People Operations Specialist in Cheshire, Warrington

Obsidian is a specialist professional services firm working in complex and challenging environments around the world. We partner with governments, intergovernmental organisations and third sector actors to address security, stability and resilience challenges, delivering practical and ethical solutions with real-world impact. Our work combines deep contextual understanding with on-the-ground delivery, often in places where others cannot operate effectively. Our team draws on experience from government, military, private and third sectors, united by a strong purpose and professional integrity. We value judgement, collaboration and delivery over hierarchy.

Having grown at pace, we have identified a need to invest in our People Team and create a high performing, agile function that acts as an enabler to our organisation and our colleagues and supports our overall business strategy and growth agenda. The People Operations Specialist will be responsible for the delivery of accurate, timely and high-quality HR administration across the employee lifecycle. Partnering with colleagues across the People Team, the People Operations Specialist is a pivotal role in delivering the team’s objective to create a seamless, compliant and engaging colleague experience, providing operational support that enables leaders and colleagues to perform at their best.

Location: UK Remote

Hours of Work: 40 hours per week

Contract Type: 12-month Fixed Term Contract

Role Responsibilities:

• Deliver high-quality, end-to-end HR administration services across the full employee lifecycle, including but not limited to onboarding, offboarding, probations, absence reporting, contract variations and contract renewals.
• Own the creation and maintenance of accurate employee records in our HRIS platform (currently Bamboo HR) and SharePoint.
• Conduct regular data audits ensuring the quality and integrity of the data we hold is maintained.
• Own the onboarding (post-hire) and offboarding processes so our new hires and leavers experience reflects our People First values and culture.
• Support the Head of People & Talent in the creation of timely and accurate HR reports and dashboards (weekly, monthly, quarterly, ad-hoc).
• Provide administrative support to Finance for Payroll and Benefits related actions where required.
• Contribute to wider People Team projects designed to build out policies, processes, and skills across the organisation to improve the employee experience.
• Provide first line guidance on processes, systems and documentation within a timely manner.
• Work in collaboration with wider business areas to ensure a seamless employee experience.
• Act as HR note taker during meetings as required.
• Proactively seek efficiency and quality enhancement opportunities to continuously improve how we work.

Requirements:

• Essential:
• Experience in HR operations, administrations or shared services.
• CIPD Level 3 / Regional Equivalent (or working towards).
• Strong foundational HR knowledge and an understanding of UK employment legislation.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 (including Excel, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams).
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Experience using Bamboo HR, or similar HRIS platform.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.
• Commitment to delivering an excellent candidate and colleague experience.
• Proactively takes ownership of work activities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to deal with information in a confidential manner.
• Ability to work to strict deadlines.
• Strong relationship skills.
• Desirable:
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience of coordinating and administering contracts for self-employed contractors.
• Experience working in a multi-regional organisation.