Job Description
4-5 month contract with a local authority
Summary
* The Council is seeking an interim HR Operations Manager for a 4-5 month contract to provide immediate stability, leadership, and operational excellence within the HR Operations function. This role is crucial in leading the HR Team Leader and team, establishing robust service standards, and implementing performance reporting. The position will drive improvements aligned with transformation, audit, and service review recommendations. Additionally, the role will focus on embedding technological enhancements, including AI exploration, and restoring stakeholder confidence in HR Operations' ability to deliver timely, reliable, and professional services.
Responsibilities
* Lead and develop HR Operations to ensure efficient, customer-focused, and digitally enabled services.
* Provide immediate leadership to the HR Operations team, establishing performance standards and KPIs.
* Deliver a clear HR Operations service offer and drive improvement initiatives.
* Ensure the service is positioned to scale and adapt to future needs, balancing resources with demand.
* Strengthen data quality and reporting, embedding a culture of continuous improvement.
* Rapidly establish and implement KPIs and Service Standards (SLAs) for HR Operations.
* Communicate service standards and the HR Ops service offer clearly to key stakeholders.
* Deliver consistent, timely, and customer-focused HR operational support across the employee lifecycle.
Essential Experience
* Significant leadership experience in HR Operations or Shared Services within a local authority or complex public sector environment.
* Strong track record of leading HR teams, improving performance, and embedding robust service standards and SLAs.
* Experience in delivering transformation and process improvements in HR Operations, ideally in a unionised environment.
* Demonstrable experience in workforce resource analysis and capacity planning, including the application of technology to enhance efficiency.
* Skilled in managing HR data quality, reporting, and analytics to support decision-making.
Essential Qualification
* Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to engage and reassure at all levels.
* Understanding of audit and compliance requirements within public sector HR operations.
* Awareness of emerging digital solutions and ethical AI applications in HR.
Additional Information
* Working hours: 37 hours per week
* Location: Civic Campus, Euclid Street, Swindon, SN1 2JG, United Kingdom
* Application Deadline: 15th October 2025, apply ASAP.
Requirements
The Council requires an interim HR Operations Manager to provide immediate stability, leadership, and operational excellence across the HR Operations function. This role will lead the HR Team Leader and team, introduce robust service standards and performance reporting, and deliver improvements aligned with transformation, audit, and service review recommendations