HR Services Operations Team Leader

About the Role

Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we're looking for an experienced HR professional to join our Shared Service Centre as an HR Services Operations Team Leader . This is an exciting opportunity for a highly organised, people-focused leader to oversee our HR Operations team and ensure the seamless delivery of HR administration and employee lifecycle services across the business.

The successful candidate will play a key role in driving service excellence, leading and developing a high‑performing team, and continuously improving HR processes to enhance the employee experience. If you have experience in HR Shared Services, HR Operations, or People Services and enjoy combining leadership with operational excellence, we'd love to hear from you.

• Lead, motivate, coach, and develop a team of HR Operations professionals.
• Conduct regular one‑to‑one meetings, performance reviews, and development discussions.
• Allocate workloads and resources effectively to ensure service delivery targets are met.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of new team members.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and customer service excellence.

You will oversee the accurate and timely delivery of employee lifecycle activities, including:

• Recruitment administration
• New starter and onboarding processes
• Contract changes
• Promotions and transfers
• Family leave administration
• Leaver and offboarding processes

You’ll monitor team performance against Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and act as the first escalation point for complex HR operational queries.

• Provide guidance on HR policies, procedures, and systems.
• Resolve escalated employee and manager queries.
• Ensure a positive and professional customer experience.

• Maintain accurate employee records and HR data.
• Monitor data quality and implement corrective actions where needed.
• Support system upgrades, testing, and process enhancements.
• Produce operational reports and management information.

• Ensure compliance with employment legislation, GDPR, and company policies.
• Support HR audits and governance reviews.
• Maintain the confidentiality and security of employee information.
• Ensure all HR documentation is legally compliant and accurate.

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and service delivery.
• Support automation and digital HR initiatives.
• Contribute to HR transformation projects.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures.

• Partner with managers and HR colleagues across the business.
• Work closely with Payroll, Finance, Recruitment, and Learning & Development teams.
• Support wider organisational and HR projects.

• A competitive salary and discretionary bonus
• Study support and career development pathways
• 25 days' holiday + bank holidays, plus banked hours
• Hybrid working: 3 days in the office, 2 from home
• Pension scheme, life assurance, income protection
• Employee assistance programme and digital GP access
• Cycle to work scheme and discounts on shopping, travel and more

Location:

Caerphilly

Hours:

Monday - Friday - 09:00 - 17:00 (we operate on a hybrid basis, with 3 days in the office and 2 at home)

Contract:

Perm

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more.

Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of i