We are seeking an experienced and highly organised HR Manager to lead the delivery of a comprehensive HR service within the academy. This pivotal role is responsible for managing the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, safeguarding compliance, payroll administration, absence management, performance processes and staff development. You will provide professional HR support to leaders and staff, ensuring all employment practices are compliant, efficient, and aligned with statutory requirements and academy policies

This is an excellent opportunity for a CIPD-qualified HR professional, or someone working towards qualification, with strong organisational, communication and stakeholder management skills, ideally gained within a school environment.

If you are passionate about supporting staff, promoting best practice and making a positive contribution to a thriving school community, we would love to hear from you.

Harris Garrard Academy is an all-through 3–18 academy with approximately 1500 pupils on roll and joined the Harris Federation as a sponsored academy in September 2017. In our recent 2021 Ofsted inspection the Academy was rated GOOD in all areas on a strong and consistent trajectory of improvement. The academy is based in Thamesmead in a purpose built building. We are now on a journey towards “Outstanding”, led by highly experienced executive principals with proven track records of school transformation. Our vision is clear: nothing is impossible and everything is possible, irrespective of personal characteristics or background. Every problem has a solution. We believe we are more robust, resilient and determined as a team than as a group of individuals. We support, challenge and hold each other to account at all levels within the academy to ensure that our students achieve their potential, are motivated, engaged and fully prepared for life beyond our academy.

Why work at Harris Garrard Academy?

• The opportunity to be involved in the continued transformation of a school
• A stunning working environment, in a purpose-built school designed by Norman Foster and nominated for the Stirling Prize for architecture in 2004
• A highly motivated team, led by exceptionally experienced and talented senior leaders
• FREE on site gym available to staff with a number of staff sport clubs
• All the advantages of a successful academy group, with a strong central team of support, teaching and leadership staff
• Generous Harris rewards and benefits package

Your role will include:

• Taking full responsibility for the Single Central Register
• Ensuring all visitors, third party contractors, supply and self-employed staff have the appropriate level of clearance, adhering to safeguarding policy and DfE Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance at all times
• Overseeing the marking of all staff and visitors during fire evacuations
• Overseeing the recruitment process, including administering recruitment checks for new staff, managing and implementing the induction process and following all legal requirements
• Maintaining, updating and archiving personnel files in an orderly manner
• Administering and overseeing all staff resignations, including conducting exit interviews and providing analysis to the Principal
• Administering probationary periods, ensuring that Line managers have completed meetings and forms in a timely manner
• Administering all Performance Line Management procedures
• Producing yearly spreadsheet to Principal and Chair of Governors tracking pay progression with performance.
• Ensuring HR policies are adhered to at all times.
• Maintaining an up to date register of staff with named medical conditions and needs and ensuring that these are known by the relevant staff
• Carrying out bookings and administration relating to staff training and development
• Ensuring internal portals are kept up to date with staff details
• Administering payroll and amendments
• Undertaking stress risk assessments and risk assessments for pregnant employees where required.
• Scheduling all staff Informal Absence meetings, First Formal Absence meetings and Final Absence meetings, including preparing absence reports for the meetings and working with Occupational Health where required
• Organising, administering and minuting individual staff meetings
• Producing letters to staff as required
• Administering the staff benefit application process
• Administering the Annual Census return.
• Producing HR reports for Governor meetings, Harris Federation Internal audits and external inspections
• Undertaking regular Safer Recruitment training
• Liaising with payroll and staff pension providers regarding staff pension opting in/out process

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Experience of working in a school
• A CIPD qualified (or working towards)
• The ability to build and sustain professional standards and relationships with staff at all levels and those outside the academy.
• Appreciation of issues of sensitivity and confidentiality and adhering to Data Protection
• Excellent administrative skills, with advanced ICT Skills
• Excellent listening and communication skills, in both speech and writing, and sensitivity in complex situations
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, with strong attention to detail
• A good telephone manner
• The ability to be flexible and adapt to change, and the ability to use your own initiative and work without supervision

For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. This will be helpful for you when completing your application, and throughout the recruitment process.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS, an Annual Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.