HR Operations Manager

Job summary

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the UK’s principal competition and consumer protection authority. We promote competition and protect consumers with a clear end goal in mind: to drive economic growth and improve household prosperity. The CMA has a range of powers, which it uses to undertake a wide variety of cutting-edge, high profile and complex work, spanning merger and market inquiries, competition and consumer law enforcement, our role in the digital markets competition regime, subsidy advice, and internal market advice.

You can read more about the CMA in our candidate pack.

The key purpose of the Human Resources (HR) team at the Competition and Market’s Authority (CMA) is to build the capacity, capability, and commitment of the CMA’s people in order to be a high performing organisation and to achieve the CMA’s strategic objectives. Key to working at the CMA will be your commitment to creating a working environment that promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are embarking on a period of transformational change which will include our operating model, systems and ways of working. Your will have a significant role in delivering this change.

Reporting to the Assistant Director, HR Delivery, the HR Operations Manager will lead a busy HR Operations team with responsibility for delivering across the HR Lifecycle and Onboarding areas.

Job description

Management and Leadership

• Provision of a timely and effective service offering first line advice and guidance to colleagues and managers in response to enquiries on a range of employment and policy topics.
• Overseeing the processing of key onboarding, employee lifecycle and contractual changes (joiners/movers/leavers, secondments, changes in terms and conditions, promotions etc), and management of any escalations.
• Ensuring that there is a robust framework of operating practices and documented processes.
• Leading the HR Operations team, encouraging a culture of continuous improvement, including coaching and development of skills, managing overall performance, and ensuring timely and quality assured delivery of first-line HR services and advice to the organisation.
• Working closely with colleagues across both the wider HR Delivery Team and PCC colleagues to ensure and provide a seamless ‘one HR’ service to the organisation.
• Considering alternative ways of working that improve productivity and quality, utilising available technology.
• Leading or participating in cross-organisational and HR Operations development and improvement projects to increase productivity.
• Overseeing the delivery of all HR Operations casework specifically in relation to the management of contractual changes and transactions which occur during employment, ensuring a quality service to all users.

HR Operations

• Leading the delivery of the employee lifecycle and onboarding tasks (all transactional HR activity) ensuring all CMA people policies are implemented quickly and accurately and all key HR Operations processes are clearly documented and understood. This will include regular review of policies to ensure legal compliance and leading on new policy implementation.
• Ensuring the quality of the HR Delivery service offering, including adherence to agreed SLA’s and the effective management of escalations.
• Managing HR ticketing system BAU activity, ensuring that enquiries are responded to appropriately and fully, conducting analysis of enquiries received through HR to identify trends and make recommendations for improvement.
• Partnering with payroll colleagues to ensure seamless and accurate payroll processing.
• Management of all pre-employment screening and new hire onboarding.
• Partnering with the recruitment team in maintaining Security Clearance for individuals within the organisation in line with policy.
• Management of the pre-employment screening and new hire onboarding processes ensuring all tools and processes are communicated and documented.
• Leading on the production of HR submissions for the CMA’s Annual Report and Accounts, working with colleagues across People, Capability and Culture to collate input.
• Leading on the NAO mid-year and end of year audit activity, and the annual PAYE Settlement Agreement.
• Leading on the collating and updating the content of the PCC segment of the CMA Business Continuity Plan.

Person specification

It is essential that you can provide evidence and examples for each of the following selection criteria in your application. For tips on how to make the most your application, please have a look at our guidance document.

• Experience of working in and performing in a lead role, managing a multi disciplined high-volume HR team, demonstrating the ability to multitask with excellent attention to detail and experience of continuous improvement activity (Lead Criteria).
• Experience of effectively managing the work and projects of team members including monitoring of SLA’s and effectively supporting their learning and development (Lead Criteria).
• Experience in supporting the deployment of system enhancements including the development of new systems and ways of working.
• Experience of leading on projects.
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral) with the ability to tailor delivery to a variety of audiences i.e. stakeholders and HR colleagues, together with an ability to collaborate to drive improvements, yet build and maintain strong relationships.
• Good document management and proficiency in using IT software, particularly MS Excel, MS Outlook, MS Word, and MS PowerPoint. Experience of using Agresso and MS SharePoint is desirable.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Use of IT software, particularly MS Excel, MS Outlook, MS Word, and MS PowerPoint. Experience of using Agresso and MS SharePoint is desirable.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,300, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £17,758 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

You’ll also get:

• 25 days leave (increasing to 30 days over five years), plus 8 public holidays and an additional day off for the King’s birthday. In addition, you’ll be able to access a wide range of other types of leave as and when you need it, including generous maternity, paternity, shared parental leave and adoption options, as well as paid special leave for volunteering
• Season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme, flu vaccinations and eye tests
• Access to the Civil Service Sports & Leisure, giving discounted gym membership, high street discounts, free access to UK wide attractions and a free Tastecard
• A range of wellbeing benefits, including an employee assistance programme, flexible working options and family friendly policies, regular networking events and professional learning opportunities at work

You can read more about our benefits in our candidate pack.

Our Values

We are Ambitious and Evidence-based, and always strive for Excellence.​ We treat everyone with Respect and are Collaborative and Inclusive.​

Everything we do is underpinned by the Civil Service values: Honesty, Integrity, Impartiality and Objectivity.

You can read more about life at the CMA in our candidate pack

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Application and sift stage

• As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement, and an online application form. Further details about application requirements are listed on the application form.
• The selection process is noted below and will comprise of the sift (CV & application review), presentation and interview. Arrangements for the presentation and interview will be enclosed in the invitation.
• Please note that it is essential that your personal statement is aligned to provide evidence that you have the knowledge and experience for each of the essential criteria (as included on the role profile attached and listed above under 'Person Specification') in your application. Your personal statement should be no more than 1250 words. You will first be sifted on the first two criteria points (Lead Criteria). If your application progresses to a full sift, all elements of the essential criteria listed under Person Specification will then be considered.
• We may raise the score required at sift stage to progress to interview if we receive a high number of applications and take through the highest performing candidates to the interview stage.
• Successful candidates at sift will be invited to an interview.

Interview stage

• At the CMA we apply a blended interview technique, allowing us to find out more about you and we use the Success Profiles framework assessing the Behaviours, Technical skills and Experience (essential criteria) listed in the advert and attached role profile.
• The first part of the interview you will be asked to prepare and discuss a short presentation based on the technical skill outlined, details of which will be sent with your interview invitation.
• The second part of the interview will be a 45 minute - one hour panel interview in which you will be asked questions based on Behaviours, Technical and Experience outlined in the role profile.
• A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Timeline (the dates outlined below are indicative and may be subject to change)

• The advert closing date is 17 June (23:55). We are not able to accept late applications.
• The sift is scheduled to take place between 18 June and 23 June 2026.
• Interviews will be held from the week commencing 01 July 2026.
• Interviews will be held on Microsoft Teams.

Reasonable adjustments

Our recruitment process is fully inclusive and we can make adjustments to provide you with the opportunity and support to bring your best self to the recruitment process. This could include having an interview buddy, extra time at interviews/assessments, or receiving interview questions in advance. We will be happy to discuss any person-centred adjustments you’d like us to make to the process and you can contact us by emailing our dedicated mailbox at adjustments@cma.gov.uk

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Vidya Krishnamoorthy
• Email : recruitment@cma.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@cma.gov.uk

Further information

If your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact Recruitment@cma.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.

Attachments

Role Profile_HR Operations Manager Opens in new window (pdf, 277kB)