HR Operations Manager
Reading – Hybrid-working
6-month contract
At MBNL, our mission is clear: Managing the Mobile Infrastructure to Enable Digital Britain. As the UK’s largest network-sharing joint venture, we are at the forefront of industry transformation, delivering innovative solutions that shape the future of connectivity.
Our People team is at the heart of shaping the employee experience and enabling business success. Acting as a centre of excellence, we design and deliver the people strategy that ensures our organisation has the skills, resources, and engaged workforce it needs—today and for the future.
As HR Operations Manager, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring our core HR services, which includes the activities, policies, processes, data and tools and the management of external suppliers meets the needs of the business, delivers an excellent service to employees and people managers and supports our desired employee experience as well as ensuring compliance to legal and regulatory requirements. You’ll be responsible for both the day-to-day delivery of core HR operations and the design and management of complex people projects that drive cultural and organisational change. This is a role for a strategic thinker with a hands-on approach—someone who can balance operational excellence with forward-looking initiatives that shape the future of our people strategy. This is a hybrid role with a minimum of 3 to 4 days per week in our Central Reading office.
What you’ll do:
* Direct complex HR and culture-related projects, from role and structure change to EDI initiatives and talent development frameworks.
* Orchestrate the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of core HR services, policies, processes, and tools.
* Oversee payroll, pay, benefits, and recognition frameworks (directly or via third-party providers).
* Manage frameworks and processes for contracts, promotions, pay changes, secondments, leavers, and working arrangements (e.g., hybrid/flexible working, family leave).
* Ensure compliance with employment legislation, regulatory requirements, and reporting obligations (e.g., gender pay reporting).
* Own HR systems and data, ensuring accuracy, security, and effective use.
* Manage supplier relationships (e.g., payroll, occupational health, training, recruitment).
* Oversee office and facilities management to ensure a safe, high-quality working environment.
* Deal with HR queries, escalations, and employee relations (ER) cases, coaching managers to resolve issues fairly and effectively.
* Partner with HRBPs to deliver annual lifecycle processes such as pay review and performance calibration.
What you’ll bring:
* Strong, broad, and deep HR experience across all disciplines, with expertise in HR operations and service delivery.
* Proven record of managing large and complex HR projects.
* Excellent influencing and coaching skills, with the ability to partner with managers, employees, and leaders to navigate complex situations.
* Experience managing third-party suppliers and multi-level teams.
Nice to Have
* CIPD qualification
MBNL – building strength through inclusion.
At MBNL we embrace equality, diversity, and inclusion. People are at the heart of everything we do and collectively we strive to create an environment where everyone can flourish. By fostering an inclusive environment, we are championing each other’s uniqueness. Inclusion & Diversity within MBNL will unlock innovation and continue to evolve how we work, to help us deliver world class infrastructure for our Shareholders and their customers.
We will work creatively to offer flexible working arrangements, (like non-standard hours, part-time, remote working). We want to support you to build your career without sacrificing your personal priorities.
MBNL are proud recipients of the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award, and Disability Confident accredited.