People Operations Specialist – Financial Services

Location: London
Sector: Financial Services
Contract: Permanent

We are working with a well-established financial services organisation to recruit a People Operations Specialist to support core HR operations across payroll, benefits, employee lifecycle management and regulatory processes.

This role would suit an experienced HR operations professional, or a payroll professional looking to move into broader people operations, who is comfortable working in a regulated environment and enjoys owning detailed, process-driven responsibilities while partnering closely with Finance, Compliance and the wider People team.

The Role

The People Operations Specialist will play a key role in ensuring the smooth and compliant delivery of day-to-day people operations. The role has a strong focus on data accuracy, governance and operational excellence within a financial services setting, and includes line management responsibility for a small people operations team.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Operations

• Coordinate and quality-check monthly payroll processes in collaboration with Finance and third-party payroll providers
• Validate salary changes, bonuses, variable pay and deductions prior to payroll approval
• Act as a point of contact for payroll queries and issue resolution
• Support payroll audits, year-end processes and statutory reporting

Benefits Administration

• Manage the administration of employee benefits including pensions, private medical insurance, life assurance and other insured benefits
• Liaise with benefits providers and brokers to ensure accurate enrolment, changes and leaver processing
• Support annual benefits renewals and enrolment cycles
• Respond to employee queries and provide guidance on benefits policies

Employee Lifecycle Management

• Own end-to-end employee lifecycle processes, including onboarding, contract changes and offboarding
• Prepare employment contracts, variations, leaver documentation and references
• Maintain accurate employee records within the HR information system
• Provide operational HR support and guidance to managers and stakeholders

Regulatory & Compliance

• Support employment-related regulatory requirements within a financial services environment (including SMCR where applicable)
• Maintain regulatory documentation, certifications and attestations
• Partner with Risk, Compliance and Legal teams on audits and regulatory reviews
• Ensure HR processes remain aligned with internal policies and external regulatory expectations

People Management

• Manage, develop and coach a small team within the People Operations function
• Allocate and prioritise workloads to ensure service levels and deadlines are consistently met
• Support the ongoing development of the team through regular feedback, performance management and knowledge sharing
• Drive continuous improvement in people operations processes and controls