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