Full job description

Job Overview

The Shared Services Lead is responsible for leading and developing the People Shared Services function, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality, efficient, and customer-focused service to employees and managers across the organisation.

The role is accountable for service delivery performance, SLA governance, quality assurance, workflow management, and team performance across all People Operations activities. Alongside leadership responsibilities, the post holder will actively support operational delivery by managing a portfolio of complex queries, cases, investigations, and People Services activities, ensuring service standards are maintained and operational demands are met.

As the operational lead for Shared Services, the role acts as both a subject matter expert and escalation point, ensuring work is prioritised effectively, risks are managed appropriately, and employees receive accurate, timely, and consistent support. Through effective leadership, operational oversight, and hands-on delivery, the role drives continuous improvement, develops team capability, and ensures the successful delivery of People Services across the organisation.

Responsibilities

Shared Services Leadership & Team Management (30%)

• Lead, coach, develop, and support the Shared Services team to deliver a high-performing and customer-focused service.

SLA Governance, Workflow & Service Delivery Management (25%)

• Own and monitor Shared Services service level agreements (SLAs) and associated performance measures.
• Ensure effective management of ticket queues, workflow allocation, and case prioritisation.
• Monitor backlog volumes, ageing cases, and operational performance.
• Ensure workload is appropriately distributed across the team.
• Identify and address service delivery risks and bottlenecks.
• Drive accountability for achieving service standards and operational KPIs.
• Support service reporting and operational reviews with the Head of HR Operations.
• Implement corrective actions where service levels are at risk.

Operational Case Management & Shared Services Delivery (20%)

• Personally manage and resolve a portfolio of assigned People Services tickets and employee queries.
• Support the team during periods of high demand by taking ownership of operational activities and casework.
• Handle complex or escalated cases that require additional expertise or oversight.
• Support employee lifecycle administration activities where required.
• Provide guidance and coaching to advisors on the handling of cases and queries.
• Ensure employees and managers receive timely and accurate responses.
• Maintain accurate records and documentation within HR systems.

Quality Assurance & Compliance (15%)

• Conduct regular quality reviews and audits of cases, investigations, correspondence, and employee records.
• Review Stage 1 investigation outputs to ensure consistency, fairness, and quality.
• Monitor adherence to policies, procedures, and compliance requirements.
• Ensure employee communications and documentation meet required standards.
• Identify process weaknesses and implement corrective improvements.
• Maintain oversight of data quality and record management standards.

Operational Oversight, Escalation & Continuous Improvement (10%)

• Maintain oversight of onboarding, offboarding, Occupational Health referrals, sponsorship administration, employee relations administration, and People Services activities.
• Oversee managing timeframes of Investigations and Service Delivery.
• Escalate high-risk, tribunal-risk, or complex issues to the Employee Relations Lead or Head of HR Operations.
• Set clear objectives and performance expectations.
• Manage resource allocation across the team.
• Conduct regular one-to-one meetings and performance reviews.
• Support succession planning and skills development within the Shared Services function.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Act as the first operational escalation point for team members.

Requirements

Experience

• Significant experience working within an HR/People Shared Services, HR Operations, or Employee Services environment.
• Previous experience leading, supervising, or coordinating a team in a service delivery environment.
• Proven experience managing operational workloads, ticketing systems, case management, and service delivery performance.
• Experience monitoring and reporting against KPIs, SLAs, and service standards.
• Experience handling complex employee queries and providing guidance on HR policies and procedures.
• Experience conducting quality assurance reviews, audits, and compliance checks.
• Experience driving continuous improvement initiatives and delivering operational efficiencies.
• Experience working with HR systems and maintaining accurate employee records.

Knowledge

• Strong understanding of HR operational processes and the employee lifecycle.
• Sound knowledge of UK employment legislation and HR best practice.
• Understanding of data protection, confidentiality, and GDPR requirements.
• Knowledge of service management principles, customer service standards, and performance measurement.
• Understanding of employee relations processes, investigations, absence management, and case administration.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership and people management skills with the ability to motivate and develop others.
• Excellent organisational and workload prioritisation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to make sound operational decisions using data and performance information.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• High attention to detail and commitment to quality standards.
• Competent user of HR systems, Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and reporting tools.
• Ability to coach and support team members in resolving complex queries and cases.

Personal Attributes

• Customer-focused and service-oriented approach.
• Resilient and calm under pressure.
• Proactive and solutions-focused mindset.
• High level of integrity and professionalism.
• Committed to continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• CIPD Level 5 qualification (or equivalent HR qualification) or working towards.

Benefits:

• Canteen
• Company pension
• Flexitime
• Life insurance
• On-site parking
• Private dental insurance

Work Location: In person