HR Officer – Education Trust

About the role

We are looking for an HR Officer to join a school within a Trust, delivering a proactive, effective and compliant HR service. The role supports the full employee lifecycle and day‑to‑day HR operations in an education setting.

Key responsibilities

• Provide day‑to‑day HR support and advice to managers and staff across the Trust
• Support the full employee lifecycle including onboarding, off‑boarding, recruitment and probation processes
• Manage and maintain accurate employee records, personnel files and HR systems, ensuring GDPR and employment law compliance
• Complete safeguarding and pre‑employment checks (Enhanced DBS, references, right‑to‑work, qualifications)
• Maintain compliance of the Single Central Register (SCR)
• Support absence management, ensuring accurate tracking
• Assist with HR administration for contractual changes, maternity/paternity documentation, pay review letters and contract amendments
• Support recruitment activities: advertising, pre‑employment screening and safer recruitment
• Liaise with payroll to provide accurate monthly payroll data
• Act as first point of contact for HR queries, responding confidentially and promptly
• Support line managers with HR processes such as return‑to‑work meetings, investigations and disciplinary actions
• Assist with HR reporting, workforce data, School Workforce Census and Gender Pay Gap reporting
• Contribute to continuous improvement of HR processes, systems and policies
• Work collaboratively with Finance, Payroll and MIS teams
• Escalate business‑critical or safeguarding concerns to senior management as required

Required profile

• Previous experience as HR Officer, HR Administrator or HR Advisor
• Strong understanding of operational HR processes and employee lifecycle administration
• Experience in an education or academy trust environment (desirable)
• CIPD qualification or equivalent HR experience
• Good knowledge of employment law and HR best practice
• Experience managing HR data, systems and confidential records
• High attention to detail and accuracy
• Confident communicator with ability to engage stakeholders
• Highly organised with ability to prioritise workload
• Proactive, adaptable and able to work under pressure to meet deadlines
• Understanding of safeguarding requirements

Required skills

• HR information systems