Shared Services Team Lead

Wrightbus; Ballymena; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Wrightbus in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, is seeking a Shared Services Lead to direct the People Shared Services function across the organisation. You will oversee service delivery, SLA governance, quality assurance, workflow management and team performance, ensuring a high‑quality, customer‑focused service for employees and managers.

As operational lead, you will prioritise work, drive continuous improvement, support complex cases, manage onboarding/offboarding and admin processes, and

Qualifications

• Experience leading a Shared Services or People Operations function.
• Strong governance, quality assurance and process improvement experience.
• Proven ability to manage customer-focused HR services teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop the Shared Services team to deliver high-performing, customer-focused service.
• Own SLA governance, workflow allocation and performance metrics.
• Personally manage a portfolio of cases and queries; support high-demand periods.
• Conduct quality reviews and ensure compliance with policies and data standards.
• Oversee onboarding/offboarding, sponsorship administration and related HR activities; drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

SLA governance

People Operations

Job description

The Shared Services Lead is responsible for leading and developing the People Shared Services function, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality, efficient, and customer-focused service to employees and managers across the organisation.

The role is accountable for service delivery performance, SLA governance, quality assurance, workflow management, and team performance across all People Operations activities. Alongside leadership responsibilities, the post holder will actively support operational delivery by managing a portfolio of complex queries, cases, investigations, and People Services activities, ensuring service standards are maintained and operational demands are met.

As the operational lead for Shared Services, the role acts as both a subject matter expert and escalation point, ensuring work is prioritised effectively, risks are managed appropriately, and employees receive accurate, timely, and consistent support. Through effective leadership, operational oversight, and hands‑on delivery, the role drives continuous improvement, develops team capability, and ensures the successful delivery of People Services across the organisation.

Shared Services Leadership & Team Management (30%)

• Lead, coach, develop, and support the Shared Services team to deliver a high-performing and customer-focused service.
• Set clear objectives and performance expectations.
• Manage resource allocation across the team.
• Conduct regular one-to-one meetings and performance reviews.
• Support succession planning and skills development within the Shared Services function.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Act as the first operational escalation point for team members.

SLA Governance, Workflow & Service Delivery Management (25%)

• Own and monitor Shared Services service level agreements (SLAs) and associated performance measures.
• Ensure effective management of ticket queues, workflow allocation, and case prioritisation.
• Monitor backlog volumes, ageing cases, and operational performance.
• Ensure workload is appropriately distributed across the team.
• Identify and address service delivery risks and bottlenecks.
• Drive accountability for achieving service standards and operational KPIs.
• Support service reporting and operational reviews with the Head of HR Operations.
• Implement corrective actions where service levels are at risk.

Operational Case Management & Shared Services Delivery (20%)

• Personally manage and resolve a portfolio of assigned People Services tickets and employee queries.
• Support the team during periods of high demand by taking ownership of operational activities and casework.
• Handle complex or escalated cases that require additional expertise or oversight.
• Support employee lifecycle administration activities where required.
• Provide guidance and coaching to advisors on the handling of cases and queries.
• Ensure employees and managers receive timely and accurate responses.
• Maintain accurate records and documentation within HR systems.

Quality Assurance & Compliance (15%)

• Conduct regular quality reviews and audits of cases, investigations, correspondence, and employee records.
• Review Stage 1 investigation outputs to ensure consistency, fairness, and quality.
• Monitor adherence to policies, procedures, and compliance requirements.
• Ensure employee communications and documentation meet required standards.
• Identify process weaknesses and implement corrective improvements.
• Maintain oversight of data quality and record management standards.

Operational Oversight, Escalation & Continuous Improvement (10%)

• Maintain oversight of onboarding, offboarding, Occupational Health referrals, sponsorship administration, employee relations administration, and People Services activities.
• Oversee managing timeframes of Investigations and Service Delivery.
• Escalate high-risk, tribunal-risk, or complex issues to the Employee Relations Lead or Head of HR Operations.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders across the organisation.
• Lead service improvement initiatives and operational enhancements.
• Identify opportunities for standardisation, automation, and efficiency improvements.