Project Lead

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

Job summary

A fast-growing organisation is seeking an experienced Project Lead – People Data & Systems in London. This leadership role focuses on transforming people data and systems while ensuring accurate documentation and compliance. The successful candidate will take ownership of a critical project, collaborating with stakeholders to enhance HR effectiveness. Experience in HR transformation and strong project management skills are essential. This position offers a hybrid work model, requiring presence in the office two days a week.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading people data and HR transformation projects.
• Experience with contract harmonisation and documentation review.
• Strong project management skills.

Responsibilities

• Auditing people data and establishing data standards.
• Reviewing contracts and ensuring compliance.
• Leading development of employment templates.

Skills

Leadership in HR transformation

Project management

Attention to detail

Problem-solving

Familiarity with HR systems

Knowledge of UK employment frameworks

Tools

HiBob

Job description

Project Lead – People Data & Systems

6-month fixed-term contract

Based in Central and West London – Hybrid, 2x days a week

Start ASAP – ideally before Christmas!

A fast-growing organisation operating across the UK and Europe is seeking an experienced Project Lead – People Data & Systems to take ownership of a critical transformation project within its People function.

As the business scales rapidly, people data, systems and employment documentation must evolve with it. This role leads a focused, high-impact project to rebuild the foundations: repairing historic gaps, creating consistent and reliable data standards, and ensuring employment documents reflect the organisation today – not the legacy of past growth.

Embedded within the People team, the Project Lead will work closely with senior stakeholders and People partners and will lead the project end-to-end. Supported by a Project Associate handling hands‑on delivery, this role is all about strategy, structure and decision‑making: setting standards, driving clarity and ensuring the work leaves a lasting impact.

Together, the team will deliver a single source of truth for people data and a harmonised contract landscape that gives confidence to leaders and clarity to employees.

What you’ll be doing:

This is a leadership role for someone who thrives on complexity, enjoys problem‑solving, and brings order to fragmented systems.

Leading the transformation of people data

• Auditing people data held across contracts, payroll files, spreadsheets, shared drives and legacy systems.
• Building a clear picture of what exists today, where it came from, and what’s missing.
• Refining the project scope and strengthening standards using professional judgement and experience.
• Identifying historic gaps, validating key fields and back‑dating records where appropriate.
• Establishing data standards that prevent future issues and maintain long‑term integrity.

Restoring confidence in documentation

• Reviewing historic contracts and employee files across multiple locations and entities.
• Identifying risks, inconsistencies and outdated practices.
• Ensuring records are complete, compliant and stored consistently.
• Providing assurance that every employee record reflects the reality of their terms.

Harmonising employment contracts

• Mapping differences across current and legacy contracts.
• Identifying anomalies, gaps and improvement opportunities.
• Leading the development of a modern, aligned suite of employment templates.
• Supporting change planning and communication to ensure clarity and confidence across the organisation.

How you’ll work

• You’ll lead with structure and clarity, setting direction for the Project Associate and guiding delivery through strong standards and priorities.
• You’ll be hands‑on where needed while retaining focus on the bigger picture.
• You’ll collaborate widely but operate comfortably with autonomy.
• You’ll handle sensitive information with professionalism and care.
• You’ll bring energy, momentum and a methodical mindset to a complex environment.

What you’ll bring

• Proven experience in leading people data, systems or HR transformation projects.
• Experience with contract harmonisation and employment documentation review.
• Strong project management skills and experience working with HR systems (HiBob highly desirable).
• Familiarity with UK and European employment frameworks is a plus.
• A structured mindset, excellent attention to detail, and the confidence to make informed decisions.
• A passion for improving systems and leaving things better than you found them.

Why this role matters

By the end of the project, the organisation will have:

• A single, accurate dataset for all employees – past and present.
• Complete and compliant employee records.
• Clear standards for how data is captured and maintained going forward.
• Harmonised employment templates with an implementation roadmap.
• Stronger compliance and a robust foundation for future growth.