Job Description

Role: People Services Operations Manager

Sector: Higher Education

Duration 12 months

Location: Buckinghamshire

Salary: up to £66537 per annum – depending on experience

Sellick Partnership are currently recruiting for an experienced People Services Operations Manager to join our public sector client on a fixed term contract for 12 months. This role is offered on a hybrid basis with a minimum of 1 day a week onsite.

The People Services Operations Manager will play a pivotal leadership role within the People Services Leadership team. The ideal candidate will be responsible for the oversight and effective delivery of operational HR services across the employee lifecycle, driving performance and lead through change, embedding a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.

The duties of the People Services Operations Manager include:

• Providing senior operational leadership across Recruitment Operations, Advisory teams, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, consistent and customer-focused HR services across the employee lifecycle
• Supporting the Director of People Services Hub in delivering the People Services strategy and HR operational service roadmap, translating university priorities and objectives for People Service and the Hub into value driven action plans with measurable outcomes
• Acting as a senior point of contact and escalation for service delivery/operational issues. Provide guidance and sound judgement to resolve operational challenges and people-related matters whilst balancing risk, employee experience, and organisational requirements.
• Embedding a culture of accountability and continuous improvement, ensuring operational services are delivered efficiently, in line with legislative requirements, organisational policies, and agreed service levels
• Leading the delivery of service transformation initiatives, including redesign of core services and ways of working, ensuring teams are equipped, supported and engaged
• Actively contribute to the identification, implementation and optimisation of HR systems, tools and process, particularly in the context of SAP SuccessFactors, Automation and Generative AI
• Champion innovation and improvements across the People Services Hub teams, using stakeholder insight, feedback, and external HR benchmarking
• Ensure effective governance and compliance across all People Services Hub operations, including alignment with employment law, GDPR, data quality, and internal controls
• Collaborate with system and data owners to ensure data accuracy and integrity, reducing risk of service breaches and ensuring compliance with institutional and regulatory standards
• Developing industry aligned KPIs and operational metrics across the employee lifecycle to inform decision-making, track progress, and demonstrate value
• Proactively gather stakeholder feedback and insight, ensuring operational services remain relevant, responsive, and continuously improving
• Oversee the performance of any outsourced service providers, ensuring that expectations, service levels and contractual commitments are consistently met and achieved

The People Services Operations Manager will ideally have:

• CIPD Level 7 qualified or equivalent, or qualified by experience
• Experience with SAP SuccessFactors is essential
• Experience within higher education or the wider public sector would be beneficial
• Experience in leading large-scale people operations or HR Shared Service function
• Experience driving change and operational transformation
• Experience in performance management, employee relations, and organisational development.

How to apply for the People Services Operations Manager:

Our client is hoping to have the People Services Operations Manager in the role as soon as possible, therefore if you believe your experience meets the criteria above, please contact Charlotte Broomfield by Tuesday 15th July by calling the Derby office for Sellick Partnership or by submitted your CV directly.