About DFT Operator
Join Our Team at DFTO
DFTO is the government’s public sector rail owning group. Its purpose is to bring all currently privately-owned train operators into public ownership in advance of the creation of Great British Railways in 2027 - and deliver improvements in the here and now by unifying and integrating train operations under common public ownership.
DFTO has over 30,000 employees, runs over 11,000 services a day and delivers over 930 million customer journeys across its networks every year. 7,000 people joined the railway family in the last year
Major improvements are being delivered by DFTO train operators (TOCs) that are already under public ownership - these are LNER, Northern, TransPennine Express (TPE), Southeastern, South Western Railway (SWR), c2c, Greater Anglia, WM Trains, GTR. and Chiltern.
We work closely with the DfT but operate independently with our own governance and leadership teams. Our priority is ensuring efficient, dependable rail services for everyone.
Primary Purpose of Job:
To lead and develop a team of HR Administrators and HR Coordinators, ensuring the delivery of an efficient, compliant and customer-focused HR and payroll administration service. The role provides governance and oversight of employment documentation and payroll administration, including contracts of employment, contract variations, secondment agreements and associated employment records.
The postholder will ensure that HR policies, procedures, employment documentation and payroll processes remain compliant with current employment legislation, statutory requirements and organisational policies, while driving continuous improvement in HR processes, payroll controls and governance arrangements.
Key Competencies
• Customer focus - To lead and manage the HR Business Partner Team administrators to support service delivery, ensuring the effective delivery of accurate, timely and customer-focused HR processes.
• Collaboration - Builds positive and effective working relationships across HR, Payroll, Finance, Legal and the wider business to resolve issues, share knowledge and deliver a consistent, high-quality service.
• Commercial awareness – Makes sure HR administration and payroll processes support organisational priorities while maintaining appropriate controls and compliance.
• Solution orientation - Takes a practical and proactive approach to resolving operational issues. Identifies the root cause of problems, considers appropriate options and implements effective, proportionate solutions rather than simply escalating issues.
• Continuous improvement mindset - Actively looks for opportunities to simplify, standardise and improve HR and payroll processes. Uses feedback, management information and lessons learned to improve efficiency, accuracy, controls and the employee experience.
• Integrity and discretion - Demonstrates high standards of integrity, handling sensitive employee, pay and personal information appropriately and confidentially. Acts consistently, transparently and in accordance with organisational policies, governance requirements and data protection obligations.
• Sound judgement and decision-making - Uses evidence, professional knowledge and appropriate judgement to make timely and well-informed decisions. Recognises risk, understands when escalation is required and balances operational requirements with legal, policy and governance considerations.
• Governance & Risk Management - Maintains strong governance and control across HR administra-tion and payroll activities. Identifies and manages risks, ensures appropriate checks and audit trails are in place, and takes prompt corrective action where issues or control weaknesses are identified.
Key Responsibilities:
Leadership and Team Management
• Lead, manage and develop the HR administration team to deliver a high-quality service.
• Set clear objectives, monitor performance and provide coaching and development opportunities.
• Allocate workload effectively and ensure service level agreements are consistently achieved.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, customer service and operational excellence.
• Act as an escalation point for complex HR administration queries.
Employment Documentation and Governance
• Maintain ownership of standard employment documentation, including but not limited to: contracts of employment, contract variation letters, offer letters, secondment agreements, fixed-term contract documentation, family leave documentation, flexible working agreements
• Review and update employment documentation to reflect changes in employment legislation, case law, organisational policy and best practice.
• Work with Legal, Employee Relations and HR colleagues to implement changes arising from employment law developments.
• Establish robust document control processes and governance arrangements.
Policy Management and Compliance
• Lead the review, development and maintenance of HR policies and procedures.
• Ensure HR policies remain legally compliant, practical and aligned to organisational objectives.
• Monitor forthcoming employment law changes and recommend policy updates.
• Conduct periodic compliance audits of HR documentation and employment practices.
• Support the implementation of new legislative requirements and organisational policy changes.
Secondments and Internal Mobility
• Oversee the administration and governance of internal and external secondment arrangements.
• Ensure secondment agreements accurately reflect the terms of the arrangement and comply with legal and policy requirements.
• Guide managers and HR colleagues on secondment processes and associated employment implications.
• Maintain accurate records of secondment arrangements and extensions.
Operational Excellence
• Review and improve HR administration processes to increase efficiency and reduce risk.
• Develop and maintain HR operational procedures and guidance documents.
• Produce management information and compliance reports.
• Ensure HR records are accurate and comply with GDPR and data-retention requirements.
• Identify opportunities to automate and digitise HR processes.
Stakeholder Management
• Build effective working relationships with HR Business Partners, Employee Relations, Legal and business leaders.
• Provide expert guidance on employment documentation, policy interpretation and compliance matters.
• Support organisational change initiatives requiring documentation or policy changes.
Payroll Administration and Compliance
• Lead accurate and timely payroll administration, ensuring employee data changes are processed correctly and within agreed timescales.
• Manage payroll transactions covering starters, leavers, contractual changes, salary amendments, allowances, secondments, family leave, sickness absence, deductions and other employment-related changes.
• Ensure payroll inputs comply with employment legislation, statutory requirements, organisational policies and payroll procedures.
• Act as the primary liaison between HR, Payroll, Finance and external payroll providers, where applicable.
• Support legislative changes affecting pay and benefits, ensuring payroll practices and documentation remain compliant.
• Continuously improve payroll administration to enhance efficiency, accuracy and employee experience.
Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Technical Qualifications:
Education:
• CIPD Level 5 qualification or equivalent experience.
Experience
• Experience of HR and payroll administration within a complex organisation.
• Experience of managing and developing administrative teams.
• Strong understanding of UK employment law and its practical application.
• Experience of drafting and maintaining employment contracts and HR policies.
• Knowledge of secondment arrangements, contract variations and employment documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Skills:
• Excellent attention to detail and strong governance skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Builds a capable, engaged and accountable team.
• Manages multiple workstreams and competing deadlines.
• Handles sensitive employee and organisational information appropriately and demonstrates high professional standards.
• Remains effective in an evolving organisation and helps others navigate change.
Vacancy Details:
Duration: FTC until 31st March 2028 contract/secondment
Location: London Waterloo
Salary: up to £42,500
Closing date: 9thNovember 2026
DFTO Locations:
DFTO currently have office locations in London, Birmingham and Leeds and individuals can be based from any of the three locations. Whilst we do offer hybrid working there are sometimes demands to travel to the other office locations.
DFTO Benefits:
Annual Leave: Starting at 25 days and rising to an additional day per year of service completed within the first 5 completed years up to a maximum of 5 additional (30 days)
DC Pension Scheme: 10% Employer contribution, 5% Employee contribution
Opportunities to learn and network across the wider industry
Additional Information…
Disclaimer: Candidates applying for this position on a secondment basis must inform their line manager prior to submitting their application. This is to ensure transparency and facilitate any necessary discussions regarding workload and responsibilities.
About our people and the recruitment process - We're an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone! We encourage our colleagues to work flexibly, as we know traditional working patterns don't always fit. If you want to consider working flexibly, just let us know and we'll do our best to help and invest in your career with us, whilst you have a healthy work life balance.
Contact: If you have any questions or reasonable adjustments, please contact Amra.Hurley@dftoperator.co.uk.
Please do not email any CV's to us, your application must be made by clicking the 'Apply' button.
HR Administration Manager in London employer: DfT Operator
DFTO is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to lead transformative change in Britain's railway system while enjoying a supportive and inclusive work culture. With competitive benefits such as a generous annual leave policy and a robust pension scheme, employees are encouraged to grow and develop their careers within a dynamic environment that values flexibility and collaboration across multiple locations including London, Birmingham, and Leeds.
