1196 - HR Administrator

Harwich International Port Limited; Felixstowe; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension 8% employer

Life Assurance: 14x annual salary

Profit sharing bonus

Job summary

Hutchison Ports UK – Port of Felixstowe is seeking an HR Administrator to support end-to-end recruitment, from vacancy approval through onboarding. You will coordinate interviews, draft job adverts, manage candidate communications and complete pre-employment checks while working closely with hiring managers and the HR team.

You will also provide broader HR administrative support across the employee lifecycle, maintaining accurate records, ensuring GDPR compliance and contributing to HR projects

Qualifications

• Experience in an HR, recruitment or administrative environment.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent attention to detail and data accuracy.
• Effective written and verbal communication.
• Experience with HR systems and databases.
• Customer-focused, able to collaborate with stakeholders.
• GCSEs in English and Maths.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate end-to-end recruitment administration, including advertising vacancies, candidate communications, interview scheduling, compliance checks, onboarding and pre-employment screening.
• Support employee relations and transactional HR processes by preparing documentation and maintaining records.
• Maintain accurate HR systems and records, ensuring GDPR compliance.
• Manage HR administrative processes through to completion with high accuracy and service.
• Conduct audits of HR systems and records to ensure data integrity.
• Support HR projects, reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Build relationships with internal stakeholders and provide first-line HR support.
• Contribute to employment market engagement and early careers activities.

Education

GCSE English

GCSE Maths

Tools

HR systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Up to £35,004 per annum depending on skills and experience

Advert Summary

HR Administrator

The Role

Hutchison Ports – Port of Felixstowe is the UK’s largest deep water container port and a major gateway for global trade. As an HR Administrator, you will play a key role in delivering an efficient and professional recruitment administration, supporting the end-to-end hiring process from vacancy approval through to onboarding. Working closely with hiring managers, candidates, and the wider HR team, you will coordinate interviews, draft and publish job adverts, manage candidate communications, complete pre-employment and compliance checks, prepare offers and contracts, and ensure a seamless onboarding experience for new starters.

Alongside recruitment, you will provide broader HR administrative support across the employee lifecycle, assisting with employee relations and transactional HR activities as required. You'll be responsible for maintaining accurate HR records and systems, ensuring compliance with company policies, employment legislation, and data protection requirements, while delivering a high standard of customer service to both internal and external stakeholders.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to develop a career in HR and recruitment within a fast-paced environment, gaining exposure to a wide range of HR processes while becoming a subject matter expert in recruitment administration

Our Benefits – Rewarding the people who keep our port moving

We offer a strong, reliable benefits package designed to support your financial security, wellbeing and long term development:

Financial & Security

• Competitive pension: 8% employer contribution (min 4% employee)
• Life Assurance: 14× annual salary for pension scheme members (4× for non-members)
• Annual profit share bonus and performance related bonus

Health & Wellbeing

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): confidential counselling, stress & anxiety support, financial wellbeing guidance, plus access to our Wellbeing Hub
• On site Occupational Health Team and wellbeing support

Time, Flexibility & Community

• Paid leave, enhanced sick pay terms, and family friendly policies
• Volunteering days supporting our local community
• Perkbox retail discounts, wellbeing content and savings across hundreds of brands

Growth & Development

• Access to development pathways, accredited training, and career progression opportunities across our port network

Key responsibilities

• Coordinate end-to-end recruitment administration, including advertising vacancies, candidate communications, interview scheduling, compliance checks, onboarding and pre-employment screening.
• Support employee relations and transactional HR processes by preparing documentation, maintaining records and responding to queries from employees and managers.
• Maintain accurate HR systems, employee records and documentation, ensuring compliance with GDPR, data protection requirements and company policies.
• Manage HR administrative processes through to completion, proactively resolving issues and maintaining high standards of accuracy and customer service.
• Conduct regular audits of HR systems and records to ensure data integrity and compliance.
• Support wider HR projects, reporting activities and continuous improvement initiatives across the department.
• Build effective working relationships with internal stakeholders and provide a professional first-line HR support service.
• Contribute to wider employment market engagement and early careers activities where required.

What you need

• Experience gained within an HR, recruitment or administrative environment.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining accurate records and data.
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Previous experience working with HR systems, databases and Microsoft Office applications.
• A customer-focused approach and the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels.
• GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Maths.

Shifts & Pay

• Basic salary: Up to £35,004 depending on skills and experience
• Hours: 37.5hrs per week – 08:30 – 17:00 Monday to Friday

Inclusion & Community

We are committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming workplace where everyone can thrive. We celebrate individual differences and believe that embracing diversity drives innovation, creativity, and stronger collaboration across our teams.

As part of this commitment, we consider all qualified applicants and encourage open conversations about flexible working. We offer a supportive, community‑focused environment and are proud to hold Chartered Status from Women in Maritime.

We are also committed to making reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process to ensure all candidates have an equal opportunity to succeed. While we may not always be able to accommodate every request, we will always do our best to understand individual needs and explore suitable adjustments. These may include:

• Providing application materials in alternative formats (e.g. large print or accessible documents)
• Giving additional time for assessments or interviews
• Sharing interview formats in advance where appropriate
• Providing interview questions in a clear, readable printed format for all candidates
• Where possible, offering virtual interviews as an alternative to in‑person attendance
• Adjusting interview environments (e.g. quiet rooms or reduced distractions)
• Allowing the use of assistive technology or support persons
• Providing clear communication and instructions throughout the process

The Recruitment Process - What is involved?

Our recruitment process has been designed for you to easily apply and highlight the best of your skills, expertise and personal attributes. We want you to be prepared, confident and the best version of you for this role.

• Anonymous shortlisting – all identifiable details are removed before hiring managers review applications.
• Interview & task – scenario-based activity + competency interview
• Outcome – we aim to update all candidates as soon as possible.

Hutchison Ports UK is able to sponsor skilled worker visas in cases where the role fits the requirements set out by the UK government. Please refer to the government website via this link to understand the requirements needed. In cases where a post-study visa is used initially, it may be the case that the skilled worker visa requirements will not be met once this visa has expired.

Hutchison Ports is committed to creating and developing an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. We will consider all qualified applicants and encourage discussion about flexible working opportunities. We offer a supportive, community environment and have been awarded Chartered status by Women In Maritime. Our D&I committee oversees multiple employee networks including - Women’s Network, PRIDE, Early Careers, Veterans & Reserves, Disability and Culture.