People Operations Manager

Overview of the role Phoenix is a leading UK IT solutions and managed service provider, with a deep specialism in the public sector. We work with organisations across government, healthcare, defence, public safety, education, housing, and the charity sector - helping them modernise with confidence across cloud, data and AI, cyber security, and managed services. Through strategic partnerships with the world's leading technology providers - and a trusted place on the major public sector frameworks - our work has a direct impact on the services that millions of people rely on every day. Due to continued growth, we are hiring a new People Operations Manager to lead the People Operations pillar of the People team. What will you be doing? Lead, motivate and develop the People Operations team, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality, professional and commercially focused people service across the organisation. Provide coaching, guidance and development opportunities to team members, managing performance, workload priorities and succession planning to build a high-performing function. Act as the subject matter expert for complex employee relations matters, providing advice and support to managers on disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence management and dismissal cases. Serve as the escalation point for high-risk and sensitive employee relations issues, ensuring consistent, fair and legally compliant outcomes across the business. Partner with managers and business leaders to improve employee performance, engagement, wellbeing and overall organisational effectiveness. Oversee the day-to-day delivery of People Operations activities across the entire employee lifecycle, including onboarding, probation management, contract administration and employee records management. Lead the effective use and ongoing development of HR systems, including Dayforce, ensuring data accuracy, process efficiency and meaningful people reporting. Identify, implement and drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance people processes, service delivery and the employee experience. Develop, review and implement people policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with employment legislation, GDPR and organisational requirements. Support audits, governance activities and reporting requirements, maintaining robust people processes and controls. Work collaboratively with key stakeholders to deliver people initiatives, organisational change programmes and wider people strategies. Analyse trends relating to employee relations, sickness absence, engagement and turnover, identifying risks and recommending appropriate interventions. Champion employee wellbeing, engagement and inclusion initiatives, helping to create a positive, supportive and high-performing workplace culture. Act as a trusted advisor to managers, providing expert people guidance and helping to foster a consistent and positive employee experience throughout the organisation. …