People Support Operations Manager Review

As a People Support Operations Manager, I lead the delivery and continuous improvement of HR Shared Services, ensuring that people processes are efficient, compliant, and deliver a high‑quality experience for colleagues, managers, and the wider business. I am accountable for the operational performance of People Support, acting as a senior escalation point for complex or high‑risk cases, and ensuring that core people processes are delivered consistently and at scale.
My role combines operational leadership with transformation and governance. I oversee the day‑to‑day running of HR services across the colleague lifecycle, including job changes, absence management, payroll and benefits interfaces, contractual changes, and sensitive moments such as death in service. I ensure services operate within policy, employment law, and data protection requirements, while balancing risk management with empathy and colleague experience.
A significant part of my role is leading improvement and change. I design and deliver people initiatives that reduce friction, improve quality, and strengthen manager capability, embedding improvements into business‑as‑usual ways of working. This includes leading major programmes such as absence reduction, Moments That Matter, and HR service transformation, translating strategy into practical, measurable outcomes.
I work closely with senior stakeholders across the business, providing clear, evidence‑based advice and operational insight to support decision‑making. This includes preparing briefings, managing escalations, and influencing leaders to follow defined processes to protect the organisation from financial, legal, and reputational risk. I also manage complex stakeholder relationships across retained teams and outsourced partners, ensuring accountability and alignment to service standards.
People leadership sits at the centre of my role. I lead and develop a team of People Support managers and specialists, setting clear objectives, building capability, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement, quality, and inclusion. I hold myself and my team to account for outcomes, while creating an environment where innovation, learning, and constructive challenge are encouraged.
Digital transformation is a core focus of my work. I actively leverage Microsoft 365 and automation tools to modernise HR operations, improve data quality, and reduce manual effort. I champion new ways of working, including the use of analytics and agentic AI, to improve efficiency and provide more proactive, insight‑driven support to the business.
Overall, my role is about enabling a strong, well‑governed people operation that supports colleagues through both everyday transactions and critical life moments, while continuously evolving to meet the needs of a large, complex organisation.

My coach at Corndel has been outstanding. She is extremely responsive, supportive, and generous with her time. Nothing is ever too much trouble, and her practical, timely guidance has made the programme feel manageable, relevant, and motivating from start to finish.

I’ve received excellent support from my employer throughout the programme. A move into a different role during this time has given me a completely new perspective, which has been incredibly valuable for my development. Having exposure to both business partnering and shared services has allowed me to see people practice from multiple angles, rather than through a single lens.
That blended experience has strengthened my ability to refine and apply people practice in a more rounded, pragmatic way, balancing strategic advice with operational reality. The organisation has supported this transition fully, enabling me to gain broader insight, challenge my own thinking, and apply learning more effectively in role. The encouragement to develop in this way has had a genuinely positive impact on my growth as a people professional.

My coach at Corndel has been outstanding. She is extremely responsive, supportive, and generous with her time. Nothing is ever too much trouble, and her practical, timely guidance has made the programme feel manageable, relevant, and motivating from start to finish.

My qualification supports me extremely well in performing better in my role. The programme is very true to life and focuses on real‑world people challenges rather than abstract theory. Learning is brought to life through relevant workplace examples, bite‑sized and insightful e‑learning, and manageable assignments that are designed to be applied directly in role.
This approach makes the learning immediately transferable, allowing me to test concepts in practice, reflect on impact, and adapt my approach in real time. As a result, the qualification has strengthened not only my knowledge, but also my confidence and effectiveness in applying learning within a complex organisational environment, leading to tangible improvements in how I operate as a people professional.

Yes

I would recommend Mitie to a friend as an employer because, as a large and diverse organisation, it offers a huge breadth of opportunities to progress, try something new, and build a varied career. Internal mobility is actively encouraged, and if you show commitment and curiosity, it genuinely pays dividends. There is far more to the organisation than people might initially assume, and it’s the quality of the people and relationships across the business that really make it a great place to work.