Role DetailsStart: ASAPLength: 12 month contract (potential to extend)Location: hybrid with minimum 3 days on site in BasingstokeFTE: full time, 37.5 hours per week

Job DescriptionMy client is a renowned Pharmaceutical company, seeking a Senior Associate - HR Operations to join a high-performing HR function supporting employees and stakeholders across the UK & Northern Europe Hub.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced HR Operations, HR Shared Services, or HR Administration professional who enjoys combining hands-on operational delivery with process ownership, continuous improvement, and stakeholder support. Working across the full employee lifecycle, you will play a key role in ensuring the effective delivery of UK HR processes, providing specialist policy guidance, driving process improvements, and supporting an exceptional employee experience.

• Key ResponsibilitiesOperate and manage UK HR processes across the employee lifecycle, including complex and non-standard cases.
• Provide expert guidance to employees, managers, and HR colleagues on UK HR policies and procedures.
• Support areas including family leave, absence management, sick pay, benefits, pensions, mobility, immigration, and company car programmes.
• Own, document, and continuously improve local HR processes, ensuring compliance with UK legislation and company policies.
• Manage relationships with third-party HR service providers and ensure service delivery standards are met.
• Take ownership of HR data accuracy, integrity, reporting, and associated data feeds.
• Produce and analyse HR metrics, compliance reports, and operational performance data.
• Identify opportunities to improve employee and manager self-service resources and HR processes.
• Act as a key contact for HR data privacy activities, including records management and privacy impact assessments.
• Support and coach HR administration colleagues while maintaining operational resilience across the wider team.

• About YouDegree educated or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong experience operating HR administrative and operational processes within a complex organisation.
• Sound understanding of UK employment legislation, including family leave, absence management, working time regulations, right-to-work requirements, and data protection.
• Demonstrated experience improving HR processes and delivering measurable operational improvements.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and strong HR data analysis skills.
• Experience identifying root causes of data quality issues and implementing effective solutions.
• Customer-focused mindset with a proactive and solutions-oriented approach.
• Ability to balance operational delivery with process ownership and continuous improvement responsibilities.
• Excellent judgement when handling sensitive and confidential employee information.
• Comfortable leveraging AI and technology tools to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

• Preferred ExperienceExperience within a large global organisation.
• Experience within the Pharmaceutical, Biotech or Medical device industry strongly preferred.
• Workday and HR case management system experience.
• Experience managing third-party HR providers against service level agreements.
• Knowledge of pensions, benefits, or global mobility administration.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement training.
• CIPD qualification.
• Forward-thinking mindset with a passion for improving processes and employee experience.
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