Office/Operations Manager
Location: London (Hybrid – minimum 2 days per week in the London office)
The Opportunity
We are partnering with a leading financial markets and analytics firm based in London to appoint an experienced and commercially minded Operations Manager.
This is a broad and highly visible role, ideal for someone who enjoys owning the full spectrum of business operations and thrives in a dynamic, knowledge-led environment.
Reporting to the leadership team, you will play a central role in ensuring the smooth running of the business across HR, payroll, finance administration, office operations, recruitment, and operational improvement. You will also help drive the adoption of AI tools and smarter ways of working across the organisation.
Supporting a team of market specialists, analysts, and commercial experts, you will act as a trusted operational partner to senior leadership, helping the business scale efficiently while maintaining a high-performance and collaborative culture.
This position offers the opportunity to contribute directly to both strategic and operational decision-making within a respected organisation operating at the forefront of European markets.
Key Responsibilities
HR & People Operations
- Lead all day-to-day HR operations across the employee lifecycle.
- Manage HR policies, contracts, benefits administration, employee communications, and compliance.
- Oversee UK payroll coordination, annual leave, sickness absence, and visa tracking (payroll experience is essential).
- Support performance review cycles, objective setting, and career development frameworks.
- Implement and coordinate Learning & Development initiatives and employee engagement programmes.
- Handle employee relations matters, including probation reviews, performance management, and grievances.
- Ensure HR processes remain compliant, efficient, and fit for business growth.
Recruitment & Onboarding
- Manage end-to-end recruitment processes, including agency management, candidate screening, offers, and contracts.
- Deliver a high-quality onboarding and offboarding experience.
- Partner with the Team Assistant to coordinate interviews and candidate logistics.
- Support hiring managers with recruitment strategy and workforce planning.
Finance & Business Operations
- Manage operational finance processes, including invoicing, expenses, reconciliations, and payroll coordination.
- Support VAT submissions, reporting, and financial administration using Xero.
- Assist with budgeting, operational expenditure tracking, and financial planning cycles.
- Improve reporting accuracy and strengthen operational controls across the business.
Office Operations & Infrastructure
- Oversee office management, facilities, and hybrid working arrangements.
- Manage supplier relationships, operational contracts, insurance renewals, and workplace services.
- Negotiate office leases and vendor agreements.
- Coordinate IT operations, systems management, and business tooling.
- Maintain SharePoint and support process optimisation and workflow improvements.
AI, Systems & Operational Efficiency
- Champion the use of AI tools and automation across HR and business operations.
- Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve reporting, and increase operational efficiency.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives across systems, workflows, and internal operations.
Candidate Profile
Essential Experience
- Previous experience in an Operations Manager, People Operations, or HR Operations role within an SME, professional services, analytics, research, advisory, or similarly fast-paced business environment.
- Strong knowledge of UK HR operations, employment legislation, and payroll processes.
- Hands-on experience managing payroll and HR administration.
- Financial and operational management experience, including strong working knowledge of Xero.
- Experience implementing Learning & Development initiatives and performance management frameworks.
- Experience overseeing office operations, supplier management, and workplace infrastructure.
- Confident drafting policies, employee communications, and operational documentation.
- Recruitment and line management experience.
- Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple priorities autonomously.
- Strong commercial awareness and an operational mindset.
- Comfortable leveraging AI tools to improve productivity and business operations.
Personal Attributes
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
- High emotional intelligence with a people-first approach.
- Pragmatic, proactive, and solutions-oriented.
- Comfortable operating within a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
- Able to balance operational delivery with strategic thinking.
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