People Operations Administrator (Fixed Term Contract) in London

This role is offered on a 6‑9 month fixed‑term contract, with a salary of £28k–£30K pro‑rata. A proactive HR role in a mission-driven nursery group. Are you organised, curious, and love making things run smoothly behind the scenes? At the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), we have 43 nurseries across London on a mission to ensure all children get the best start in life. As a charitable social enterprise, we put people before profit - and our People team plays a vital role in supporting our nurseries to make this happen.

As our People Operations Administrator, you’ll play an important part supporting HR queries and processes across our nurseries and central office teams. Whether working with nursery managers, responding to our colleague’s HR questions or spotting ways to improve how we work, this is more than admin - you’ll be enabling our teams to focus on changing early years education across London.

A Bit About the Role

You’ll be central in ensuring the smooth running of our HR operations to keep LEYF focused on what matters most - supporting London’s children. As part of our People Operations Team, you’ll play an important role in supporting over 1,000 colleagues across our nurseries and Central Office. Whether you’re answering a question about policies, preparing starter lists, implementing workflows in our HRIS, or spotting ways to improve how we do things, every task you take on will help us achieve our mission. What we do matters because our people rely on timely, professional, and clear answers they can trust. You’ll bring your HR experience and be ready to keep learning. Your ability to deliver seamless people processes, resolve queries with care and empathy, and navigate challenges effectively will be key to your success in this role.

Typical Main Responsibilities in Your Role:

• Manage a busy service desk, handling 40-100 queries a week efficiently, effectively and with empathy and professionalism.
• Be the friendly expert, answering questions and ensuring our people receive timely answers they need on pay, policies, and benefits in a clear, approachable way.
• Keep our systems and records accurate and up to date.
• Help run HR processes including preparing monthly starter and leaver lists.
• Be proactive in suggesting new ideas to improve processes.
• Respond to external queries including reference requests.
• Support with reports, data, and projects to help us work more efficiently.

What We’re Looking For:

• Credible HR admin experience with a knack for systems, processes and policies.
• A natural attention to detail, and care when handling confidential data.
• Calm and flexible under pressure, with the ability to adapt when things change quickly.
• A team player who loves building positive relationships.
• A curious mindset – you’re great at spotting patterns or thinking up simple solutions.
• A passion for purpose-driven work and willingness to roll up your sleeves.
• You’ll need the permanent right to work in the UK.

What’s in it for You?

• Shape the way we work: Bring your ideas and help us improve how we do things - it’s not all set in stone.
• Be part of something bigger: Join a supportive team dedicated to making a difference.
• Enjoy the perks: Competitive salary and a market-leading 7% employer pension contribution.
• Save on childcare: 70% discount at our nurseries if you have children or grandchildren.
• Time to recharge: 26 days off a year including Christmas closure, your birthday off plus bank holidays.
• Feel valued: Wellbeing app, shopping discounts, team events, and more.
• Grow your HR skills: A great opportunity to deepen your expertise and learn more.

Interested? If you’ve had experience in HR and looking for a meaningful role in a dynamic, purpose led organisation, we’d love to hear from you! We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation. Applications are progressed as they come in — don’t wait too long to apply!