Kate Mitchell

People and Operations professional with 10+ years' experience supporting people, teams and the day-to-day running of organisations. I currently work in a small, remote HR consultancy, where I'm hands-on across onboarding, recruitment operations, employee processes, systems, training, engagement and the practical admin that keeps things moving. I enjoy being approachable and useful, and I'm usually the person who will take a slightly messy process, work out what is actually needed and make it clearer.

I'm particularly drawn to Newton Media's friendly, entrepreneurial approach and the chance to help shape a People function as it grows.

Operations Coordinator - Atkinson HR Consulting - Remote

(2023-08)

Remote HR consultancy supporting third-sector organisations | c.15-person distributed team

• Lead day-to-day People and Business Operations, working closely with senior leadership and HR consultants in a small, fast-moving remote team.
• Own and improve onboarding, recruitment operations, employee processes, internal guidance, training and recurring People workflows.
• Manage Hireful ATS and Insightly CRM, keeping information accurate and improving how the team uses its systems.
• Support recruitment activity, candidate communication and onboarding, helping make the experience organised and personable from the start.
• Partner with HR and Finance on payroll-related processes, expenses, billing and accurate operational information.
• Use Zapier, Microsoft Copilot and OtterAI to automate repetitive admin, improve documentation and make everyday processes more efficient.
• Lead internal training, engagement activity and team events, helping maintain connection and a positive experience across a distributed team.

Group Operations Manager (HR & Operations) - BECG Ltd (now Cavendish)

(2022-06 - 2023-04)

200+ employee communications and public affairs group

• Worked closely with the Group CEO and senior leadership on People, Operations and organisational change.
• Managed and developed team members and introduced a Learning Management System and internal training framework to strengthen onboarding and development.
• Partnered with HR and Finance on monthly payroll governance and data accuracy.
• Supported managers and colleagues through hybrid working, wellbeing, engagement and wider organisational change.
• Led GDPR/data protection processes and supported ISO certification, audit readiness and wider compliance.
• Improved People and Operations systems and processes, always balancing good governance with a straightforward employee experience.

Workplace Manager – South Region - Sovereign Housing Association

(2016-09 - 2022-06)

Large regional housing association | 2,000+ employees

• Led operations across five offices supporting 400+ colleagues, working with senior stakeholders and People teams through merger and organisational change.
• Led and developed a geographically dispersed team, supporting performance, communication and consistent ways of working.
• Managed sensitive operational issues, compliance, health & safety and business continuity while keeping employee experience in mind.
• Delivered major changes to workplaces and ways of working, including office moves, refurbishments and organisational transformation.
• Built trusted relationships with colleagues and leaders at all levels, providing practical support in a large and changing organisation.

BSc - Environment & Media Studies - University of Brighton

Level 3 Certificate - Facilities Management - IWFM

Certificate - Managing Safely - IOSH

Training - Leadership & Management - Sovereign Housing Association