People Operations - Team Leader

What skills and experience we're looking for

• A proven track record of meeting targets or delivering service improvements within set timescales.
• Experience of building effective working relationships, and communicating clearly with a range of different people and groups.
• Experience of ensuring data quality and accuracy, including checking and verification processes.
• Experience of improving processes, including the effective use of technology and systems.
• Experience of improving processes, including the effective use of technology and systems.
• Previous use of HR/Payroll systems (preferably iTrent).

As the successful candidate, you will be offered a salary of between £33,824- £38,028 per annum based upon a combination of the skills, knowledge and experience that you can bring to the role.

Alongside your salary, your pension is one of the most valuable benefits of joining the College. The Local Government Pension Scheme  (LGPS), administered locally bySYPA, provides financial security in retirement and support for your loved ones.

• SYPA – with agenerous employer contribution
• 30 Days Annual Leave (222 hours) + 8 Bank Holidays (59.2 hours)- this includes a discretionary Christmas closure period
• Health and wellbeingsupport,including:
• Employeeassistanceprogramme through Bupa
• Occupational Health through PAM
• Free eye tests for VDU users
• Freeparkingis available atthe majority ofour campuses
• Hybrid andflexibleworkingopportunities
• Continuous professional development opportunities
• Apeople‑focusedworking culture where you can grow and thrive

As People Operations Team Leader, you will lead the team that runs the College's day-to-day people administration service across the whole employee lifecycle — from recruitment and onboarding through to contractual changes and leavers.

Your focus is simple but crucial: a fast, accurate and friendly service that managers can rely on, delivered through a confident, well-supported team.

You will set the pace and standard, working closely with the teams across the service so that together, you give managers across the College a genuinely great experience whilst achieving the College’s KPIs.

• Reporting to the Director of People Services, you will lead the day-to-day delivery of the College's people administration service. To achieve this, specific duties include, but are not limited to:
• Lead the day-to-day operations of the People Operations team across the full employee lifecycle — including recruitment and selection, pre-employment checks, onboarding, contracts and variations, changes to personal details, mileage and expenses, absence and other leave, and offboarding leavers.
• Ensure the Single Central Record is complete, accurate and up to date at all times, with all required checks completed and recorded in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.
• Provide a proactive, customer-focused service to managers and staff, resolving queries promptly and escalating more complex matters to the right colleague.
• Take ownership of data quality, making sure information is accurate and complete at the point of entry, with simple checks in place to prevent errors reaching payroll or reporting.
• Work closely with the People Analyst and People Support Analyst to keep the core people system (iTrent) accurate, and to make the most of reporting, dashboards and opportunities for automation.
• Work with the Recruitment Business Partner to deliver a smooth recruitment and onboarding experience, with clear handovers and agreed service standards.
• Support the People Business Partners and Advisors by guiding managers and staff to the right policies and processes, and providing reliable administrative support to casework.
• Support the Payroll team by providing accurate, timely information and ensuring familiarity with the process to support with the running of payroll and post processing returns as required.
• Ensure orders, requisitions and invoices are processed within agreed timescales.
• Develop, document and continuously improve standard operating procedures, championing simpler, leaner ways of working.
• Use data and key…