HR Operations Manager – Europe

Company: Vanguard
Apply for the HR Operations Manager – Europe
Location: Manchester
Job Description:

Overview

In this role you drive operational excellence for HR services across Europe, shaping scalable, compliant processes and data-driven decision-making. You’ll lead a Manchester-based team and collaborate with payroll, risk, compliance, and global HR partners to deliver high-quality operations and continuous improvement. The role emphasizes leveraging technology, AI, and self-service to enhance efficiency and employee experience at scale. You’ll contribute to governance, policy support, and cross-border delivery while prioritizing regulatory alignment and stakeholder outcomes.

Pay / Benefits

  • hybrid working model

Responsibilities

  • Lead delivery of HR Operations services across Europe to ensure efficient, compliant processes
  • Champion standardisation, scalability and continuous improvement across HR workflows
  • Partner with Payroll, Global Mobility, Risk & Compliance, and Enterprise HR Operations to enable seamless service delivery
  • Manage and resolve complex HR operational matters with a data-driven approach
  • Drive innovation through AI, automation and self-service to improve efficiency and employee experience
  • Develop knowledge content to enable self-service and consistent HR support
  • Strengthen governance and risk controls across HR Operations and support policy queries
  • Lead and develop a Manchester-based HR Operations team, fostering accountability and learning
  • Support governance, policy reviews and process enhancements across European jurisdictions
  • Collaborate on regional and global HR projects to provide practical operational solutions
  • Provide occasional support to global HR Operations teams to ensure consistent service delivery

Key requirements

  • Significant experience in HR Operations leadership in a complex, regulated or multinational environment
  • Proven success leading teams and delivering results through others
  • Experience improving processes, managing operational risk and implementing governance frameworks
  • Strong leadership and coaching capabilities with talent development focus
  • Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills across all levels
  • Ability to analyse data and use insights to drive performance and decision-making
  • Knowledge of HR systems and case management platforms, ideally Workday and ServiceNow
  • Strong understanding of service delivery models and continuous improvement methodologies
  • stakeholder management
  • influencing and collaboration
  • leadership and coaching
  • Workday
  • ServiceNow
  • HR data analytics

…

Posted: September 14th, 2026