HR People Operations Assistant

Location: We welcome applications from those looking for hybrid working, based 2 days (Tuesday & Thursday) per week in our Handforth (Cheshire) Office

Contract: 8 Month FTC

About the Role

As a People Assistant you will play a pivotal part in delivering a first-class, centralised People Service across our retail stores, vet practices and Support Office. Sitting within the People Services team, you will own day-to-day onboarding administration and wider colleague lifecycle tasks, making sure that every new starter, mover and leaver receives a seamless, accurate and timely service. By keeping data clean, processes compliant and queries resolved, you help us create a better world for pets and the people who love them—building the world’s best pet-care platform starts with brilliant colleague experiences.

Key Responsibilities – What you’ll be doing, but no limited to

• Manage the end-to-end pre-employment journey, from issuing contracts to confirming start dates, so every new colleague feels welcomed and informed.
• Collect and verify right-to-work evidence and other pre-employment documentation, ensuring 100% compliance with legislation.
• Liaise with hiring managers to keep them updated on onboarding progress and proactively resolve any barriers to a smooth start.
• Maintain accurate electronic colleague files from day one, supporting a positive colleague experience and protecting the business during audits.
• Administer changes to employee terms and conditions, actioning ahead of payroll cut off on a periodic basis.
• Maintaining accurate organisational charts within SuccessFactors, creating positions where needed for Talent Acquisition purposes, and processing colleagues as leavers (where necessary).
• Act as the first point of contact for telephone, email and Teams queries into the People Services Onboarding Team, responding quickly and professionally or escalating to the People Coordinator when needed.
• Monitor the shared inbox, triaging daily queries and maintaining service-level expectations so stakeholders receive swift, consistent answers.
• Follow GDPR, Data Protection and right-to-work guidelines at every touchpoint, safeguarding colleague information and company reputation.
• Prepare periodic reports or data checks to evidence compliance and highlight any discrepancies requiring action

About You

• Previous experience in an administrative, customer service or HR support role, ideally within a fast-paced, multi-site environment
• Working knowledge of confidential data handling and GDPR principles
• High attention to detail with proven ability to manage large volumes of information accurately
• Confident communicator—verbal and written—with the resilience to manage competing priorities and adapt to change
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) or equivalent business tools

We take our inspiration from pets in embracing people from all walks of life, and we value, respect and celebrate difference. We encourage our people to be their best selves so that we can create a better world for Pets, our Planet, and People. Our ambition is to reflect the diversity of the communities we operate in, and we are intentional in addressing and removing barriers to create opportunities for the exceptional talent and potential in our communities. Even if your skills and experience don’t perfectly align, if you think you can make a unique contribution through your values and behaviours, we want to hear from you.