People Operations Specialist

About this role

OUR MISSION To become the car-changing destination of choice. By combining technology, media and deep automotive expertise, we've turned how people buy, sell, advertise and lease cars on its head. What started as a simple reviews site is now one of the largest online car-changing destinations in Europe. Last year alone we grew over 50% with nearly £3bn worth of cars bought on site, while £1.8bn of cars were listed for sale through our Sell My Car service. In 2024 we went big and acquired Autovia - creators of AutoExpress and Evo magazines - doubling our audience overnight. Together we now have one of the biggest YouTube channels in the world with almost 10m subscribers and over 1.1 billion annual views, while we sell 1.2 million print copies of our magazines and have an annual web content reach over 350million. And we’re a long way from done! YOUR MISSION Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and the People Operations team is the engine that keeps their experience running smoothly. As our People Operations Specialist, you'll own the accurate, on-time running of our UK payroll and be the trusted first point of contact for employees' questions on pay, benefits, and everything across the employee lifecycle. This is a hands-on, detail-driven role for someone who takes real pride in getting things right, thrives in a fast-moving environment, and genuinely enjoys making colleagues feel looked after. You are comfortable handling administrative tasks as part of your responsibilities. You'll be the person who turns it into something reliable, organised, and even better than you found it, using AI and smart tooling to work faster and smarter. The level and remit are shaped around your experience. There's clear room to grow from confidently owning day-to-day processes towards independently running our more complex ones and driving improvements across the team. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Payroll: Own the end-to-end processing of our monthly UK payroll accurately and on time, from gathering inputs (new starters, leavers, changes, bonuses/commission, absence) through to submission and reconciliation. Act as the point of contact for our payroll provider, resolving queries and making sure everything ties out each cycle. Ensure payroll compliance with UK legislation (PAYE, NI, pensions auto-enrolment, statutory pay) and keep on top of changes. Maintain meticulous payroll records and support year-end processes (P60s, P11Ds and similar). Employee queries & support: Be the friendly, reliable first responder for employee questions on payroll, benefits, and lifecycle matters, resolving them promptly and clearly so everyone feels supported. Advise employees on people policies and processes, escalating the genuinely complex or sensitive with good judgement and discretion. Spot recurring questions and turn them into self-serve answers, FAQs, and clearer documentation. Benefits: Administer our benefits programmes day to day, including enrolments, changes, leavers, and provider liaison. Help employees understand and make the most of what's on offer. Support benefits renewals and improvements, keeping records accurate throughout. Employee lifecycle: Deliver a smooth, engaging experience across the full lifecycle, including onboarding, contractual changes, family leave, and offboarding. Prepare accurate documentation (contracts, letters, changes to terms) and keep our HRIS (Hibob) clean and up to date at all times. Make sure every touchpoint feels considered, so people have a great experience from day one to their last day. Data, systems & admin: Keep our people data accurate, consistent, and audit-ready. You'll treat data quality as non-negotiable. Produce clear, reliable reports and pull basic insights to support decision-making. Use AI tools and automation to reduce manual effort, speed up admin, and improve accuracy. Continuous improvement: Take ownership of your processes and proactively look for ways to make them simpler, faster, and more relia

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