Job Description

HR Shared Services Manager

Birmingham | Permanent

We are looking for an experienced HR Manager to lead two closely connected teams responsible for delivering high-quality HR services and managing a broad range of compliance activity.

This is a varied leadership role spanning HR Shared Services and HR Compliance, ensuring that each team retains its specialist focus while working together to provide a consistent and customer-focused service.

Alongside overseeing day-to-day service delivery, you will have the opportunity to shape how the function operates. A key priority will be identifying ways to simplify processes, drive automation, improve efficiency, controls and the overall employee experience.

What you'll be doing

• Providing strategic and operational leadership across the HR Shared Services and HR Compliance teams.
• Overseeing core HR processes across the employee lifecycle and supporting effective global service delivery.
• Acting as a senior escalation point for complex operational matters and HR compliance risks.
• Leading continuous improvement, identifying duplication and introducing streamlined, well-controlled ways of working.
• Working closely with HR Systems to maximise the use of Oracle HCM, including opportunities to deploy AI and automation.
• Developing meaningful service measures, compliance controls and management information.
• Building strong relationships across HR, Payroll, HR Systems, Privacy, Information Security, Finance, IT and the wider business.
• Acting as the senior HR lead for UK right to work and immigration, including sponsorship licences, sponsored employees and visa-related activity.
• Supporting the delivery of HR Data Subject Rights Requests and ensuring privacy requirements are embedded within HR processes.
• Overseeing employee vetting, relevant information security activity and liaison with law societies and professional regulators.
• Developing the capability of both teams through clear priorities, coaching, training and effective deployment of specialist skills.
• Leading change projects and ensuring improvements are supported by effective governance, documentation, communication and measures of success.

What we're looking for

You will bring significant experience of leading an HR Shared Services, HR operations or comparable service-delivery function. Experience gained within professional services or another complex, highly regulated environment would be particularly valuable. You will also have:

• Strong working knowledge of UK immigration and right to work requirements, including sponsorship arrangements and employment visas.
• Experience of managing compliance activity, risk, controls, audit or regulatory obligations.
• Broad HR operational experience, with the ability to work effectively across a varied remit.
• A track record of improving services and delivering continuous improvement across end-to-end processes.
• Strong HR systems capability and the confidence to use technology to improve service delivery. Experience of Oracle HCM would be advantageous but is not essential.
• Knowledge of UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and Data Subject Rights Requests.
• Experience of leading and developing operational and specialist teams.
• Experience of international HR administration or service delivery across different jurisdictions would be helpful.
• Knowledge of professional regulatory requirements within the legal sector would be an advantage, but previous legal-sector experience is not essential.

The person

You will be a credible and confident leader with the energy to create an excellent customer experience while maintaining strong standards of governance and compliance.

You will be comfortable moving between operational delivery, complex problem-solving and longer-term transformation. You will bring sound judgement, strong stakeholder-management skills and the ability to explain complex compliance matters clearly and practically.

Most importantly, you will be curious about how services can be improved. You will encourage continuous improvement, make effective use of HR technology and help the teams develop simpler, more consistent and efficient ways of working.

Why join us?

This is an opportunity to lead two important HR functions with a wide-ranging remit and significant scope to influence how services are delivered. You will be able to combine people leadership, customer service and compliance expertise with technology-enabled transformation, helping to build an efficient, responsive and continually improving HR service.

Our commitment

At Pinsent Masons, we are committed to recruiting and retaining the best talent and building an inclusive and fair workplace. We value the strength that comes from different experiences and strive to create an environment where everyone feels they belong.

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates and are dedicated to ensuring equitable opportunities throughout our recruitment processes. In line with local laws and cultural contexts across the jurisdictions in which we operate, we encourage people of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences to apply.

If you need reasonable adjustments or accommodations to participate in our recruitment process or to perform the role, please tell us, we will work with you to identify a suitable approach.