People Operations Manager
“In the past century Fauna & Flora has consistently saved
species from extinction and protected habitats from
destruction. Their solutions have always been practical,
efficient and sustainable in local circumstances.”
Sir David Attenborough,
Fauna & Flora Vice-president
Brian Mckay
Fauna & Flora
At Fauna & Flora, our shared purpose is to protect the diversity of life on Earth, for the survival of
the planet and its people. We work closely with local conservation partners around the world to save
nature, together. We harness this collective expertise to inspire positive change globally.
People Department
We employ around 610 people across 20 jurisdictions, with around 200 employees based in the UK,
and 30 international and 380 national employees working across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eurasia and
the Americas & Caribbean. Our People Team in Cambridge is currently comprised of 11 roles,
including our People Operations Manager and our People Administrator.
The Opportunity
Our People Operations Manager is responsible for the development and delivery of our people
processes, systems, and administration, ensuring that they are fully fit for purpose. Reporting to the
People Director, you will be joining a highly supportive and friendly People Team, committed to
working together to provide a high-quality and responsive service to the organisation.
While your main focus will be our UK people operations, you will also engage with our country offices
around the world, developing an understanding of their people operations and working with them to
maximise efficiency across the organisation.
The role is varied including optimising people processes and systems, managing and developing our
global HRIS, configuring and rolling-out new systems/modules (e.g. global ATS, UK payroll),
overseeing UK and international payroll administration and UK pension and benefits, managing our
UK business sponsorship licence and sponsor duties, ensuring a high-quality information and
reporting service to internal stakeholders, and working on global people projects and initiatives.
You will have substantial experience managing people operations at a similar level, developing,
implementing and managing systems, processes and administration relating to all stages of the
employee life-cycle. You will be comfortable configuring, managing and maintaining a HRIS. You will
have a thorough understanding of UK payroll processes and UK pension regulations, as well as a
thorough understanding of UK employment and immigration law. Experience as a SMS Level 1 User
is desirable and experience managing a global HRIS would be an advantage.
You will have excellent people management skills and will enjoy collaborating and consulting with
colleagues around the globe to understand their needs as we strive for continuous improvement.
Your interpersonal and communication skills will enable you to build effective and productive working
relationships with colleagues at all levels across Fauna & Flora.
You will have a methodical and rigorous approach to work and a meticulous attention to detail.
Excellent numeracy and data analysis skills are also essential, as is knowledge of data protection
legislation and fluency in spoken and written English.
If you meet these requirements, align with our values and are looking for a new challenge, we’d love
to hear from you. You will be joining an international, impactful and ground-breaking organisation, at
the forefront of global conservation. In addition, Fauna & Flora offers a generous pension
contribution, attractive annual leave allowance and life insurance.
Our offices are located in central Cambridge, just a few minutes’ walk from glorious historic buildings
and museums, the picturesque River Cam, the central market and shopping centre, and a host of
cafés and restaurants.
This role is not eligible for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker Visa.
Terms and Conditions
Start Date: As soon as possible
Duration of Contract: Permanent
Probation Period: Six months
Gross Salary: £39,640 per annum
Location: Fauna & Flora, Cambridge
Current policy offers partial remote working within the UK
(minimum 3 days a week in the office)
Benefits: 25 working days’ annual holiday entitlement plus Public/Bank
Holidays and any normal working days that fall between 24
December to 1 January inclusive, during which time Fauna & Flora
UK offices are closed
For employees on UK-based contracts, Fauna & Flora currently
provides a pension contribution of 8% of salary after 3 months’
continuous employment.
Group Life insurance, currently set at a benefit of 4 x basic salary
Hours of Work: This is a full-time position, working 37.5 hours per week, Monday to
Friday inclusive.
Job Description
Job Title: People Operations Manager
Reports to: People Director
Line manages: People Administrator
Key working relationships: People Team
Financial Accountant
Payroll & Expenses Officer
ICT Team
Information & Intranet Manager
Purpose:
• Design, implement and maintain effective streamlined operational people processes and
systems, ensuring they are fit for purpose and accord with internal policies and procedures
• Ensure the smooth running of payroll and benefits, including oversight of payroll instructions to
Finance Team and review of payroll reports
• Manage Fauna & Flora’s business sponsorship as SMS Level 1 User
• Ensure a high quality, timely and accurate HR information and reporting service to internal
stakeholders, to aid analysis and decision-making
Main Duties:
Management & Administration
• Provide direct line management to designated staff through goal setting, continuous performance
management, performance reviews, and personal development planning
• Oversee and ensure efficient and timely administration and processes across the employee life
cycle by People Administrator, including:
o Offer letters and contracts of employment
o Changes to terms and conditions of employment
o Starter and leaver processes
• Ensure leave is administered and recorded in line with policy and oversee year-end and reporting
processes
• Ensure sickness absence is administered, recorded and paid in line with policy, liaising with the
People Adviser on long-term or complex absence
• Take the lead in advising on and administering parental leave, acting as first point of contact for
employees and Line Managers
• Be responsible for HR data policies and procedures, updating in line with best practice and data
protection legislation and oversee adherence
• Ensure data is correct and managed in accordance with data protection legislation and Fauna &
Flora policies and procedures
• Ensure audit requests are responded to in a timely manner
• Lead on or input to HR guidance, documents and templates
• Evaluate administrative processes on an ongoing basis with a view to continuously improving
efficiencies and ways of working
HR Information Systems
• Manage the global HRIS (HiBob), ensuring optimal set up to meet individual country and
organisational needs
• Lead on identifying, designing and implementing additional systems and modules (e.g. global
ATS, UK payroll) to meet evolving business need
• Provide training and support to HR focal points and end-users to maximise system utilisation and
effectiveness
• Create, maintain and analyse reports to support business decision-making, liaising with the
People Team, in-country HR focal points and management to understand reporting needs
• Ensure accurate integration of data from HRIS to Microsoft Active Directory, liaising with the ICT
Team and Information & Intranet Manager
• Ensure the integrity of system data by undertaking appropriate regular system checks
• Evaluate systems on an ongoing basis with a view to continuous improvement
• Ensure system processes are clearly documented and users have adequate training in the use
of systems
• Manage relationships with HRIS third party providers, acting as primary point of contact for
contracts and agreements, system issues etc.
Business Sponsorship
• Manage business sponsor licence and ensure compliance with sponsor obligations and duties
• Carry out SMS Level 1 User tasks including:
o assessing job sponsorship eligibility
o identifying SOC codes
o managing Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) annual allocations
o creating, assigning and managing CoS applications
o reporting changes and updates
• Ensure monitoring and reporting systems are in place to meet sponsorship obligations
• Maintain up to date knowledge of relevant immigration regulations, identify potential impact of
changes on roles and structure, liaising with UK People Advisory Team
Employee payroll and benefits
• Ensure payroll-related documentation (UK, international, ad-hoc countries) is processed and filed
on time for monthly payroll preparation by the Finance Team and external payroll companies
• Review payroll reports for accuracy, working in close consultation with the Financial Accountant
• Support the set-up of external payrolls in other countries, liaising closely with the People Lead,
International and the Finance Team
• Oversee and respond to payroll enquiries
• Oversee administration of UK pension scheme in line with auto-enrolment legislation
• Oversee the management and administration of UK employee benefits
• Manage Fauna & Flora’s UK Death in Service insurance policy including managing annual
renewal with Fauna & Flora insurance broker
• Monitor legislation and best practice in relation to UK employee benefit schemes and lead on the
selection and review of benefit suppliers and providers
Recruitment and induction
• Ensure timely recruitment advertising, with optimum use of advertising media against budget
• Manage relationships and agreements with recruitment agencies
• Ensure recruitment and selection data is managed in accordance with data protection legislation
and Fauna & Flora policies and procedures
• Ensure right to work and other pre-employment checks are conducted and recorded in line with
legislation and Fauna & Flora policies and procedures
• Ensure timely and efficient onboarding and induction of new starters
Other
• Support the wider People function by contributing to the design and implementation of specific
policies and procedures and the delivery of specific projects
• Keep up to date with developments in employment law and best practice relating to areas of
responsibility, knowledge sharing within the team to ensure continuous development and
improvement of Fauna & Flora’s People function
• With agreement of your Line Manager, carry out any other reasonable duties which are
consistent with the role
Person Specification Essential Desirable
Skills,
knowledge &
experience
• Substantial experience managing people
operations at a similar level, including
optimising people systems and processes
• Substantial experience in HRIS management
and development
• Proven experience in people management
• Thorough understanding of payroll processes
and UK pension regulations
• Thorough understanding of relevant UK
immigration law
• Thorough understanding of relevant UK
employment law
• Excellent numeracy and data analysis skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication
and interpersonal skills
• Methodical and rigorous approach to work
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Thorough understanding of data protection
legislation
• Experience of recruitment and onboarding
processes
• Experience managing
global HRIS
• Experience implementing
ATS and/or payroll
modules
• Experience as SMS Level
1 User
• Professional HR
qualifications
• Generalist HR experience
Behavioural
qualities
• Demonstrates Fauna & Flora’s values
• Committed to compliance
• Responsive, with customer-service focus
• Establishes trust to build positive, supportive
and effective working relationships
• Self-motivated
• Excellent team player
Other • Pre-existing right to work in the UK
• Commitment to and empathy with Fauna &
Flora’s mission and vision
Fauna & Flora Values
Values underpin who we are and how we act. Just as values shape who we are as individuals,
they define us as an organisation, creating the culture of success for which Fauna & Flora is
renowned. Our people exemplify our shared values, which are interconnected and interdependent:
• We act with integrity
• We are collaborative
• We are committed
• We are inclusive, supportive & respectful
• We get things done
How to Apply
Applications should consist of the following:
• Covering letter confirming your interest and explaining how your experience and skills refer to
the role
• Full CV
• Contact details for two referees (who will not be approached without your permission).
Applications should be submitted electronically to jade.bedwell@fauna-flora.org
Please mark your application ‘People Operations Manager’ and indicate in your covering letter
where you saw this position advertised.
The closing date for applications is Sunday, 2 November 2025. Interviews are likely to be held
during the week commencing 10 November 2025.
Please note that we may close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable
applications.
Regrettably, due to limited resources and the high number of applications we receive, we are only
able to contact short-listed candidates. If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing
date, please assume that you have not been successful on this occasion.
Applicants with Disabilities
Fauna & Flora encourages applications from individuals with a disability who are able to carry out
the duties of the post. If you have special needs in relation to your application, please contact Jade
Bedwell, People Adviser, on Tel: +44 (0)1223 571000 or Email: jade.bedwell@fauna-flora.org
Fauna & Flora values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity