Job Profile for HR Support Officer

Job Details

Job title: HR Support Officer

Salary/Grade: Grade 3

Service: People & Performance

Reports to: HR Manager

Manages/Supervises: N/A Works in liaison with HR Assistant

Job purpose

This role coordinates the payroll, recruitment and HR administration function, ensuring a timely, accurate and efficient service is provided on a day to day basis for the HR service.

Responsible for maintaining and updating the HR information system.

Being a point of contact for employees and managers on payroll, recruitment and HR queries to provide exceptional customer service.

Principal Accountabilities

• Responsible for all administration relating to employees joining and leaving the organisation and employee changes in the organisation, ensuring timely and accurate completion of all associated processes, payroll and correspondence.
• Administer the monthly payroll processes including liaising with Payroll/Finance and sending out correspondence as necessary to employees.
• Coordinate administration of all recruitment processes including preparation of job adverts, job profiles and attending interviews as required.
• Coordinate production of job offers and contracts of employment and support the onboarding process.
• Support ensuring appropriate pre-employment checks are carried out for all new starters.
• To provide first level advice to managers and staff on HR issues (e.g. annual leave, pay, sickness).
• Manage HR system for probationary reviews of new employees.
• Support HR projects, processes and initiatives.
• Support the administration of employee benefits.
• Support managing the HR inbox.
• Work closely with the HR Assistant on recruitment, offers and pre-employment checks.
• Support with filing of all documentation.
• Undertake administrative duties e.g. raising orders and processing invoices.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of efficient and effective HR administrative procedures.
• Ensure full compliance with data protection regulations, including GDPR and organisational data security policies, to safeguard employee information and uphold confidentiality standards.

Corporate Accountabilities

• To take responsibility for maintaining own health and attendance. 
• To support, contribute and comply with quality and governance procedures as directed by management.
• To apply and actively promote the principles of the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy in all areas of employment and service delivery.
• To apply and actively promote the principles of the Council’s Safeguarding Procedure in all areas of employment and service delivery.
• Any other duties as required to support the business, including maintaining business continuity and during civil emergencies. All staff may on occasions be called upon to support the Council to deal with emergency situations affecting the community we serve. In the event of an emergency or a rehearsal for such an event, you may be required to attend at times and at locations outside of the normal hours and duties of the post and to adopt duties directed by the Chief Executive or their nominated representative for the duration of the emergency.
• Any other associated duties detailed by Head of Service or his representative.
• To advise Line manager if, at any time, the above duties and responsibilities cannot be performed.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

(Tested at application and interview stage)

Experience and Qualifications

• CIPD Level 3 desirable
• Experience of HR Administration including payroll processing, recruitment and contract production.
• Experience of using HR information systems ideally iTrent (MHR) to maintain personnel records.
• Experience of dealing with first level HR queries.
• Good technical HR knowledge.
• Experience of delivering work to agreed deadlines.

Skills and Knowledge

• Excellent IT skills specifically MS Office.
• High levels of accuracy and excellent attention to detail.
• Proven written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal/verbal communication skills, confident speaking to customers, employees and managers in person and on the phone.
• Ability to identify and manage confidential and sensitive information or situations in a professional and discrete manner.
• Ability to work well in a team and at times work unsupervised with a pro-active approach.
• A track record of developing effective relationships including working with employees/customers/line managers to resolve issues.
• Ability to manage various tasks and see them through to completion.
• Ability to work when under pressure, prioritising effectively and meeting deadlines.

Competencies

We test this at interview stage

Communicating Effectively 

Demonstrate the effective use of the range of communication methods available: written, spoken, electronic, and use these methods in appropriate ways suitable to the context and situation

• Present spoken communication in a polite, friendly and respectful manner seeking to ensure mutual understanding
• Listen well and seek clarification and understanding, avoiding jumping to conclusions or making assumptions
• Present information and ideas in a clear and understandable way which avoids jargon
• Seek to understand the communication needs of colleagues and customers, being mindful of equality issues and the diverse needs of the range of people we work with
• Choose the most appropriate method of communication for the situation, seeking to avoid using one fixed style or approach

Performing efficiently and effectively

Promote good performance, developing clear, structured and efficient ways of managing workload and delivering results. Staff should challenge themselves and others to perform well, and to adhere to the Council’s performance management systems

• Ensure that all work carried out by you is in line with business and service plans and supports the overall aims and ambition of the Council
• Plan your workload effectively, reporting achievements and problems to appropriate managers and project leaders See tasks and objectives through to completion
• Approach challenges with drive and enthusiasm
• Strive for continuous improvement in your work and manage your learning and development to enable you to perform to the best of your ability
• Create novel solutions to improve services and ways of working and challenge conventional practices
• Seek out income generating opportunities and efficiencies and aim to provide more for less to achieve the best possible value and high standards of service delivery
• Be enthusiastic about the Council’s services and look for opportunities to promote and sell them

Using and managing resources efficiently and effectively 

Demonstrate the effective and efficient use of the full range of resources used in and by the Council including time, finances, staffing, equipment, information, materials, buildings, etc.

• Take responsibility for managing your time, seeking efficient ways to carry out your work, maximising your output and minimising wastage
• Use and acquire materials effectively and efficiently minimising wastage, recycling where possible, and striving for cost effectiveness
• Seek out ways to improve the use of resources

Engaging with the customer

Understand the needs and requirements of their customers, to provide excellent customer service, and to involve customers in the improvement of services

• Provide a helpful and friendly service to customers, both internally and externally
• Take responsibility for following up on enquiries and solving customer issues
• Make efforts to fully understand the customer’s needs and avoid assuming that “we know best”
• Ensure that you have a full understanding of the needs and requirements of the customer
• Seek feedback from internal and external customers on the effectiveness and efficiency of the service you provide

Working well Together

Actively foster good working relationships with colleagues and customers in order to collectively achieve the Council’s direction and ambition

• Co-operate and work well with colleagues at all levels of the organisation, seeking collective responsibility for the achievement of goals
• Demonstrate consideration and respect for other’s feelings and opinions and avoid judging and making assumptions
• Maintain positive working relationships with external contacts in order to maintain the reputation of the Council
• Seek to actively solve problems and avoid passing the issue on to others or leaving the problem unresolved
• Demonstrate self-awareness of your style of working and develop flexibility and adaptability in order to work well with others

Other conditions

• This post doesn't require a DBS check 
• This post isn't politically restricted

Job profile updated
July 2026

Values and behaviours

Our values and behaviours are an integral part of who we are; they are the guiding principles that should inform how we work together, support each other and make decisions.

Our organisation thrives on the dedication and passion of its people and it’s important that we embody these values and behaviours and they become a part of our organisational DNA.

Our vision

We will be ambitious, support each other and work together in new ways to achieve outstanding results

Our core values