Whether your background is in Shared Services, HR Operations or Employee Relations leadership, this role offers the chance to broaden your experience while making a visible impact across the wider People function.

Key responsibilities include

• Leading, coaching and developing a team of People Shared Services and Employee Relations professionals.
• Overseeing end-to-end employee lifecycle administration, including onboarding, contractual changes, payroll activity and offboarding.
• Acting as the senior escalation point for complex people administration, payroll and employee relations matters.
• Supporting and guiding the Employee Relations team on more complex cases and employment law matters.
• Managing relationships with our outsourced payroll provider and key third-party suppliers.
• Driving process improvements, automation opportunities and service enhancements across the People function.
• Monitoring service delivery, team performance and customer satisfaction measures.
• Supporting wider People Team projects and contributing to the delivery of our people strategy.
• Ensuring compliance with employment legislation, GDPR and company policies.

What You'll Bring

• Experience leading a People Shared Services, HR Operations or HR Administration team.
• Strong knowledge of employee lifecycle processes and HR operations.
• Experience supporting or overseeing employee relations activity.
• A strong understanding of UK employment legislation.
• Experience working within large, operationally focused organisations.
• Knowledge of UK payroll administration and payroll processes.
• Experience working with HR systems, case management tools and people data.
• A track record of delivering process improvements and operational excellence.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.

You’ll thrive in this role if you are

• A confident and supportive people leader.
• Customer-focused and passionate about delivering excellent colleague experiences.
• Comfortable making decisions and guiding others through complex situations.
• Calm under pressure and able to balance multiple priorities.
• Analytical, organised and detail-orientated.
• Proactive and always looking for ways to improve processes and outcomes.
• An excellent relationship builder who can influence stakeholders at all levels.

Why Join us

• Our customers trust us - partnering with some of the UK's largest and most recognisable brands.
• Our people stay with us - we've built a collaborative, supportive culture where people are empowered to make an impact.
• We're ambitious - backed by recent recapitalisation, major investment, a clear strategy for long-term growth and a thriving fleet of almost 170,000 vehicles.
• We're award-winning - including Leasing Company of the Year (Fleet News 2026), Large Business of the Year and Diversity & Inclusion Award winners at the Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards, and Wellbeing Award winners at Fleet News 2025.
• We're leading the transition to sustainable mobility - with over 41% of our fleet now Battery Electric Vehicles and a long-standing commitment to sustainability.
• We're invested in your future - offering clear development opportunities, structured career pathways and the chance to build a long-term career with a market leader.

What's In It for You

• Salary up to £60,000
• Annual bonus
• 24 days annual leave & 1 day for your birthday plus bank holidays
• The option to buy or sell holidays (+5 or -3)
• Individual Private Medical Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Breakdown Cover
• Dental & Health Cash Plans
• Critical Illness Cover
• Tech Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Perks at Work - save on everyday essentials
• Wellbeing support including: onsite GP, EAP, pensions advice, funded HRT treatment, Mental Health First Aiders
• Sports & Social Club, company activities, and team events.
• Agile working
• Free onsite parking
• Onsite bistro
• Inclusive culture with colleague-led equality networks
• Development opportunities with access to our MyGPS personal development framework.

We want to positively encourage differences in Zenith and believe it is critical to our success as a company. Zenith is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace that seeks to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We therefore encourage applications from all genders, races, religions, ages and sexual orientations, as well as parents, veterans, people living with disabilities, and any other groups that could bring diverse perspectives to our business.