HR Operations Lead

HR Operations Lead
Location: Covent Garden, London
Hybrid Working: Minimum 60% office-based
Salary: £40,000 - £45,000 per annum FTE
Hours: Part-time, 21 hours per week
Contract: Permanent

Charity People is delighted to be partnering with a brilliant theatre society to recruit an HR Operations Lead. This is a fantastic opportunity to join the central membership organisations for the UK theatre industry and play a key role in delivering an excellent employee experience for a passionate and collaborative workforce.

About the Organisations

Based in the heart of Covent Garden, these membership organisations represent theatre producers, owners, managers and operators across the UK. The organisations deliver a wide range of services and initiatives across membership development, audience engagement, and advocacy, including the Olivier Awards, West End LIVE, Theatre Tokens, and key industry campaigns.

The organisations are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in everything they do internally and across the sector and actively seek to create a culture where all staff feel supported, valued and able to contribute.

About the Role

The HR Operations Lead will report to the Director of Finance and Operations and will be responsible for the delivery and continuous improvement of all HR operations and processes across the organisation. This is a standalone generalist role, ideal for someone confident in managing core HR functions while building strong relationships across a collaborative team. It offers real variety, autonomy and the opportunity to drive positive change in a purpose-led, creative environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day HR operations including onboarding, contractual changes and offboarding
• Ensure compliance with employment law, GDPR and internal HR policies
• Act as first point of contact for HR queries, providing timely and professional advice
• Maintain and optimise the HR system (Cezanne) and provide accurate HR data and reporting to senior leaders
• Develop and improve HR processes and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement
• Support recruitment and selection processes, including inclusive hiring practices
• Coordinate learning and development activity in line with the organisational plan
• Lead the annual appraisal and mid-year review processes
• Work closely with the EDI working group to support and implement inclusive practices
• Support payroll and cross-functional operations in collaboration with Finance and IT colleagues
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of employment legislation and HR best practices

About You

This role would suit an experienced HR generalist with a collaborative approach, who enjoys working in a small, values-led team.

Essential experience and skills include:

• Proven experience in HR operations, ideally in a standalone or SME setting
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law, including the Equality Act
• Ability to manage systems and use HR data to generate insight
• Confident communicator with excellent interpersonal skills
• Skilled in process improvement and implementing best practice
• Experience supporting inclusive recruitment and staff development
• Detail-oriented with strong organisational and time management skills
• CIPD Level 5 (or equivalent experience) preferred

A background in the charity, arts or creative sectors would be beneficial but is not essential.

How to Apply

Tatiana Ostara at Charity People is managing this recruitment on behalf of the organisations. Please send your CV and Cover Letter when applying for the role. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, early applications are encouraged.

Closing date: Tuesday 9th July, 17:00

Charity People actively promotes equality, diversity and inclusion. We match charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for the charities we work with.