Acting Deputy HR Manager

University of Oxford; Oxford; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Oxford is seeking an Acting Deputy HR Manager to lead HR operations in the Department of Computer Science. This role involves managing HR staff, ensuring compliance, and delivering high-quality HR services in a fast-paced academic environment. The successful candidate will have strong interpersonal skills and a CIPD Level 5 qualification, with a focus on employment law and HR policy.

Benefits

Excellent contributory pension scheme

38 days annual leave

Comprehensive childcare services

Family leave schemes

Cycle loan scheme

Discounted bus travel

Membership to social and sports clubs

Qualifications

• Experienced HR generalist with operational knowledge.
• Confident in advising on employment law and HR policy.
• Experience managing HR operations in a large organisation.

Responsibilities

• Manage HR Officers, Assistants, and Apprentice.
• Ensure smooth delivery of HR operations.
• Support recruitment and employee relations.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Organisational skills

Employment law knowledge

Education

CIPD Level 5 qualification

Tools

HRIS systems

Job description

Full-time, part-time hours of at least 0.8 FTE (30 hours) considered

We’re looking for a skilled and confident HR professional to join a world-class department and step into a key leadership position in our busy HR team.

As Acting Deputy HR Manager, you’ll play a vital role in ensuring the smooth day-to-day delivery of HR operations across the Department of Computer Science. You’ll line manage the HR Officers, Assistants and Apprentice, and formally deputise for the HR Manager—supporting a broad range of activities including recruitment, employee relations, staff data, and compliance.

This is a fixed-term role to cover a period of absence, and we are looking for someone who can start as soon as possible. We are also happy to consider secondments from within the University of Oxford.

Working in a fast-paced academic setting, you'll need to be ready to hit the ground running and deliver a high-quality, customer-focused HR service to a wide range of staff and managers.

You must be able to start no later than 1 July 2025.

About You

You’ll be an experienced HR generalist with strong operational knowledge and excellent interpersonal skills. You’ll be confident advising on employment law and HR policy, comfortable handling complex casework, and experienced in leading or supervising HR staff.

You’ll bring:

• A CIPD Level 5 qualification (or working towards it)
• Experience managing HR operations in a large, complex organisation
• Up-to-date knowledge of UK employment law
• Strong organisational skills and ability to work independently
• Experience using HRIS systems (preferably PeopleXD/CoreHR)

It would be great if you also have:

• HR experience in Higher Education or at the University of Oxford
• Familiarity with Athena SWAN, Teamseer, or PanOp
• Graduate or Chartered CIPD membership

What We Offer

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans
• Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs

Diversity

Committed to equality and valuing diversity.

Application Process

You will be required to upload a supporting statement and an up-to-date CV as part of your online application.

Your supporting statement must clearly demonstrate how you meet each of the essential selection criteria listed in the job description. Applications that do not include a supporting statement or CV, or fail to address the criteria in sufficient detail, will not be considered.

While we recognise the value of AI tools in assisting with application preparation, submissions that are clearly AI-generated without personalisation or insight will be rejected. It's crucial that your application reflects your own experiences and understanding of the role.

The closing date for applications is midday on Monday 9 June 2025.

Interviews are planned for the week commencing 16 June 2025 and will be face to face.

£38,674 to £46,913 per annum, pro rata for part-time - Grade 7 (discretionary range up to £51,059) inclusive of Oxford University weighting