About The Role
People Operations Manager
London (Middlesex Street) - Hybrid, Full-time
Shape the employee experience. Lead with impact. Drive excellence.
Are you a passionate People leader who thrives in fast-paced environments? Do you enjoy coaching teams, improving processes, and making a real difference to the employee journey?
At QA Higher Education (QAHE), we’re looking for a People Operations Manager to lead our People Operations team and deliver a first-class, customer-focused service across the employee lifecycle.
About the Role
As our People Operations Manager, you’ll be the driving force behind a high-performing team, ensuring smooth, compliant, and people-centred processes at every stage of the employee journey.
You’ll act as the face of the People Team—supporting managers, employees, and stakeholders with expert guidance while continuously improving how we work.
This is an excellent opportunity to combine people leadership, operational excellence, and compliance expertise in a dynamic, purpose-driven organisation.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Lead and inspire a People Operations team, coaching them to deliver their best work
- Deliver a high-quality, responsive HR service throughout the employee lifecycle
- Drive continuous improvement by identifying more efficient ways of working
- Ensure compliance with UK employment law, right to work, immigration, DBS, and GDPR requirements
- Oversee HR systems and data accuracy, ensuring robust and reliable reporting
- Manage visa and sponsorship processes, keeping stakeholders informed
- Build strong relationships across the business as a trusted advisor
- Partner with stakeholders to keep policies and procedures up to date
- Lead compliance audits, risk assessments, and mitigation plans
- Support key initiatives such as pay reviews, TUPE, and policy updates
What We’re Looking For
Experience
- Proven experience in a busy People/HR environment, ideally in a leadership role
- Strong background in compliance, HR operations, and customer-focused service delivery
- Experience managing a team that delivers high-quality HR advice and support
- Comfortable using HR systems and Microsoft Office tools
Knowledge
- Solid understanding of UK employment legislation and HR best practice
- Strong knowledge of immigration and sponsorship processes (UKVI/SMS)
- Expertise in DBS, right to work, GDPR, and compliance requirements
Skills & Attributes
- Exceptional organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing demands
- A strong leader who can coach, motivate, and develop others
- High attention to detail and commitment to accuracy
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to build relationships at all levels
- A proactive, solution-focused mindset with a passion for improvement
About QA Higher Education
QAHE is a private UK higher education provider working in partnership with universities to deliver programmes from foundation to postgraduate level.
With over 17,000 students from around the world, we are committed to making outstanding higher education accessible and delivering an exceptional experience for both students and employees.
Why Join Us?
- Be part of a growing, forward-thinking organisation
- Make a tangible impact on people experience and operational excellence
- Work in a collaborative and supportive environment
- Develop your career in a role with real scope and influence
