CDS Tech is the newly formed technology services arm of Bailie Group, a family-owned group of human-centred communications and technology services businesses. With a strong heritage in delivering critical transformation projects, CDS Tech is poised to become the ‘go to’ professional services partner for Cloud, Security, Data and Digital transformation services – both in the UK and beyond. Underpinned by a People First and Client Obsessed mindset, our ambition is to drive meaningful impact for our clients, their audiences, their users, and society. Societal impact is not just an outcome – it’s our north star, guiding everything we do and ensuring we make a lasting, positive difference.
The role
As we continue to grow, we are seeking an experienced Associate Operations Manager to support the smooth and effective running of our operational function across three key areas: HR, Recruitment, and Business Operations. This role plays an important part in enabling the business to scale sustainably by supporting the people, processes and systems that underpin how we work. You’ll take ownership of defined operational activities across these areas, delivering reliably day to day while continuing to develop your skills, judgement and impact as an operations professional.
Responsibilities
Human Resources
- Support day-to-day people operations across the employee lifecycle (e.g., onboarding, changes, leavers), completing tasks accurately and on time
- Triage people-related queries as a first point of contact, responding promptly and knowing when to escalate
- Maintain accurate, up-to-date records in HR systems, handling information with discretion and confidentiality
- Coordinate with external HR partners by sharing information, tracking actions and following up to completion
- Follow agreed people processes consistently, flagging gaps or risks early and suggesting improvements where you spot them
- Communicate clearly with colleagues about progress, deadlines and any blockers
Recruitment
- Coordinate recruitment administration end to end, ensuring a smooth, professional candidate experience
- Create and publish job adverts, schedule interviews, and manage timely candidate and stakeholder communications
- Keep candidate records accurate and up to date, handling information carefully and confidentially
- Support onboarding coordination for new starters, ensuring key steps are completed and people feel welcomed and set up well
- Work collaboratively with hiring managers and recruitment partners, sharing updates and following through on actions
- Suggest small improvements to recruitment ways of working as the team and processes evolve
Business Operations
- Provide operational support that helps teams run smoothly, keeping tasks moving and reducing friction
- Support reporting, tracking and operational administration, with strong attention to detail and data quality
- Maintain operational systems and documentation so information is consistent, accurate and easy to find
- Coordinate across teams by sharing updates, tracking actions and following up on next steps
- Follow agreed governance and processes, speaking up early if something doesn’t look right or priorities change
- Take ownership of assigned tasks and commitments, delivering what you said you would and asking for help when needed
- Look for practical ways to improve how we work, raising suggestions constructively and learning from feedback
Skills and experience
Essential:
These are the skills that you need to perform their role successfully; however, if you feel you’d be a great fit for the role and CDS from what you have read we would love to hear from you – the skills are written as a guide, not a checkbox exercise:
- Experience supporting operations, people support, or business administration in a busy environment
- Strong organisation and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines
- Clear written and verbal communication, including giving timely updates and asking clarifying questions when needed
- A proactive approach and resilience when things change, with a problem-solving mindset
- High attention to detail and care for data accuracy, consistency and quality
- Confidence using Microsoft Office and business systems (and willingness to learn new tools)
- Team-first mindset: helpful, collaborative, and focused on shared success over personal recognition
- Integrity: honest, trustworthy, and comfortable speaking up if something doesn’t feel right
- Curiosity and continuous improvement: open to feedback, eager to learn, and motivated to improve ways of working
- Personal ownership: accountable for your tasks and commitments, and keen to contribute beyond your immediate workload when needed
Desirable:
If you have any of these, they are the extra cherry on top that will help you excel:
- Experience supporting recruitment coordination and/or HR administration
- Exposure to reporting, dashboards, invoicing support or commercial administration
- Familiarity with HR systems, CRM/ATS tools, or agency management software
- Experience in a technology, consultancy or professional services environment
- Interest in process improvement, documentation, governance and “how we work” practices
- Experience working in environments with security, compliance, or clearance requirements
Why join us
There are many compelling reasons to join our newly formed technology services business, and we’ll bring these to life when we meet you during the process. For now, though, we believe the following aspects offer an exciting opportunity for the right candidate…
Shaping the future of CDS Tech – your work will directly impact our brand, market positioning, revenue growth, and success.
Autonomy and ownership – a unique opportunity to own the delivery function and drive real impact for clients and programs of work that genuinely make a positive difference to society.
High-impact partnerships – work with some world-leading, most recognisable technology brands as our partners and position CDS Tech for success.
Competitive package – attractive salary and benefits, meaningful work and genuine opportunities for growth and professional development.
Vetting
Due to the nature of this role and the business, you will need to either currently hold or be able to obtain UK Government clearance to a minimum of SC level.
Values
Our values were created by everyone in CDS Tech working together. They are Tenacity, Togetherness, Integrity, Curiosity and Challenging. Our values are weaved throughout the company, from recruitment to who we work with, and people’s expectations. We are looking for people who share the same values and will enrich our culture with their own background and experiences.
Hybrid & Homeworking
To ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees we have minimum standards for homeworking environments which must be maintained. Further details are available on request.
At CDS, we work hybrid, and we are looking for people commutable to our central Leeds office. We ask our people to come into the office at least 2 days a week to build connections and encourage collaborative work.
In return we offer
- Smart, engaged co-workers and a culture of inclusion, innovation, and opportunity
- A business focused on professional development and personal growth opportunities
- Company pension and life assurance scheme
- Medicash health plan – online GP access, support services & discounted gym membership
- Cycle to work scheme
- Season pass loan for rail or bus travel
