People Operations Specialist

Job Description
Role Overview:
This London-based role covers London, Dublin, Zurich, Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Dubai and reports to the People Operations Lead - EMEA. As part of a small regional team, the HR Specialist - People Operations will support the high-quality delivery of core HR operations across EMEA, contributing to accurate administration, timely employee lifecycle support, strong data integrity and a consistently positive employee experience.
Opportunities may be available from time to time in any location in which the business is based for suitable candidates. If you are interested in a career with Citadel, please share your details and we will contact you if there is a vacancy available.
Responsibilities:
People Operations

• Support day-to-day delivery of People Operations across onboarding, employee changes, mobility, payroll inputs, benefits administration, employee records and offboarding for EMEA.
• Act as a first point of contact for employee HR queries, providing timely, accurate and professional support and escalating complex or sensitive matters as appropriate.
• Maintain accurate documentation, employee records and process trackers to support consistent, timely and audit-ready HR operations.
• Partner with HR Business Partners, Recruitment, Compensation, Benefits, Payroll, Legal, Compliance, Finance, IT and external vendors to deliver joined-up regional support.

Employee Lifecycle

• Global Mobility - Drive international relocations and assignments, coordinating with employees, internal stakeholders and external vendors to ensure a smooth and compliant experience.
• Onboarding - Manage HR onboarding for EMEA new hires, including background screening, orientation, documentation, right-to-work requirements and HR aspects of the SMCR Certification process.
• Employee Changes - Oversee lifecycle changes including transfers, manager changes, promotions, contract amendments, leave events and employee data updates across systems and payroll inputs.
• Offboarding - Manage voluntary leaver processes, including exit paperwork, exit interviews, system updates and accurate final payroll and benefits inputs.

Recruitment

• Partner with Recruiting and hiring managers to support a seamless candidate-to-employee transition, including timely documentation, approvals and onboarding handover.
• Understand the Remuneration Code for the UK and relevant European locations, supporting the review of unique offer structures, role-specific considerations and candidate requirements.

Compensation and Benefits

• Partner with the US-based global Compensation team on compensation-related processes, issues and employee changes.
• Ensure local regulatory remuneration guidelines are considered and applied when supporting unique offer packages or employee changes.
• Partner with the US-based Benefits team and local providers on employee benefit issues, communications and escalations.

Data and Risk Management

• Produce and analyse monthly KRI reports for EMEA Operating Committees, escalating trends, risks and exceptions as appropriate.
• Maintain accurate HR systems and employee files, ensuring documentation is complete, appropriately filed and aligned with data protection and internal control requirements.
• Support audits, regulatory requests and internal reviews by providing reliable data, documentation and process evidence.

Continuous Improvement

• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement and constructive challenge across People Operations processes, workflows, templates and employee touchpoints.
• Leverage industry best practice and internal feedback to help simplify processes, reduce manual effort, strengthen controls and improve the employee experience.
• Support vendor management by tracking issues, following up on service delivery and escalating performance concerns where appropriate.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree strongly preferred.
• 6+ years of relevant HR experience, ideally in HR Service Delivery, People Operations or HR Operations within Financial Services.
• Experience with regulatory regimes, including SMCR and remuneration requirements, preferred.
• International exposure and relevant experience supporting EMEA locations preferred.
• Strong HR systems capability; Workday experience a plus.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel, with strong data accuracy and reporting discipline.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, results-oriented and highly confidential environment.

Preferred:

• Solid track record in a similar position; likely currently operating in an HR Service Delivery, People Operations or HR Operations role in Financial Services.
• Ambitious self-starter with the ability to work independently in a dynamic, demanding environment while knowing when to escalate or seek guidance.
• Highly organised, detail-oriented and intellectually curious, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and simultaneous projects with strong follow-through.
• Highest ethical standards and demonstrated ability to handle proprietary, sensitive and confidential information appropriately.
• Proactive team player who builds strong relationships, contributes beyond core responsibilities and seeks practical ways to add value to the team and the firm.

About Citadel
Citadel is one of the world's leading alternative investment managers. We manage capital on behalf of many of the world's preeminent private, public and nonprofit institutions. We seek the highest and best use of investor capital in order to deliver market leading results and contribute to broader economic growth. For over 30 years, Citadel has cultivated a culture of learning and collaboration among some of the most talented and accomplished investment professionals, researchers and engineers in the world. Our colleagues are empowered to test their ideas and develop commercial solutions that accelerate their growth and drive real impact.