HR Operations Manager - Ipswich

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals and over 600 staff based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client. We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face. Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do.

Our HR team sits within the wider Business Services Division, providing expert guidance and trusted advice to managers and employees to support the effective delivery of HR processes across the firm. As we continue to grow and evolve, the team plays a key role in shaping a future-focused firm driving positive change, fostering a high-performance culture, and ensuring our people strategy aligns with the firm's long-term ambitions. By proactively partnering with the business, the HR team champions innovation in people practices, supports leadership capability, and enables an engaging and inclusive employee experience. Through continuous improvement and a forward-looking approach, the team helps build a resilient, adaptable workforce that is equipped to meet future challenges and opportunities as we expand.

Reporting to the HR Director, this role will be responsible for the running and continuous improvement of the HR Operations function by ensuring that policies, procedures and HR processes remain legally compliant, efficient and aligned with best practice. The role is responsible for creating and maintaining robust operational frameworks, including service level agreements (SLAs), quality standards and workflow processes, whilst managing a high-performing team of HR administrators to deliver a consistent and excellent employee experience.

• Operational Excellence
  • Own and continuously improve HR operational processes across the full employee lifecycle, ensuring they are efficient, consistent, well documented and aligned to best practice.
  • Design, implement and monitor SLAs, KPIs and quality standards for HR service delivery (onboarding, contract changes, payroll data flows, exits, etc.).
  • Ensure compliance with legal requirements, professional standards and internal governance across all HR operational activities.
  • Conduct regular process reviews, identifying opportunities for simplification, automation and improved accuracy.
• Policy & Best Practice
  • Lead the review, drafting and updating of HR policies, procedures and guidance, ensuring they remain compliant with current employment legislation and reflect Birketts culture and values.
  • Maintain a forward plan for policy reviews and legislative updates, proactively recommending changes and communicating them clearly to employees and managers.
  • Provide expert advice to the wider HR team and managers on the interpretation and application of policies.
• Team Leadership & Management
  • Line manage the HR Administration team, ensuring workloads, priorities and development plans support efficient service delivery.
  • Provide coaching, training and guidance to build capability, resilience and a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Oversee quality assurance checks to ensure accuracy and consistency of all administrative outputs, including contracts, letters, system entries and payroll inputs.
• Technology, Systems & Future-readiness
  • Work closely with other HR colleagues to optimise the HRIS, workflows and automation opportunities.
  • Support the firm in navigating technology changes, including the emerging influence of AI, by identifying opportunities to streamline HR operations, increase accuracy and enhance employee experience.
  • Monitor external developments in HR technology and recommend adoption or adaptation to ensure the function remains modern, efficient and forward looking.
• Data & Reporting
  • Ensure high standards of data integrity, compliance and record keeping in accordance with GDPR and information security requirements.
  • Support the preparation of management information reports, tracking SLA performance, operational metrics and trends.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Build strong working relationships with managers, Payroll, IT, Talent Acquisition and wider business support teams to ensure coordinated and efficient HR operations.
  • Provide clear, solutions-focused guidance on HR processes and policy requirements.
  • Act as a trusted escalation point for operational queries and issues.
• Projects & Continuous Improvement
  • Lead and contribute to HR projects including the introduction of new systems, upgrades, new workflows, policy overhauls, process mapping and organisational changes.
  • Benchmark HR operational practices against legal sector and professional services norms, recommending enhancements where beneficial.
• General
  • Support the achievement of HR Department goals, systems and operational plans.
  • Ensure compliance with relevant information security and risk management requirements.

Proven experience in HR Operations, HR Administration management or a similar role within a legal or professional services environment. Strong understanding of employment legislation and HR best practice in policy, process and workflow design. Demonstrable experience designing and maintaining SLAs, operational metrics and quality standards. Excellent organisational skills with a structured approach to improving processes and delivering consistent service. Experience managing and developing an HR administrative team. High attention to detail and accuracy, particularly in documentation and data management. Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain processes clearly and work collaboratively across departments. Strong IT skills, with confident use of HR systems and data reporting tools. CIPD qualification desirable but not essential.

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. This role attracts a split of 60% office days and 40% working from home days per week. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.

As a Birketts colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of benefits:

• 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
• Long Service holiday award - 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Dress for your Day Policy

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.

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We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment practices. The use of AI should enhance, not compromise, your application. We encourage candidates to demonstrate critical thinking, commercial awareness, and a genuine interest in our firm.