- Job title: Human Resources Operations Advisor
- Job Type: Permanent, Full Time, Monday to Friday (8am-5pm)
- Salary: £30,000 - £38,000 per annum depending on qualifications, skills and experience (£34,170-£43,282 if full pension flex benefit is utilised)
- Department: HR
- Reporting to: HR Business Partner
- Location: Bishopswood Road, Highgate
- Start: ASAP
- Closing Date: 18 November 2025 at 9:00 am
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This is an excellent opportunity to join our friendly and supportive Human Resources Team within an award-winning charity. If you are interested in being part of one of this country's top independent school where kindness is at the heart of what we do, then this is an ideal opportunity for you.
The main purpose of this role will be to support the HR Business Partner and wider HR Team in providing a high quality, efficient and compliant HR services for the School in line with the School's Policies, current legislation and best practice guidelines.
The ideal candidate will have previous Human Resources experience, gained within a fast-moving environment. This is a very customer-focused role and as such requires excellent communication and organisational skills.
The DepartmentAn excellent opportunity to join our friendly and supportive Human Resources team.
There is a supportive and welcoming atmosphere within the department that underpins our people first culture as a school. Teamwork is at the heart of everything we do and by working together, we aim to provide the very best service to our students and staff.
The Human Resources (HR) department is made up of 9 people who work together to deliver a people first vision in line with the School's Safer Recruitment Policy, current legislation and best practice guidelines to the whole school ensuring that day to day HR functions is effectively managed.
Job Description
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIESHR Operations & Employee Relations- Case management of low-level employee relations cases, including logging, tracking, and supporting resolution in line with policy and guidance. This includes liaising with managers, maintaining accurate records, and escalating issues where appropriate.
- Management of the HR mailbox, ensuring timely responses to queries, triaging requests to the appropriate team members, and maintaining a professional and helpful tone in all communications.
- Build strong relationships with managers to understand their operational needs and offer tailored HR support.
- Offer day-to-day guidance to employees on HR matters.
- Support line managers with day-to-day employee life cycle points and informal interventions when needed e.g. probations, family leave, absence management, learning and development interventions based on appraisal outcomes.
- Liaise with external specialists e.g. occupational health as and when needed.
- Identify trends in employee relations and HR operations and recommend improvements.
Data, Information and Systems Management- Support the implementation and continuous improvement of new HR processes, systems, and software.
- Ensure all HR-related data is processed accurately and efficiently to support core functions.
- Provide timely and accurate advice to managers and staff on accessing HR systems and data.
- Maintain secure storage of electronic and paper-based documents in line with internal policies and the Data Protection Act.
- Keep HR databases and departmental spreadsheets up to date, resolving issues as needed.
- Produce reports on key metrics including salaries, sickness, turnover, and diversity, as requested by the HR Business Partner or HR Director.
Line Management of HR AssistantDevelop and support the HR Assistant in delivering accurate and timely administrative tasks, including:
- Maintaining employee records and updating contact details and staff photographs.
- Preparing employee statistics and supporting annual census reporting.
- Communicating starter and leaver information to relevant departments.
- Managing paper and electronic records related to absence, maternity/adoption/paternity leave, working time regulations, and equal opportunities.
- Supporting probationary reviews, appraisals, and leaver processes including exit interviews and trend analysis.
- Conducting regular audits of personnel files and chasing outstanding documentation.
- Producing standard and ad hoc letters and documents.
- Updating HR intranet pages and inputting employee records into new HR systems.
- Assisting with GDPR compliance across HR processes.
Policy Review and Legal Compliance- Work with the HR Business Partner and People Director to ensure legal compliance and alignment with best practice.
- Recommend practical changes to internal processes following policy updates, considering Highgate's culture and priorities.
- Stay informed of changes in legislation, ISI and DfE guidance, and relevant case law.
- Support the development and delivery of policy and compliance-related training programmes.
General Responsibilities- Respond to internal and external HR enquiries promptly and professionally.
- Manage incoming emails, post, and paperwork efficiently.
- Contribute to HR projects and ongoing departmental activities.
- Support recruitment processes and assist the Recruitment Manager as needed.
- Ensure payroll data is accurate and submitted on time, verifying all changes.
- Maintain high standards of HR administration and record-keeping.
- Review and issue HR communications across the organisation.
- Deliver excellent customer service and build strong working relationships.
- Maintain confidentiality in all verbal and written communications.
These duties and responsibilities are intended as a guide. They are not exhaustive: the HR Operations Advisor will be expected to undertake any reasonable task or responsibility as required by the HR Business Partner or People Director.Person Specification
- Criteria
- How will these be tested or verified?
- Qualifications/ Professional Bodies
- Essential:
- Educated to A-Level (or equivalent)
- Fully CIPD qualified or working towards a CIPD qualification
Desirable:
- An undergraduate degree or equivalent
- Experience
- Essential:
- Demonstrable experience working in an HR role in a fast-paced environment
- Experience of telephone, email and face to face contact with customers
- Previous use of database systems
Desirable:
- Previous use of HR/MIS Systems
- Skills/Knowledge
- Essential:
- Strong organisational skills
- An excellent knowledge of Word, Excel, Outlook and databases
- High level of attention to detail and accuracy in all work undertaken
- Ability to work calmly under pressure, multi-task and manage a diverse workload
Desirable:
- Knowledge of child protection and safeguarding policies and procedures
- Personal Attributes
- Essential:
- Strong customer focus
- Energetic and approachable with excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills
- Ability to build and maintain strong relationships
- Flexible with a 'can-do' approach and able to work effectively and use initiative without constant supervision
- A proactive approach to work, and meeting targets
- The ability to maintain in strictest confidence any information received concerning School matters
BenefitsLocation | Highgate Village, adjacent to Hampstead Heath, with quaint shops and easy connections across London.
Pension | AVIVA workplace pension scheme offered with a generous 26% employer contribution, with the ability to flex up to 16% of this as additional non-pensionable salary, employees contribute a minimum of 5%.
Personal development | Comprehensive induction support for new staff. Focus on continued professional development for all employees.
Leisure facilities | Free access, at stipulated times, to our sports facilities, including a fitness suite and swimming pool (recently refurbished).
Lunch | A complimentary lunch.
Help with sustainable travel | Access to the Cycle to Work Scheme and a Season Ticket Loan scheme for public transport.
Family-friendly policies | Highgate appreciates that employees sometimes have family commitments so we try to be as supportive as possible, for example with enhanced maternity pay (8 weeks' full pay, then 10 weeks' half pay) and paid dependant leave.
I really enjoy working in an environment which is focused on education and wellbeing. And the kids are great!"
- New member of support staff
Working at HighgateA culture of community, kindness and belongingHighgate is a caring, open-minded community, where we promote kindness, empathy and friendship. Everyone who works and studies with us deserves to feel they are part of a welcoming environment that enables them to be themselves and to thrive as individuals.
Our community extends beyond the school, through partnerships, charity work and our commitment to equality, inclusion and sustainability. All members of our school community are encouraged to look outwards and play an active role.
Following a visit from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in September 2024 to assess Highgate's regulatory compliance and school standards, we are pleased to share the inspection findings, which reports compliance in all five areas and a 'significant strength' in our teaching expertise.
Staff wellbeingHighgate is committed to staff wellbeing, which we promote by encouraging a strong work-life balance; trying our best to support flexible working requests; providing a nutritious complimentary lunch in the dining hall; and offering access to sporting facilities including our recently renovated swimming pool.
The Staff Wellbeing Committee, with representatives across the School, meets regularly to drive forward initiatives, and a selection of staff have been trained as Mental-Health First Aiders.
We encourage an open culture throughout our school, with regular staff surveys, action committees and opportunities to feedback. We strive for continual learning and improvement, and staff training and development is paramount. There are opportunities to participate in the wider life of our school, such as taking part in trips or societies and getting involved in partnership projects.
More details about working at Highgate can be found here:
Work with us Aims + Ethos
Charitable work and sustainabilityAs an independent school, we want to use our position as a charity effectively: to make high-quality education accessible to as many children as possible - through our bursary programme at Highgate and through our work with local state schools. We have partnerships with over 60 state schools across 7 London boroughs, and we are the principal educational sponsor for London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham - an academically-selective state sixth form in a community where such opportunities are lacking.
Alongside this, our staff and pupils undertake charitable activities throughout the year. These range from staff giving up their time to neighbourhood schools and charitable organisations, focused fundraising campaigns, to pupils undertaking community work in the local area or further afield.
As a school, we have a central role to play in educating our pupils, staff and parents about the importance of environmental sustainability. We are taking positive action to adapt our operational performance to tackle the negative effects of climate change. We encourage all our staff to reflect upon their personal and professional practices, to support our environmental agenda and to make positive changes wherever possible.
Application procedure- Closing Date: 18th November 2025
- 1st Interview: w/c 24th November 2025
- 2nd Interview: w/c 1st December 2025
Contact: Recruitment Team are happy to answer any questions about this post.
Early Application: Applications will be considered 'as and when' received and we may close the vacancy if we appoint before the closing date.
Apply here
InclusionWe know that more diverse teams are stronger teams, and that the more inclusive we are, the more our staff and pupils will feel a sense of belonging and will thrive. To enable us to make reasonable adjustments, please let us know of any disabilities (including neuro-divergence) when you submit your application.
SafeguardingAs this role will have regular unsupervised contact with children you must, if appointed, comply with Highgate's Safeguarding Policy and Staff Code of Conduct. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety and welfare of our pupils, these concerns must be reported immediately in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. If whilst in the post, Highgate becomes aware of any safeguarding concerns to staff, pupils or the community; these will need to be followed up in line with the safeguarding policy and code of conduct which is underpinned by KCSIE and other legislation. These concerns may need to be shared with other agencies. A copy of these policies will accompany all offers of employment. Training will also be provided to all staff to support Safeguarding practice.
Please read before you applyHighgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, the Disclosure and Barring Service and overseas police check if necessary. Candidates from overseas must provide information about their past conduct, for example, by providing documents issued by overseas teaching authorities. DBS Privacy Policy
Please note that this role is 'exempt' from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, you are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings that are not 'protected' (i.e. filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview. DBS Code of Practice
In accordance with the latest guidance from KCSIE, we shall be conducting online searches on any candidates who are shortlisted.