Part-time People Operations Manager

Part-time People Operations Manager
Location
Remote, based in South Africa (work hours with UK time zone overlap)
Employment type
Part-time, permanent (with scope to develop into a full-time role)
About the Company
We are a UK-based managed IT services company with over 25 years' experience supporting accounting, legal and financial firms. Our clients operate in regulated environments where precision and reliability matter, and we act as their in-house IT department and strategic technology partner, bringing CTO-level oversight without the cost of a full-time hire.
Our team is distributed between the UK and South Africa, and we pride ourselves on building a collaborative, high-performing culture that values good ideas and good people. As we grow, we are looking to formalise and strengthen our people function.
Role Overview
We are looking for an experienced HR professional to join us in a permanent, part-time role. You'll report to the Managing Director and own day-to-day people operations with a focus on recruitment and HR administration for a distributed UK/SA team.
There's no HR department to inherit, so you'll build one: writing our HR playbook, from hiring and onboarding through to performance, absence and offboarding, and setting up the systems, templates and workflows that make it run efficiently.
This role reflects the client’s current priorities and may be refined throughout the recruiting process. Please read carefully through the requirements and only apply if you meet all of them.
Key Responsibilities
Recruitment & Onboarding
Own the hiring process end to end: job descriptions and ads, pay benchmarking (for MD sign-off), screening and shortlisting, interview coordination and notes, and offers through to signed return.
Coordinate onboarding for new starters and manage offboarding, including exit interviews and leaver documentation.
Employee Relations & Performance
Act as first point of contact for people queries, supporting managers on performance, absence and workplace issues.
Support performance conversations, goal-setting and improvement plans.
Manage the salary review and appraisal process, with recommendations to the MD.
Issue contract variations, promotions and role changes.
HR Operations & Compliance
Maintain contracts, handbooks and policies in line with UK employment requirements, flagging legal or compliance risk to the MD.
Keep HR processes documented and records current.
Track sickness, annual leave and parental leave in line with UK statutory requirements.
Handle employee data in line with UK GDPR, including data shared across the UK/SA team.
Liaise with payroll and benefits providers.
Reporting, Wellbeing & Development
Report monthly to the MD on headcount, turnover, hiring and other agreed metrics, on a monthly basis with a quarterly review.
Support wellbeing, health and safety, engagement and internal communication for a remote team.
Help identify training needs and coordinate development plans.
Ideal Candidate Profile
Experience
5–8 years' HR experience, including recruitment and employee relations in a small or growing business.
Relevant experience creating HR systems.
Experience supporting remote or distributed teams, ideally across more than one country.
Working knowledge of UK employment practice, or the ability to apply it with external guidance.
Professional services, web or IT experience is an advantage.
Skills
Strong end-to-end recruitment skills.
Solid HR administration: contracts, leave, absence and records.
Awareness of UK GDPR.
Clear written and verbal communication, including with senior leaders.
Comfortable with HRIS, payroll interfaces and collaboration tools.
Attributes
Proactive, organised and comfortable working independently.
Discreet, with sound judgement on confidential matters.
Able to prioritise within contracted hours and escalate when needed.
Team Context
Report to the Managing Director.
Work with department heads on hiring, performance and onboarding.
Part of a small team split between the UK and South Africa.
What We Offer
Market-related salary dependent on experience.
A permanent part-time role with scope to grow into a full-time position dependent on growth.
A high-agency role in a remote, flexible working environment.
The chance to shape people processes in a growing, founder-led business.
Direct access to the MD and clear ownership of your remit.
A collaborative UK/SA team serving a regulated-industry client base.

Work arrangement
Yes