People Operations Specialist

Company Overview

Obsidian, operating as CTRD, is an England and Wales registered company (Company #13597753). It is a specialist professional services organisation that supports governments, intergovernmental organisations, and third sector partners in difficult operating environments worldwide. The firm focuses on security, stability, and resilience challenges, and aims to deliver practical, ethical solutions with measurable real-world value.

The team brings together experience from government, military, private sector, and third sector backgrounds, united by strong purpose and professional standards. The business places greater value on judgement, teamwork, and delivery than on hierarchy. After a period of fast expansion, the organisation is continuing to widen its global reach and increase the scale of its work, while also strengthening the people-related foundations that support long-term impact.

Role Summary

The People Operations Specialist will support a growing People Team by delivering accurate, timely, and high-quality HR administration across the full employee journey. This role is central to creating a smooth, compliant, and positive colleague experience, and will provide the operational support needed for leaders and employees to do their best work.

The position is based in the UK and is fully remote. It is a 12-month fixed-term contract with a working pattern of 40 hours per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end HR administration across the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding, probation management, absence tracking, contract changes, and contract renewals.
• Maintain accurate employee information within the HRIS platform, currently BambooHR, as well as SharePoint.
• Carry out regular data checks to protect the accuracy and integrity of employee records.
• Oversee onboarding after hire and the leaver process so that both new starters and exiting colleagues experience the organisation’s people-first approach.
• Support the Head of People & Talent with clear and timely HR reporting and dashboards on weekly, monthly, quarterly, and ad hoc bases.
• Assist Finance with payroll and benefits-related administration when needed.
• Contribute to people team projects that improve policies, processes, and organisational capability, with the aim of enhancing the employee experience.
• Provide prompt first-line guidance on people processes, systems, and related documentation.
• Work closely with other business functions to help ensure a joined-up employee experience.
• Act as a note taker in HR meetings where required.
• Look for ways to improve efficiency and quality in day-to-day people operations.

Requirements

• Background in HR operations, HR administration, or shared services.
• CIPD Level 3 or an equivalent regional qualification, or currently working towards it.
• Solid understanding of core HR principles and UK employment law.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365, including Excel, SharePoint, Outlook, and Teams.
• Excellent precision and a strong commitment to accuracy.
• Experience with BambooHR or another HRIS platform.
• Well-developed organisational and time-management skills.
• Strong commitment to delivering a positive candidate and colleague experience.
• Confident taking ownership of tasks and follow-through.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
• Comfortable working to tight deadlines.
• Good relationship-building skills.
• Desirable: experience in a fast-moving environment.
• Desirable: experience administering contracts for self-employed contractors.
• Desirable: experience in a multi-regional organisation.

Additional Information

This is a 12-month fixed-term contract. The role is remote within the United Kingdom and follows a 40-hour working week. No salary or benefits details were provided in the source information.