Change your career, change lives
The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education. Find out more about us and our mission by watching this short video (you will be taken to YouTube by clicking this link).
About the Role
We believe that where you start in life, shouldn’t limit where you go.
The Open University is a unique institution created 50 years ago to open up education for all. We are open to anyone, anywhere, changing millions of lives across the world and always looking for new ways to help people succeed. Our pioneering use of innovative methods, such as our BBC partnership, means we reach more people than any other university.
This is an exciting opportunity to play a valued role in maintaining HR systems through regular business activities, delivering and supporting system enhancements and change activity, whilst ensuring all process and procedural documentation is aligned.
The role holder will support process documentation, process improvement, People Services system change activity and workstreams in collaboration with the PS Systems Manager. Ensuring that the relevant process and procedural analysis is undertaken, and the agreed changes are delivered and embedded.
Key Responsibilities
- Maintain and support People Services systems, including resolving faults, managing data, and delivering system upgrades and testing.
- Work with Service Delivery teams, IT, and stakeholders to identify and implement system improvements.
- Carry out data corrections, uploads, and regular audits to ensure accuracy, compliance, and GDPR alignment.
- Support and deliver small projects, cyclical activities (e.g. salary reviews).
- Create and maintain documentation, training materials, and guides, and deliver training/coaching as required.
- Provide advice, guidance, and troubleshooting support to colleagues, acting as a point of contact for system/process queries.
- Contribute to continuous improvement and collaborative decision-making across People Services systems.
About You
Skills:
- Able to quickly understand business issues and problems and take a logical problem-solving approach to their resolution.
- Ability to prioritise tasks in a fast-paced working environment.
- Excellent organisation, planning and time management skills.
- Accountable and responsible, able to deliver outcomes effectively and in line with agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
- Be able to deal with ambiguity and understand and support the need for change.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal (to discuss and explain analysis, requirements and solutions).
- Ability to work on own initiative, motivated by achievement and completion of tasks.
- Ability to handle confidential and sensitive matters with a high standard of professionalism.
Experience:
- Proven practical computing experience in the support and maintenance of SuccessFactors Employee Central and MS office based systems.
- Experience in executing and evaluating system upgrades (against current functionality and requirements) and carrying out relevant testing.
- Experience working with and supporting Role Based Permissions and Systems access.
- Experience in updating and maintaining process documentation.
- Working and engaging as a liaison with multiple stakeholders.
Knowledge:
- Strong understanding of how HR database systems work and experience supporting these systems. Competent with Microsoft packages especially Excel and SharePoint.
- Understanding of HR process, procedures and legislation desired.
Support with your application
If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email careers@open.ac.uk quoting the advert reference number.
What's in it for you?
At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).
Flexible working
We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.
It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where the successful candidate can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be at least once per month.
Next steps in the Recruitment process
We anticipate that interviews for this role will be taking place during the week commencing 29 September 2025.
Early closing date notification
We may close this job advert earlier than the published closing date where a satisfactory number of applications are received. We would therefore encourage early applications.
How to apply
To apply for this role please submit the following:
- CV
- Complete the additional application questions within our online application form
You can view your progress and application communications when you are logged into our recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folders if you do not receive associated email updates.
