NERA Senior Associate - Human Capital Operations

Senior Associate - Human Capital Operations

London

Overview:

Since 1961, NERA (https://www.nera.com) has provided unparalleled guidance on the most important market, legal, and regulatory questions of the day. Our work has shaped industries and policy around the world. Our field-leading experts and deep experience allow us to provide rigorous analysis, reliable expert testimony, and data-powered policy recommendations for the world’s leading law firms and corporations as well as regulators and governments. Our experience, integrity, and economic ingenuity mean you can depend on us in the face of your biggest economic and financial challenges.

The Senior Associate – Human Capital Operations role supports the end-to-end HR operations for NERA UK Ltd., ensuring seamless onboarding, offboarding, payroll coordination, benefits administration, immigration compliance, and internal/external audit processes. This role collaborates closely with recruitment, legal, payroll, benefits, and immigration teams to uphold HR policies and compliance standards. This position liaises with NERA’s US and APAC HR Operations and would report into the US HR Operations team.

Key Responsibilities:

New Hire Onboarding:

• Receive and process new hire offer requests from Recruitment, ensuring all approvals are secured.

• Draft, finalize, and sign employment contracts, including complex agreements for senior-level appointments.

• Facilitate candidate questions, ensure timely contract return, and coordinate background checks.

• Confirm start dates in consultation with Recruitment and Partners, allowing for pre-employment formalities.

• Prepare New Employee Notices and Payroll New Starter Forms for approval and system entry.

• Coordinate access requests for new hires and rehires with the Technology Services group.

• Conduct Day 1 checks, including document verification and immigration tracking for non-UK resident hires.

• Lead HR induction sessions covering payroll, benefits, and policies.

Leaver Management:

• Handle voluntary resignations: advise on notice periods, prepare Leaver Forms, and update payroll with final details.

• Manage involuntary terminations: advise on severance, redundancy, disciplinary cases, and support legal and partner communications.

• Ensure smooth offboarding, including IT access termination and legal documentation.

Payroll Coordination:

• Forward payroll checklists, bank details, and P45 forms for new hires.

• Communicate payroll changes and review monthly validation reports to ensure accuracy.

• Address employee payroll and tax queries in collaboration with MMC Payroll.

Benefits Administration:

• Collaborate with the Benefits Team to launch plans and communicate enrolment schedules.

• Respond to employee benefit inquiries and connect staff with Benefit Helpdesk support.

Intracompany Transfers & Immigration:

• Coordinate intracompany transfers, review agreements, and provide UK contracts and benefits info.

• Work with Fragomen on visa applications and sponsorship management, maintaining compliance documentation.

• Track employee visa statuses, including graduate visas, and advise on sponsorship transitions.

• Support cost reduction initiatives related to visa management and ensure compliance for business visitors.

Remote Work & Family Policies:

• Manage remote work requests, ensuring policy adherence and approval from OW Security & Compliance.

• Communicate policies on remote work restrictions and obtain employee sign-offs.

• Provide information on family leave policies, ensuring correct system entry and payroll processing.

Vacation & Leave Management:

• Communicate vacation policies, including buy/sell options and tracking in Elite PTO.

• Manage vacation eligibility, carry-forward approvals, and provide annual summaries.

• Track sick leave, extended medical leave, and coordinate with Occupational Health for extended absences.

European and APAC HR & Office Support:

• Prepare documentation for European/APAC hires and coordinate with local HR contacts.

• Support HR and admin activities in Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris, Madrid, New Zealand and Tokyo including meetings and restructuring advice.

• Respond to internal and external audit requests, ensuring compliance and accurate employee records.

References & External Relations:

• Provide employment and visa reference letters, and support tenancy or mortgage applications.

• Respond to employee/ex-employee reference requests per HR policy.

Collaboration & Business Continuity:

• Liaise with OW HC UK team to align policies and share information.

• Manage bank details for new hires joining after payroll cut-off.

• Lead the NERA Site Incident Response team, supporting business continuity and disaster recovery plans.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Administer the Amex UK Corporate Card Program, issuing and cancelling cards as needed.

• Support internal and external audits related to HR and payroll processes.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Proven experience in HR operations, payroll coordination, and immigration compliance.

• Strong organizational and communication skills.

• Ability to handle sensitive information with confidentiality.

• Proficiency in HRIS systems, payroll platforms, and MS Office.